It’s clear that Galvin has faith in the team that he’s assembled for the brand in Dubai. Vespero worked with the Galvins for four years in London, as the sous chef at La Chapelle, followed by Galvin Bistro de Luxe as the head chef. Galvin says: “I would trust Luigi with my life when it comes to representing us, so I have to [free] him to work in his own way. Luigi is going to be cooking for people day and night. As much as we can [be involved] from London, it has to be him. He’s one of the greatest chefs I’ve ever worked with. And we have Corrado heading front-of-house. They’re my family. In Dubai we’re lucky to have these great guys. We have some special people.”
Taking the lead, Vespero has made his mark on the menu. Galvin explains: “When Luigi’s in Naples, he opens his window and he sees the sea. So, we have the crustacean bar. What better way to start a meal than with [seafood], or to just sit at the bar and have some oysters?”
Vespero names other pillars of the Galvin Dubai menu: “We have the crab lasagne, the escargot, the tagine, and the beautiful seabass. Everything is shareable, as per the Mediterranean and the Middle Eastern cultures — they like to have a feast at the table.”
As society becomes more fragmented, Galvin sees the dining experience as a way to bring people together, saying: “I think we need that in our lives. I think we hark back to being around a table and having fun.”
Also bringing people together is the Galvin Chance charity, which has been running for nine years in London. The organisation was founded by Galvin and his partner Fred Sirieix, general manager of Galvin at Windows (and the host of the First Dates TV show), to help young people aged 18 to 20 to get into work in front-of-house positions. Speaking about what inspired him to start the charity, Galvin says he believes that “99.9% of people have goodness in them”. “It’s our job to find it,” he adds.
“In nine years, we’ve had a 130 young people who are now working in top jobs around Britain. We can be the first to do it here in a collaborative way.”
Collaborating is also something the chefs have had to do with their suppliers, and the groundwork was laid with Demoiselle earlier in the year. Vespero says: “Demoiselle was a good learning [experience] for us, in terms of discovering who to work with. One thing that we’re definitely doing — and looking to develop more — is working with local suppliers and producers. The season is about to start, so there will be some beautiful local produce like vegetables, and we’re working with local poultry farms. Why bring a frozen chicken from France when I can get an equally beautiful fresh product here in Dubai?”
Though Vespero is already working with local produce, obtaining the right ingredients in this region isn’t without its challenges. He says: “The sourcing is always a challenge in Dubai — we’re in a desert, after all.”
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