Mediterranean outlet Boca shares its green concept
Front of House
In October 2014, a Mediterranean concept opened its doors in a prime location in DIFC. The 140-seat Boca stretches across two levels, including a terrace, with the main restaurant and tapas area, along with the central bar, on the upper floor, with the private cellar and kitchen on the lower level. The space was originally an art gallery on one floor with double height, so a total refit took place, including building a new floor.
Boca’s rustic wine cellar on the lower level has a collection from across Italy, France and Spain. Boca general manager, and one of its co-founders from local start-up Foodworks, Omar Shihab says: “We wanted to be a tapas restaurant and a wine bar as well. We are limited in what we can get here in terms of wines, but we wanted to offer people the chance to pick different wines based on taste and flavour rather than price. That’s why we have 23 wines by the glass and a majority in the mid-range price point.
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“The cellar is definitely a USP; it’s a smart use of the space and once you step in, it’s not a VIP room… it’s a social, casual space with one long oak table, it’s very communal.”
The overall inspiration was the modern tapas restaurants of Barcelona, and the concept creators extended that to include the French Riviera and the Italian coast as well. The name “Boca” was then chosen because it means ‘mouth’ in Spanish, and in Italian albeit with a different spelling. Shihab says: “The O in Boca’s logo represents a mouth, but also represents an olive. The colour of the O also represents the olive.”
The interior design was created by UAE-based Bishop Design Associates, with a heavy focus on the art scene of DIFC. A whole wall and part of the ceiling is dedicated to art. Fann-A-Porter Art Gallery places works from artists it represents, and changes it every month.
The aim was to fill the gap between fine dining and casual. “People want that high quality food and service, but we removed the fluff.” The music is equally casual and upbeat, with DJ Marko Smokingroove and David Craig from Mais Musica creating the playlist.
The restaurant’s audience has organically grown through word of mouth and referrals, and does anywhere from 150-250 covers per day, depending on the day of the week.
Shihab says that while people assume that being in DIFC automatically translates to cash registers ringing, that’s not always the case. “Being in DIFC is a little bit tricky; it’s not really applicable to plug and play. You’re surrounded by established brands.”
When asked whether Foodworks would consider expanding the concept into multiple locations, Shihab says: “It’s very tempting to say it’s something we will replicate, but finding the right space to offer all the elements for a successful restaurant is really tricky in Dubai.”
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