As part of the Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi F&B redevelopment, a restaurant by Jean-Georges Vongerichten is set to open in Q1 2014.
With the first phase of the hotel’s renovation already open, next year will see the launch of Market Kitchen, a new international dining concept with the menu created by Vongerichten.
In an interview with Caterer Middle East, Le Royal Méridien general manager Shaun Parsons said it will be a Vongerichten concept so the involvement will be via a consultative partnership with Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group (CCHG) out of New York City.
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The Market Kitchen concept of the “hotel as a home” extends to the restaurant as a casual family kitchen. The brand was born in November 2009 when Vongerichten opened ‘Market’ in Boston’s W Hotel. The concept was exported to W Doha with ‘Market by Jean-Georges’ and ‘Spice Market’.
The Abu Dhabi restaurant will have its own general manager and chef who will have dual responsibility and reporting lines back to the hotel management and CCHG.
“The key personnel will be hired with strong input from CCHG and training for these two associates will take place in the US within already established similar venues,” Parsons added.
The menu will emphasise fresh and locally produced ingredients. It will reinvent classic dishes with eclectic flair, allowing guests to try new flavour combinations and explore spices from other regions. The plan is to craft dishes with seasonal market ingredients and local fish.
Parsons added that the new outlet forms part of a complete transformation underway in the hotel to make all the F&B venues accessible and relevant to the market and consumer demands.
He said: “We have focused on interactive and engaging concepts that are fun and contemporary. LW Design Group has been given a ‘clean palette’ to develop sexy new venues that will be places consumers want to come back to more than two or three times per week. All designs are modern and fresh, some would say a 360° transformation from where we were before.”
He continued: “Ultimately in a hotel environent it is fair to say that rooms are the heart of the hotel, but F&B is always the true ‘soul’ and life’ of the property, and this is what we are trying to capture in everything we do.
“This is reflected in the number of new venues we are adding with concepts driven by the need to innovate and offer different experiences to consumers within the city.”
Restaurants which have been rolled out in phase one include: the hotel lobby, Le Méridien Hub; all-day dining Café Palmier; casual dining outlet Bistro; and a bakery called Wheat.
Phase two, which is scheduled for Q1 2014, has the following outlets: the only revolving lounge bar and grill in Abu Dhabi, Stratos; revamp of the Italian venue Amalfi; signature bar Latitude 24; and Vongerichten’s Market Kitchen.
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