Life
New restaurants in Dubai pop up all the time. So when one receives a royal visit right after opening, you know it must be special. Mere days after opening, Gerbou was visited by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Housed in an ornate Jumeirah villa that dates back to 1987, Gerbou has been much anticipated since it was first announced in August 2023 and officially opened its doors on Friday February 7. From Atelier House Hospitality, the team behind top-tier concepts including One Michelin Star 11 Woodfire and refined French eatery RSVP, it’s an experience that extends far beyond the culinary. Through a collaboration with Tashkeel and its founder and director HH Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum, the two innovative brands have created Gerbou to redefine Emirati dining.
In sharing a video of Sheikh Mohammed at Gerbou to social media, Atelier House Hospitality CEO Panchali Mahendra shared that it was an “absolute honour and a privilege” to welcome the Ruler of Dubai to Gerbou.
With Taksheel – the renowned UAE-born art and design incubator – behind the interiors, it’s understandably breathtaking. The venue weaves tradition and heritage with contemporary elements across its beautifully detailed indoor dining room and outdoor dining Majlis. A reception desk is crafted from a naturally fallen Ghaf tree, a chandelier of delicate wildflowers preserved in molten glass is a showpiece of the entrance area, and sofas of camel leather invite relaxation.
On the culinary front, the menu celebrates Emirati cuisine with a farm-to-table approach. Head chef Ionel Catau brings experience from globally renowned kitchens to lace international techniques into traditional Emirati flavours. The resulting dishes offer essences of the familiar but are also unique and exciting.
Gerbou is now open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
