Dubai doesn’t disappoint when it comes to big culinary characters.
Some of the biggest chefs in the world have restaurants here, including Tom Aikens, Yannick Alleno, Jason Atherton, Vineet Bhatia, Heinz Beck, Alain Ducasse, Piere Gagnaire… need we go on?
But the impending march of Michelin-starred chefs doesn’t seem to be slowing, and the city’s most recent honoree to set up shop is Mauro Colagreco, owner and head chef of Mirazur in the South of France.
Last September Mirazur was named the World’s Best Restaurant, and in November Colagreco was presented with three Michelin stars. Just one month later it was announced that the Argentinian-born chef would be taking over several restaurants at the One & Only Royal Mirage, including Celebrities – which would become his flagship outside of France.
Colagreco champions a philosophy of sustainability at Mirazur; something he describes as ‘zero-kilometer food’. The award-winning restaurant is surrounded by gardens that grow fresh produce, meat and fish come from local suppliers, or even caught right off Mirazur’s jetty.
But Dubai doesn’t have the same access to that level of produce. Can Celebrities ever hope to do Colagreco’s food justice without the same ingredients?
Celebrities by Mauro Colagreco: What’s the vibe?
Celebrities gained a celebrity chef, but has left the venue more or less unchanged.
The dining area boasts large floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook quite a regal-looking dining room. Then there’s a second area – which is more old-school drawing room than bar area – for guests to enjoy a quick pre-dinner drink.
Celebrities by Mauro Colagreco: How’s the food?
While Celebrities does take inspiration from the world’s best restaurant, it doesn’t try and replicate it. Celebrities serves up the same style of fine-dining (on plates shipped over from Mirazur, carried by staff trained in the South of France) with dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients and hero products flown over from Colagreco’s home base.
The tasting menu (which changes weekly), for example, includes a glazed duck breast, served with turnip and black radish. The duck comes from a charming French farm in a small village outside of Nice, the vegetables from Al Ain. It makes for a nice combination, and lets diners get a taste of Colagreco’s food philosophy outside of Southern France.
As you’d expect from the world’s best chef, even when Colagreco isn’t in the kitchen the food is top notch. That said, the restaurant has pledged that he isn’t just a famous face on the cover of the menu, and will be in the kitchen on a regular basis.
Celebrities by Mauro Colagreco: The verdict?
It was Colagreco’s distinct food philosophy that earned his French restaurant its accolades, and while Celebrities can’t hope to match Mirazur’s philosophy dish-for-dish, it’s no less distinctive because of it. Ultimately, the restaurant serves up great food with sustainability at its core.
And in a city full to the brim of celebrity-backed restaurants, that makes it something special.
Celebrities by Mauro Colagreco: Where is it?
Celebrities is located at the One & Only Royal Mirage Dubai. Entrance to the restaurant is via the main lobby entrance.
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