- Written by: Pallavi Sangtani
The past few weeks have reshaped the context around daily life in the UAE. On February 28th, the US entered into war with Iran, and in retaliation, Iran began targeting US bases across the region, including in the UAE. While a ceasefire is currently in place, the situation remains fluid, with a lingering sense of uncertainty shaping everything around it. And I’ve found myself doing more of the things that bring me joy. For me, that has always been dining out. Not impulsively, not excessively, but with more intention than before. Choosing where I go, who I support, and what I want from the experience. What once felt like a habit now feels considered.
I feel it every time I step into a dining room now. The spaces have not changed, but the context around them has. Tables linger a little longer between seatings, conversations stretch differently, and there is a heightened awareness that did not exist before. What makes it more striking is how recently things felt very different.
Just weeks ago, Dubai’s dining scene was operating at full capacity. New openings were constant, restaurants were busy, and the conversation had shifted from growth to something more meaningful. There was a sense that the city had reached a level of maturity as a gastronomic destination, one that no longer needed to prove itself.
Abu Dhabi was (is?) preparing to host The World’s 50 Best Restaurants later this year for the first time. The MENA rankings had just been announced. Tourism was strong, and dining out felt like an extension of everyday life. The system was not just functioning. It was thriving. And then, pretty much overnight, the conditions around it changed.
Now, the restaurants are emptier, the gaps between tables are more obvious, and the conversations behind the scenes are not sounding good. It’s dramatic on many fronts, not enough to call it a collapse, but enough that anyone paying attention can feel it. This contraction is way harder to talk about than a collapse.
Where the pressure shows
Dubai’s dining scene has always depended on a balance between residents and international diners. When one side shifts, the entire system adjusts. Right now, both are, but the impact does not land evenly.
International travel has come to a near standstill, particularly the kind of inbound movement that sustains destination fine dining. The steady flow of visitors that many restaurants depend on has paused.
At the same time, residents are navigating decisions that go far beyond where to dine. Some have left the city for now. Others are deciding whether to stay, balancing work, family, and a situation that continues to evolve. Schools have moved online, routines have shifted, and for many, spending is being reassessed in real time. Those who are still here are making more deliberate choices. Dining out has not stopped, but it now sits alongside bigger considerations.
Food writer Courtney Brandt describes the choice of dining out in these times:
“Differently, without a doubt. Although very unlike me, I’m much more spontaneous. However, wherever I’m dining out, the venue needs to feel worth the time: perhaps there is a thoughtful approach to cooking, a sense of place, or an experience I can’t easily recreate at home.”
That shift is also showing up in where people choose to spend. “Absolutely, and more than it used to. While I usually prioritise locally developed concepts, homegrown restaurants are now at the top of my list. Supporting these local spots helps preserve their unique qualities and keeps the community vibrant.”
Fine dining feels this first. Restaurants that relied heavily on international guests are now recalibrating towards a local audience that behaves differently, less frequently, more selectively, and more aware of value.
Across the industry, the impact is already visible. Salary cuts have been announced, teams are being placed on unpaid leave, and some restaurants are considering temporary closures to manage costs. Situations like these are unfolding all over the city, and not every restaurant will navigate this period in the same way.
What it has become
In the middle of this, a movement has been taking shape.
It began with Boca. When the restaurant announced its closure, the reason had nothing to do with the current situation, but the response it generated revealed something deeper about its role in the city. Boca was one of the region’s most respected names on the MENA’s 50 Best list, and a space that represented a certain kind of dining culture, collaborative, consistent, and deeply connected to the community.
Kelvin Cheung, organiser of the soiree and chef of Jun’s, reflected on that night.
“It was a special night. What none of us expected was how much that night would mean, especially right at the beginning of the conflict. You could feel the love. A full dining room again, the buzz back in the team, people smiling, reconnecting. In a time where things have been tough, that reminder of what we do and why we do it hit all of us. That’s when it really clicked for me that this can’t just be a one-off. If we can create more of these moments, where restaurants are alive, teams feel supported, and we come together not as competitors but as a community, then we’re doing something real. So now this little WhatsApp group has turned into a bigger support network. We come, we pay, and we cheer. Everyone who came to support Boca had their names put in a hat, and we pulled for the next venue. And we will continue that on for as long as we can. Because the truth is, we don’t get through this alone.”
The group, made up of chefs, waiters, sommeliers and writers, is not formal. But it is consistent. Each week, the group supports a different restaurant.
