Hey Dubai restauranteurs, GMs, and various F&B personnel, Courtney here! After a few years of ‘official’ dining in the country as A to Za’atar and living here for 11 years, I thought it might be helpful to put together a short list of suggestions.
Let me start by saying I recognize there are things beyond the control of any restaurant in the UAE, be it a large venue or a smaller one. Namely, rental prices from a landlord (which are at a premium not seen in many other places in the world), and often, how long it takes a venue to come on the market (this is Dubai, after all).
Let’s also clarify — I do NOT have a background in managing a restaurant. While I have worked in casual chains (decades ago), my experience comes mainly from dining out 2-3 times a week for the past two-plus years at some of the UAE’s best establishments. Additionally, in the spirit of the UAE taking its place on the global scale, when I go abroad, I choose some of the best restaurants in the world to dine in. Not a humble brag, this is just how I want to spend my money. When I eat overseas, with a very few exceptions, I’m always reminded of how far behind the UAE is.
So, why post this? I love living here. Given how many people fly through the UAE, how many guests we have, and visitors from other countries, it’s weird to be able to count tasting menus on one hand. Or, happily recommending a venue, knowing in reality, it will probably close within a year at the most. As the UAE matures, I’d love to see legacy restaurants that people go out of their way to visit — ones that are worth a more substantial price, or booking months in advance. When I travel abroad, I set reminders in my calendar to get bookings. In Dubai, I could rock up almost anywhere, including a weekend night and not have to worry too much about waiting or getting in. I’d love for that approach to change.
With all of this in mind, here’s a non-exhaustive list of some considerations for one of the most competitive F&B markets in the world:
- Service. Service training is — time and time again — where I see the most significant gaps.
- Personality. In case you weren’t already, let you servers shine. Let them be themselves. Let them be excited about the menu. For example, in my opinion, the best front of house in Dubai is Viktorija (from Folly by Nick and Scott). She runs things in her own way, but does so effortlessly. I’m always happy to see her, and she adds significant value to the restaurant.
- Empowered staff. I go back to an example at a VERY high-end venue out on the Palm. Back when the roundabout near the Atlantis had a ton of construction, Hubs and I were running an unprecedented 45 minutes late for our reservation. I, of course, called to advise the restaurant of our problem. Do you know what would’ve made all the difference in the world? A glass of something (anything!) on arrival. Something that said, “You’re here now, and you don’t have to worry.” Instead, we got the worst table in the venue and had to wait ten minutes for drinks. When a hostess, bartender, or server has the ability to request for small, but memorable extras, guests will remember that service, I promise.
- Compensated staff. I realize budgets are tight everywhere in the country right now, however, I routinely see servers and other front of house members show up at new venues every few months. This nearly constant turnover indicates that working environments aren’t all that great, or that people aren’t being paid enough. All things being equal, seeing the same staff, developing banter, and being in an environment where you can tell people are enjoying their job (stop by Weslodge or Hotel Cartegena to see what I’m talking about) are things that diners notice.
- Education. My usual question when I go to a new venue, is a softball one: “Tell me about your signature dishes.” You would be shocked at how many servers have no idea how to answer this. A staff that knows their menu, understand diner allergies, and are generally knowledgeable are truly a delight to be around.
- Local water. I’m going to continue bringing this point up until it becomes a reality. The tap water in the UAE is completely fine to drink, so why not serve it for free? This offer is why I continually love Cabin, who puts out infused local water as soon as you sit down. An installation of a better filtration system will pay off in the long run – I promise. Also, getting charged AED30+ for water is just getting old, and insulting to your diners. As we live in a region known for its hospitality, how is water not included?
- More green/eco-conscious initiatives. Yes, I’m talking about straws. There is so much progress being made right now, but I’d love to see even more. Educate your diners when serving drinks without straws. Ask if they really need one. Seek out alternatives. Work with companies like Homecycle for recycling initiatives.
