Top 10 new hotel restaurants in the Middle East
Hotelier Middle East looks at the region's 10 hottest new hotel restaurants, featuring a KSA debut by a three-Michelin star chef and a TV giant returning to Dubai for a second helping.
Kiyi
Location: Fairmont Ajman, UAE
Opening date: September 2015
Cuisine: Turkish
Head Chef: Fahri Karatas
Concept: Ottoman Turkish menu and setting.
Interior designer: GAJ Architects
Seating capacity: 85 indoors, 24 outdoors
Summary of USPs: Two separate private dining rooms (one with capacity for 10, the other with capacity for 15), views of the Arabian Gulf, traditional and modern Turkish recipes on the menu.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: The restaurant’s interiors are inspired by Imperial Ottoman Turkey, including Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace. The dining room features majlis style seating, and Turkish crafts such as hand-painted
Iznik tiles.
Nozomi Doha
Location: Marsa Malaz Kempinski, Doha, Qatar
Opening date: October 2015
Cuisine: Contemporary Japanese
Head Chef: Takeumi Hiraoka
Concept: Contemporary Japanese cuisine with a focus on entertainment.
Interior designer: Rockwell
Seating capacity: 228 downstairs, 143 upstairs
Summary of USPs: A soundtrack featuring music from around the world, outdoor seating on two floors, both with views of the Arabian Gulf, ingredients include highest grade Kobe beef, flown in twice a week from Japan.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: According to the hotel, Nozomi Doha’s sushi master Tarana Malikova is the first female sushi master outside of Japan.
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar
Location: Atlantis The Palm, Dubai
Opening date: November 2015
Cuisine: British European
Head Chef: Cesar Bartolini
Concept: A relaxed drinking and dining concept, modelled on the original Bread Street Kitchen by chef Gordon Ramsay, located on London’s Bread Street.
Interior designer: Jeffery Beers International
Seating capacity: 279 indoor, 152 outdoor, 16 bar area
Summary of USPs: Features include a brick wooden oven, two bars (one indoor, and other on the terrace), a sit-at live prep cold kitchen, and a wine area with a selection of 32 wines by the glass.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: The restaurant features a sit-at ice cream parlour, which also faces on to the Avenues.
The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill
Location: The DoubleTree by Hilton JBR, Dubai, UAE
Opening date: November 2015
Cuisine: Seafood
Head Chef: Liam Breen
Concept: A classic and casual brasserie, focused on seafood and with a raw bar.
Interior designer: Joey Ghazal
Seating capacity: 110 indoors, 90 outdoors
Summary of USPs: Floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the hotel pool and sea, outdoor terrace, independent entrance from hotel, à la carte brunch on Fridays and Saturdays, and deals on oysters at $2.70 (AED 10) each.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: The restaurant’s location overlooks the new ‘Dubai Eye’, the world’s largest ferris wheel, currently under construction at JBR, Dubai.
WU Asian Restaurant & Lounge
Location: Art Rotana, Bahrain
Opening date: November 2015
Cuisine: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian and Thai cooking
Head Chef: Aphithak ‘Mac’ Withojit
Concept: Modern Asian fine dining.
Interior designer: Creative Style
Seating capacity: 70 in the restaurant area, 80 in the lounge and terrace
Summary of USPs: Beachfront setting and views,terrace area, outdoor garden.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: The restaurant is divided into three distinct areas: indoor dining, lounge area, and outdoor terrace.
Z Lounge by Zengo
Location: Kempinski Residences & Suites, Doha
Opening date: November 2015
Cuisine: Latin-Asian fusion
Head Chef: Richard Sandoval
Concept: Notable Mexican chef Richard Sandoval’s lounge bar with Latin-Asian fusion menu, and beverage list. An additional Zengo restaurant by the same chef is expected to open in late 2016.
Interior designer: Peia Associati
Seating capacity: 100 seated, 50 standing
Summary of USPs: Menu features sushi, sashimi, ceviche and tacos; beverage menu features Latin wines, Japanese sake, and an extensive choice of whisky.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: The lounge bar is located on the highest floor (the 61st) of Doha’s tallest building. The venue has 180-degree views of the city.
Play Restaurant & Lounge
Location: The H Hotel, Dubai
Opening date: December 2015
Cuisine: ‘Mediterr-Asian’ cuisine
Head Chef: Reif Othman
Concept: A new and modern fusion of Mediterranean and Asian cooking, devised by ex-Zuma chef Reif Othman.
Interior designer: Gregory Gatserelia
Seating capacity: 190
Summary of USPs: The design encompasses an elevated private dining room, as well as a photography studio.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: Located on the hotel’s 36th floor, the restaurant offers views from both sides of the restaurant, uniquely though, of the city skyline from one side, and of the sea from the other side of the restaurant.
Acacia by Pierre Gagnaire
Location: Mövenpick Hotel Riyadh, KSA
Opening date: January 2016
Cuisine: Fine French dining
Head Chef: Adel Manai
Concept: The restaurant will have creative updates on traditional French cuisine, devised by Pierre Gagnaire.
Interior designer: LW Design company
Seating capacity: 64 indoors, 20 outdoors
Summary of USPs: A menu created by three-Michelin awarded chef Gagnaire, live cooking and premium imported products.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: Live cooking is a new feature to Pierre Gagnaire’s F&B outlets.
Quattro Passi
Location: Viceroy Palm Jumeirah Dubai, UAE
Opening date: Late 2016
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Head Chef: Fabrizio Mellino
Concept: Chef Antonio Mellino brings a two-Michelin awarded import from Italy’s Amalfi Coast and London’s Mayfair, to go with an Italian menu focusing on pasta and seafood.
Interior designer: Yabu Pushelberg
Seating capacity: 95 indoors, 25 outdoors
Summary of USPs: Floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Dubai Marina and the resort’s main pool directly outside, fresh Mediterranean ingredients flown in daily from Italy.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: The Dubai venture will be headed by Antonio Mellino’s son Fabrizio.
Sabai Thai
Location: The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa, Qatar
Opening date: March 2016
Cuisine: Royal Thai
Head Chef: Areewan Larpnikornkul
Concept: A modern interpretation of Royal Thai cuisine.
Interior designer: DSGN
Seating capacity: 125
Summary of USPs: Dishes prepared with fresh ingredients imported from Thailand and following traditional Thai principles, live cooking, live Thai entertainment.
Hotelier’s favourite feature: The design features a pond outside the restaurant with Koi carp.