DUBAI: In a city where it feels like practically every celebrity chef worth their salt has a presence, the legendary Heston Blumenthal’s decision to open a restaurant in Dubai is still massive news for the region’s hospitality industry. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will open at the upcoming Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences in Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah in 2019.
As the design and development process for the restaurant — only the third outpost of the brand after London and Melbourne — goes on, Ashley Palmer-Watts will be spending a lot more time in Dubai.
“When we open a restaurant, we are there, we put in the effort,” he said. “We plan it carefully. We don’t just open anywhere, spend a few weeks and go away. Obviously, Heston can’t be here all the time, but my approach is (that) I will be here as much as I need to.”
While describing this region’s market as “notoriously difficult to actually make it stick,” Palmer-Watts nonetheless said the city ticked all their boxes when it came to deciding where to open next.
“First, it’s got to be a spectacular location, which we’ve got here; it also needs to be a market that we believe will be ready for it and accept it as part of the food scene,” he said. “What do people come to Dubai for? They come to eat in brilliant restaurants, stay in great hotels, relax and have a good time, so it just feels like a natural fit.”
Palmer-Watts intends to use some influences and nods to the region to localize the concept. “We will definitely look into incorporating local elements — maybe some spices, just little bits of inspiration,” he said. “We may discover some amazing connections, probably a lot of ingredients that we don’t know about yet.
“We’re creating a space that people want to come into, provide delicious food, tie that in with incredible service and add that into a very diverse world of restaurants out here,” he concluded.
