What's in a name? Dining in the Middle East

The hotel dining scene in the Middle East, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has matured incredibly over recent years with many home-grown, in-house bars and restaurants establishing themselves as culinary institutions in their own right, despite the fact that they're sitting shoulder to shoulder with fine-dining establishments created by some of the most renowned names in gastronomy.

So is the power of the superstar chef starting to wane in the region, or do names like Pierre Gagnaire and Heinz Beck still hold an irresistible draw for diners demanding only the best from their F&B experience? If so, how can operators get the partnership between hotel and world-renowned chef right?

From modern international restaurant Vasco's in Hilton Abu Dhabi, one of the city's most famous award-winning establishments, to seafood restaurant Ossiano in Atlantis The Palm Dubai, where guests can enjoy 'underwater' afternoon tea, and Madinat Jumeirah's now iconic brunch, which combines cuisine from three of the resort's in-house eateries (MJ's Steakhouse, Spanish restaurant Al Hambra and international all-day diner Arboretum), there's no shortage of high-quality home-grown dining options for hotel guests in the Middle East.

Yet, neither have hoteliers in the region been shy when it's come to forming partnerships with celebrity chefs and established restaurant brands. While IHG's collaboration with three-Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire, who was recently voted the best chef in the world, has gone from strength to strength since it started in 2008, Gary Rhodes has become synonymous with the dining experience at Starwood's Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort, and many more celebrity chef partnerships are on the cards for Middle East hotel operators in the coming months and years. But do these world-renowned names still hold the same resonance as they once did as the region's dining scene continues to mature?

"The UAE's dining scene is constantly changing, and it is important that we continue to innovate and evolve our offering to stay at the forefront of it," says Pascal Gauvin, chief operating office at IHG, India, Middle East and Africa. "Chefs and restaurant brands with international renown will always be an attractive option for guests - they've established themselves and proven their worth on the global culinary scene. But, at the same time, it's fantastic to see home-grown talent and restaurant brands holding their own against international ones."

Simon Lazarus, VP F&B, EMEA, at Hilton Worldwide agrees that superstar chefs will never completely go out of favour among diners in the Middle East.

"Celebrity chefs do play an important role for Hilton Worldwide in the Middle East, as one element of a much wider offering," he notes. "In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we have many great examples including Heinz Beck at Waldorf Astoria Dubai The Palm and Marco Pierre White at Conrad Dubai."

Getting the partnership right

For Gauvin, it's crucial that a celebrity chef isn't brought on board just for their famous name's sake. "At the end of the day, it's not about just having a celebrity name or brand - it's about ensuring we are giving our guests consistently fresh experiences and taking them on a culinary journey throughout our hotels," he explains.

"Therefore, before entering any partnership, it is important to consider if it is the right decision for the brand and most importantly for the hotel's target guest. Each of the hotels across all of the IHG brands has a particular look and feel that is tailored to all of our guest's unique requirements. We look to ensure that any new addition to any one of our hotel's F&B offerings will enhance the dining experience and meet the high standards our guests have come to expect from IHG hotels."

It's a similar story at Hilton Worldwide, where any new outlet must always remain authentic and relevant to the local environment, as well as complementing the existing F&B offering and providing 'variety and value'. "We have many partners who help us achieve that vision and some of our latest openings across the region really demonstrate the variety we can offer our guests, including the forthcoming Copper Dog gastropub at DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai-Jumeirah Beach, which is a partnership with Piers Adam, a highly successful entrepreneur from London who we also partnered with at Whisky Mist at Zeta within the London Hilton on Park Lane," Lazarus remarks.

Similarly, Vespa, which was launched at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Murjan Island, in 2014 with Michelin-starred Italian chef Roberto Saglimbene, was chosen because it complemented a number of other outlets in the resort. "It's a fun, family-friendly restaurant with fresh ingredients and daily specials, in authentic Italian style," Lazarus says.

When a partnership is agreed on, it's then critical, for Gauvin, to develop a close, collaborative relationship between hotel and restaurateur right from the outset.

"It's not about one ceding control to the other. Planning a signature restaurant starts before any foundations are laid and certainly far before any ingredients are added," he explains. "Like cooking, the secret to a great restaurant is all in the preparation; making sure that everything fits together and all the elements complement one another."

Ultimately, it begins and ends with the guest. "If all parties are clear on who your target guest is and what kind of experience you want them to have, then you have a clear framework to work within," Gauvin continues. "And it's important to have those conversations up front. Ours and our partners' ideas of what a successful end project looks like, and who the target guest is need, to match up. From that as a starting point, everything should be agreed and consulted on collaboratively, from the design down to the kitchen and production areas to cutlery and uniforms, with the end goal of making sure that the guest has a seamless experience."

This is exactly what the IHG F&B team has already started doing with Jason Atherton, who they are partnering with to open Marina Social in InterContinental Dubai Marina in September of this year.

"Jason Atherton has become renowned for his simple yet elegant spaces, a quality that chimes perfectly with the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand," Gauvin believes. "We are working extremely closely with him and his team to ensure the highest standards of excellence for InterContinental Dubai Maria and Marina Social, and we are confident that Marina Social's restaurant offering will be the perfect complement to the luxury look and feel of the hotel, and a welcome addition to Dubai's culinary scene."

Yet, big name restaurants are not the only way hotels can benefit from the international experience and knowledge of well-known chefs, as IHG is currently demonstrating with its 'Culinary Panel', which was launched in 2014. "It's an initiative that sees renowned chefs develop an array of signature dishes for guests dining in our hotels across the AMEA region. The five IHG culinary ambassadors on the panel are all acclaimed, award-winning chefs and represent a diverse range of cuisines, from Thai cuisine by Ian Kittichai and modern Australian cuisine by Ross Lusted to bakery and pastry by Dean Brettschneider," Gauvin explains, adding that what he really likes about the programme is the development opportunities it offers to the in-house F&B team.

"Not only does the IHG Culinary Panel programme provide our guests with spectacular food designed by these renowned chefs, but our own F&B talent also benefits from the training and ongoing guidance that the IHG culinary ambassadors bring," he stresses, adding that fostering internal F&B talent will always bring rewards.

"For instance, Theo Randall's fame has grown rapidly since he first joined InterContinental London Park Lane almost ten years ago and he continues to go from success to success. He worked alongside Annabel Karmel to develop the InterContinental Planet Trekkers Children's Menu, which is available globally, and he's a member of our IHG Culinary Panel, representing Italian cuisine." Lazarus also believes that developing great concepts in house can provide wider benefits for the global brand. "We are exploring ways to take successful concepts and transport them to other destinations," he says. "A great case in point is Puro Beach at Conrad Dubai, which was the first urban Puro Beach concept. Next month we will be opening our second Puro Beach in Barcelona."

At Hilton and IHG, as well as many other global hotel operators in the Middle East, superstar chefs remain an important, if relatively small, part of a varied F&B offering, something, Gauvin is adamant, is not likely to change in the near future, at least not at IHG.

"We are committed to delivering extraordinary dining experiences to our guests and diners, and place high emphasis on working with the best culinary talent in the industry, which we will continue to do going forward," he concludes, adding that Marina Social is a case in point.

"We see this stand-alone-style of restaurant as a key attraction for guests and residents in the hyper-competitive Middle East market and [we will continue to focus] on driving more revenue through F&B by enhancing dining experiences of our guests and the locals with new programmes and partnerships."