DUBAI: Founded in Saudi Arabia, the Bateel cafe and store is synonymous with luxury dates and known for its innovative approach to using the fruit in its dishes.
According to Bernard Charles, culinary director of gourmet and confectionary, this is deeply rooted in the fruit itself. As Ramadan draws to a close, we take a closer look at a staple that is so closely tied to the holy month and the region in general.
“Bateel grows seven organic date varieties: Khidri, Segai, Wanan, Medjool, Sokari, Kholas and Ajwa,” Charles explained. “These are cultivated on Bateel’s own farms in Al Ghat, Saudi Arabia, where dates have been grown since 1936.”
When it comes to designing new dishes, he said each type of date comes with its own flavor profile: “What makes each variety unique is its distinct flavor profile, texture, and natural sweetness — which is why certain dates are better suited to particular dishes. While size can play a role, the true differentiators are taste, moisture level, and structure. Some varieties are soft and caramel-like, others are firmer with subtle honey or toffee notes.”
Both Charles and Nicholas Cuadrado, senior director of culinary food and beverage strategy and development, seek to use dates in new, unexpected ways.
Bateel’s ever-popular date balsamic vinegar is just one example, and the fruit features prominently in some of the restaurant’s bestselling dishes, including the date French toast, date cured salmon, and the braised lamb and rice pilaf.
“Our approach to innovation is deeply rooted in the fruit itself, our farms, and the rich culinary heritage of the Middle East … inspiration also comes from flavor pairings that reflect regional tastes, including Arabic coffee, saffron and cardamom, as well as from expanding dates into new gourmet formats,” Charles said.
Among the most challenging products to develop were the date chocolates and date balsamic vinegar, according to the chef.
“Date chocolate, while seemingly straightforward, presents unique technical challenges,” he said. “Dates are naturally sticky and delicate, so achieving a premium product using the finest ingredients — while ensuring consistency, sustainability, and scalability — required years of research and development.
“Similarly, developing our date balsamic vinegar involved significant experimentation. Achieving the right depth, balance, and complexity of flavor required time, precision and patience.”
While dates are known to diners across the world, the two chefs are also keen to introduce lesser-known parts of the date palm to international foodies.
“We once introduced a chef’s special featuring palm heart, an ingredient derived from the date palm,” recalled Cuadrado. “It was a beautifully delicate dish with a refined flavor profile that our culinary team were particularly proud of … the ingredient itself was relatively unfamiliar to many guests, which made it more of a discovery experience.”
For an experimental dish featuring dates, Cuadrado offered up a fun and unexpected take on luxury dining.
“I would create an amuse-bouche built around bold contrasts,” he said.
“A Bateel organic date stuffed with a rich blend of walnut, honey and aged camel milk cheese, wrapped in premium veal bacon. It would be a playful mix of sweet, nutty and savory flavors — designed to surprise and delight in a single bite.”