- Consistency. Here’s one that comes up a lot. I’ll go to a place, and recommend it to someone, but when they go back, the consistency of a dish or menu has changed somehow. Now the dish I loved isn’t delivering, or the entire place has come down a level.
- Go beyond Burrata. Don’t get me wrong, I love eating this specific cheese, but it seems a ubiquitous offer. If you’re going to do something everyone else is, strive to make yours unique. What is the dish on your menu that only you serve?
- Size matters. I’m not talking about portions, either. I honestly want to sit in a meeting where the decision is made to make a restaurant 200 covers or more. The market is BEGGING for intimate 50 or under cover. Give diners a reason to make a booking in advance – create some buzz, ala Hoseki (and their nine seats), or the casual intimacy of 3 Fils.
- Price against the market. Look, especially where venues are third-party vendors at certain hotels, I get it. Rent is high. However, a fair bill is becoming harder and harder to find. I’m reminded of a certain Italian restaurant that closed, and upon reopening, made specific changes in their menu to move a price per person from AED500 to AED350. I thought this was an incredibly smart move, and wish other venues would follow. Really, what would motivate me to pay AED300 up to AED700++ for a steak, when I can buy and cook at home for a significantly lower price? No, I don’t have a Josper over or distribute Kobe, but Hubs can do a lot with proteins from the Organic Store.
- Please, no more dry ice. As a personal favor to me, please?
And while we’re talking, here are a few ideas about hosting reviewers like myself. Only because there’s been a lot of conversation on the topic recently. (And I’ll remind you why I don’t consider myself an influencer, over here, if you’re interested).
- Know who you want! If you want honesty, give me a shout. I also take a fairly decent picture and have a (mostly) organically grown presence on Instagram. I don’t participate in comment pods, and I’ve never bought followers. If you want an influencer, they are a dime a dozen – especially in the F&B sector, but only a few deliver on ROI. Do your research.
- Honesty is good. Really. Guess what? As an author, I get negative reviews. It’s a fact of life. I have to take the critiques and move on. When I have feedback at a restaurant (and I always will), I can easily tell if the team is open to receiving my comments (spoiler alert, it’s who they send to chat). Kudos to the team at Carnival by Tresind for sitting down with me and having a great conversation about how to take their menu to the next level.
- Take feedback in stride. Will all suggestions be actionable? Probably not, but for the most part, that’s where I try to focus my energy. And of course, diners shouldn’t be expected to love every single dish. Overall, they should leave your establishment and think, ‘Yes, I’d like to come back — that was a filling meal and decent value for money.’ Hence, why I close all my reviews with this question. If you can’t get repeat business, then consider why people aren’t coming back. Is it the price? Service? Or something else entirely?
- Please let your team know when someone is coming in. In a perfect world, I would have a budget to support my dining, and go unannounced for a completely unbiased opinion of every venue. Guess what? I don’t have that budget. However, as a courtesy to me, the reviewer, there is nothing more awkward than not having a reservation, or trying to explain the communication you’ve had to date. Among the worst offenders was being made to stand outside a fine dining venue, even after showing an e-mail chain with the Director of PR for a plush hotel. In the end, the hostess made me call the gentleman, who ended up coming to greet my guest and I personally. A communication break down before the meal has even started doesn’t put the review off on the right foot. I try to always ask who I need to identify myself to on arrival, and whenever possible, make my bookings a week in advance, to allow for this message to get through. Still, there will be weeks where I just get blank stares on arrival. It makes me sad.
- Feel free to shut down ‘influencers’ who are bullies. Given what happened with Samer recently (check the post here), I have no tolerance for other ‘foodies’ who go after business owners like this. If new outlets (or even old ones) don’t have the budget to invite people in, that’s completely fine. When I reach out to places, I simply ask if they are open to media reviews. The answer is yes, no, or to ignore my request. I think it is the right of the business not to endure these sort of unprofessional demands.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I would love to hear your feedback, suggestions, or questions.
