Photo tour of Grosvenor House's Toro Toro

Charlie Lyon, December 21st, 2011

Note to self: if you’re feeling in the least bit insipid, don’t plan your evening out at Toro Toro. This restaurant and lounge concept is for impassioned diners only!

As you walk into the lofty lobby you’re greeted by a pair of life-size bronze bull sculptures. And they’re not waiting to take your coat. Horns down and weight on hind legs, they’re braced for action. As should you be.

This outlet from chef Richard Sandoval, situated in Grosvenor House hotel Dubai Marina, is a restaurant-come-lounge-come-bar concept, and is designed specifically for guests to socialise in. With a huge glowing bar, cowhide trims, seats in oversized cages, and horn bone displays, there are plenty of talking points. And with the menu consisting mainly of sharing dishes ’from land, ’from sea’ and ’from the garden’, there really is no reason to be shy.

As for the momentous interior design, that is the brainchild of Pia Lakshmi Sen and Jesper Godsk from LW Design.

“Fire, drama and theatre – that is the thinking behind the design,“ reveals Sen. “Our design brief was to create a Latin American restaurant/bar with a new and exciting dinner experience. It was an entirely new concept developed between us and the hotel team. We had to create a new design brand, and make sure it was distinctively different from the successful Buddha Bar concept.“

Sen admits that in Dubai, they’ve had to keep upping their game when it comes to design. “We are now seeing a growing trend of internationally renowned brands being introduced to the Dubai bar and restaurant scene. Brands such as Gaucho, La Petite Maison, The Ivy, Hakkasan and the Embassy to name but a few. This obviously raises the bar as far as design is concerned, and for overall experience – they all have to compete with each other to attract the attention of the trend-seeking Dubai crowd.“

So what has LW Design done to make sure Toro Toro stands out as the destination venue diners choose to go to over the rest?

“Dubai does not actually have many restaurants where the focus is on the sharing menu, and the ones that do offer a take on the traditional Spanish tapas experience. The sharing concept at Toro Toro has been applied not only to the appetisers, but to all items on the menu.

“It’s a very upmarket and glamorous venue with an entire floor dedicated to a bar and lounge above the restaurant. And you can soak up the sexy Brazilian beats while taking in the picturesque Marina setting,“ enthuses Sen.

Click through to the following pages for a photo tour of Toro Toro.

Peek-a-boo: watch the chefs busy at work preparing your sharing dishes through the impressive windows on the ground floor.