Is Dubai a Paris or an Angelina?

If Dubai was a celebrity, who would it be?

Perhaps we could liken it to Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto: a youngster, fairly new on the scene but with plenty of talent and potential.

Or maybe Dubai is like Angelina Jolie – a glamorous award-winner linked to Brad Pitt (Well, he is designing an environmentally conscious hotel in the emirate).

On the other hand, maybe these individuals are a stretch too far for Dubai; maybe the city is more like Paris Hilton – plenty of glitz and glamour but not much else.

After impressive growth over the past decade, the city now boasts landmark hotels, iconic towers and multiple tourist attractions – and of course numerous impressive restaurants.

The F&B scene has become a key selling point of the emirate, with some industry professionals going so far as to liken Dubai to established gastronomic hubs such as Paris or New York.

But it is undoubtedly a tough market place to stand out in, which may well have driven chefs, owners and operators trying to gain recognition to attempt overly ambitious concepts – emphasising gimmicks over grub.

I’m not going to name names, but there have been a few outlets I‘ve visited over the past year which have really made me wonder whether the brief was simply to do something as ‘crazy’ and ‘unique’ as possible, regardless of how ugly the design or ridiculous the menu.

But now, with the cooling economic climate, the emirate’s eateries are going to have to prove their worth – today’s consumer won’t be swayed by glitz and glamour. They’re looking for more. They want decent, value-for-money meals along with a great dining experience.

It’s a tall order, but the answer just might be going back to basics.

Instead of looking for the most complex idea, restaurants should look at doing something simple, to a high standard.

Indeed this is the approach that the big-name celeb chefs seem to be taking, with Gary Rhodes advocating traditional, homely English food such as scones; James Martin promoting his ‘pie and peas’ idea; and Jamie Oliver introducing a simple barbeque concept to the region.

As Gary Rhodes explained at Taste of Dubai, “although people have got to make an effort to keep their repertoire fresh, they should not lose touch with the great classics”.

We all know the UAE is famous for being progressive and forward-thinking – and that‘s good. It keeps our F&B scene lively and competitive.

But if the industry can make a collective effort to avoid the bombast and go back to the core values that made Dubai a great gastro-destination in the first place, then we can revamp the city’s foodie personality.

So now is the time for outlets to take a long hard look at what they’re offering: they need to prove that Dubai’s restaurants have gastronomic longevity, depth and real style – and are about more than just flash-in-the-pan glamour.