Nick Alvis, Viktorija Paplauskiene and Scott Price on Folly's terrace, overlooking the Burj Al Arab.
Elaborating on the food at Folly, Price reveals that everyone involved has spent a long time considering what they think Dubai wants now, balanced with what they want to do. The result is “modern, European-based cuisine”.
Continuing, he adds: “We have created our own way of doing things with food; people try to pigeonhole what we’re doing but it’s difficult as we’re trying to create our own brand here. We’re not copying anyone else. We’re trying to do what we think is right and what nobody else is doing in town.”
As such, Folly by Nick and Scott has “no particular theme” when it comes to its décor, with the trio veering towards a timeless, classic look instead.
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“There’s nothing loud in there that’s going to jump out — there are no features that are either ‘wow’ or ‘what the…’ because it’s just very nice,” Alvis explains. The outside terrace will no doubt ‘wow’ guests however, as it’s a very large area and has a lot of greenery, and the inside offers an interesting twist in the ubiquitous open kitchen.
Setting the scene, Price tells Caterer: “Right from the entrance we have an unusual entrance — a bricked alleyway that you walk into from the door and then it brings you up almost in the centre of the restaurant where there’s so much going on. Inside is quite small, which will give it a bustling atmosphere.”
The centre of the restaurant is where the open kitchen is located, as Alvis explains: “We have a Charvet island suite in the middle and us two will be on the front. We have four seats on one corner and four on another, so it’s like sitting at a bar but you’re in the kitchen. It’s a bit different. We’re not the first people in the world to do it but we saw the space and saw potential for a point of difference. We’ve always found that people love talking to the chefs and ask loads of questions. People are so interested in what chefs do these days and it was never like that when we got into the trade.”
Agreeing, Price adds: “We’re lucky — it’s a good time to be doing what we’re doing. People are genuinely interested; everyone is into food and Instagram. It’s part of the experience,” referring to the popularity of food photography and posting videos of interesting scenes in restaurants.
Aside from sitting in the ‘front row’, as it were, or on the terrace, which seats 40-50 guests, there is also a small upstairs area with views over the Palm and a cocktail bar, which Paplauskiene describes as the perfect place for people to visit for sundowners.
Upstairs there will also be a chef’s table concept, with Alvis explaining it’s ideal for eight to 10 people, who can have their own terrace, waiter and sommelier for the night.
In addition to all of that, Folly is creating an even more secluded dining area.
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