Pierchic undergoes a complete overhaul, but stays true to its principles of providing an experience to remember, as Shaheen Nouman discovers
Front of House
Pierchic opened its doors 10 years ago, on the same day as Al Qasr Hotel in Dubai, but underwent a refurbishment in 2014 as part of the Jumeirah Restaurant Group’s mandate of ‘incubating’ its venues.
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While the seafood venue has received its fair share of fame due to its scenic location, it is also popular due to its food and attentive service, as Pierchic general manager Andrea Zampolini shares.
“We are very lucky that the location is number one; there is no doubt about it. Now we need to provide service and food complementing the location, which is very difficult,” Zampolini explains.
“It’s the same as other Jumeirah properties in terms of expectations and standards, but very different in terms of experience for our customer.”
Speaking about the need to refurbish the restaurant after 10 years, Zampolini says: “We had two main reasons. The restaurant was very tired looking after 10 years.
We had done a soft refurbishment five years ago, but it was very soft. There were some areas where we could see a potential of a nice seating area. With winters brief, summers hot, and rain unexpected, the restaurant lost a grand part of its covers and it was not a pleasant situation.”
Besides the extension of the seating area, Pierchic also attempted to redefine its customer profile. “We want to attract a different kind of clientele.
Not only couples and people above 40, but also a young, new generation that wants to come and enjoy dinner in a sophisticated and relaxed environment. Earlier Pierchic was known to be a romantic place, so everybody would like to come here to propose,” Zampolini comments.
The makeover has added two pods on the walkway to the restaurant — Chic Pod and Oyster Pod — serving cocktails, and freshly-prepared ceviche and oysters. “You have a 250m pier and it’s a long walk down. So by creating these two new areas, we created life on the pier.”
The four-month-long refurbishment also extended the seating capacity, enclosing two previously open terraces. The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows, bringing the outdoors inside with a snap of a latch, and diners can see waves crashing beneath them, albeit from a safe distance.
Now Pierchic features a formal dining area, lounge and a bar, usable year-round, with 150 seats and an additional standing capacity of 80.
Pierchic’s new look has underlying Parisian charm, with vintage flair and contemporary bespoke furniture. The interiors are designed by KCS, the same company which worked on the Burj Al Arab. Swarovski has added a heavy dose of glitz, with fishnet chandeliers filled with 25kg Swarovski crystals.
The venue is already quite popular as a romantic culinary destination and the team at Pierchic is set to introduce new concepts and flavours.
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