Grosvenor House Dubai to unveil Rhodes W1 in 2014

Caterer Middle East can exclusively reveal that the currently closed Rhodes Mezzanine at the Grosvenor House will re-open in spring 2014 with a new name - Rhodes W1.

Chef patron and restaurateur Gary Rhodes said he is currently focusing on Rhodes Mezzanine, which is closed for renovation and will reopen as Rhodes W1 next year.

He told Caterer Middle East: “We’ll have a brand new kitchen. We are just changing the style of the restaurant, and I’ll be making it virtually 100% true British with a brand new edge to it and lively at the same time."

Rhodes W1 was the name of the chef's venture with London's Cumberland hotel, where his partnership came to an end in 2012. 

His most recent venture in the UAE was the opening of Rhodes 44 at the St Regis Abu Dhabi in 2013, which offers traditional British food with an Arabic twist.

The chef arrived in the Middle East in 2007 with Rhodes Mezzanine, and then followed it up with Rhodes Twenty10 at Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa Dubai in August 2010. With the opening of Grosvenor House Dubai, Tower Two in September 2011, he unveiled Rhodes in Residence; an all-day-dining concept featuring an English afternoon tea – created by him exclusively for the hotel.

Juggling several restaurants hasn’t been easy for Rhodes, who insisted he’s a very hands-on chef and doesn’t want to spread himself too thin. However, the celeb chef has also hinted at a new restaurant in Doha, saying he is planning on something that he hopes will happen soon.