"The F&B community started showing up for each other’s restaurants. Bringing their teams. Spending their money inside each other’s walls. Every visit put them in a draw to host the next gathering, and just like that, SupportHomegrown was born. No marketing budget. No brand behind it. Just Dubai’s chefs, restaurateurs, suppliers, and creatives deciding that in a tough season for this city and this industry, they were going to show up for each other instead of pulling apart. On April 14th, that community filled our room at Jun's. Week after, at Moonrise, then Chez Wam, and Harrummani's. For each other. For this industry. This is what it looks like when the people inside an industry refuse to compete and choose to take care of each other instead." said Cheung.
How restaurants are responding
Restaurants are not standing still. Across the industry, they are reconsidering formats, rethinking pricing, and reshaping experiences to meet the needs of a more deliberate, value-conscious diner.
At Trèsind Studio, the only 3-Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the world, a 30% discount on the tasting menu has made the experience accessible to a broader local audience.
“For us, local was never a trend. Working with UAE-based suppliers has always been at the foundation of Trèsind Studio, and an approach we have only expanded on. The shift has also pushed us to be more accountable. You cannot talk about local and then reach for convenience. Every claim on a plate has to be honest,” said Chef Himanshu Saini.
At Moonrise, a collaboration with a local butchery, Carnistore, for a burger menu has introduced a more accessible format without losing identity.
“I realised that people just wanted comfort, and a little bit of an escape. Because the first 2 weeks, every restaurant was empty - fine dining or not. There were a few key spaces that still continued to operate as normal - the ones serving cheap, comfort food. It made me realise that people don’t care about fine dining or casual - it needs to be cheap, yummy, comforting, and offer a little bit of an escape. So we wanted to design something which offered that escapism,” said Chef Solemann Haddad.
At Orfali Bros Bistro, the restaurant consistently topping MENA’s list and with 1-Michelin star, the focus remains on maintaining a balance between accessibility and consistency.
“From day one, we built the restaurant to be community oriented. We serve the food we love to eat because we come from this community. Over time, with the recognition of being number one in MENA, ranking in the World’s 50 Best, and earning a Michelin star, our guest base naturally expanded to include food lovers from around the world. That is why we created Three Bros and Manāo, to create more space for our people while continuing to grow. During this period, all three restaurants have naturally returned to being filled with our local community, which says a lot about the foundation we built. We have seen a clear shift towards simplicity and connection,” said Mohamad Orfali.
Some of these shifts are immediate. Some may shape what comes next.
The reality around the table
To understand what is happening in restaurants, you have to look at what people are navigating outside of them.
Phones go off multiple times a day with alerts. Conversations at home are about safety, work, and what the next few months might look like. For some, income has already changed. For others, it is the accumulation of everything happening at once.
The first few days felt like a pause. That has passed. People are going out again, but the way they engage has shifted. Some are choosing more deliberately. Others are holding back. Both responses exist simultaneously. And both are valid.
For me, it has meant being more aware of the role these spaces play, not just as restaurants, but as part of how the city holds together. Normalcy is still there. It just looks different now.
This moment is exposing something that has always existed within the region’s dining scene. Many concepts have been built with a strong reliance on international diners, often without building a consistent local base. And what we are seeing now is a rebalancing. Restaurants that are able to connect with both local and international audiences are proving more adaptable.
“It has been confirmed that restaurants in our region must be built with purpose and strong foundations. Being connected to the community and to local producers is essential. It also reinforced the importance of flexibility, the ability to adapt quickly while staying true to your identity. Growth should not be about replication, but about evolution. Creating different concepts that serve different needs while keeping the same DNA is key. Most importantly, it reminded us that restaurants are about people first. When you build something that truly belongs to its community, the community will always support you.” Mohamad Orfali
At the same time, institutions are stepping in. Dubai Tourism’s program "Dubai: A Fine Way to Dine" reflects a coordinated effort to sustain engagement, bringing together Michelin-starred and homegrown restaurants under a citywide initiative that has offered curated experiences and discounted access to premium dining across the emirate.
What holds
What this moment shows is not just how the system operates, but how it responds under pressure. Within kitchens, within dining rooms, and across the wider community. Because what holds is not defined by momentum or recognition. It is defined by connection.
“I keep my teams motivated by staying motivated myself, but that motivation has to be honest. Not forced optimism, but real curiosity and presence. I am still going back to my roots, finding things that surprise me, and looking at what other chefs are doing around the world. That sense of movement matters, especially when the broader environment can feel stuck or uncertain. We also celebrate the small things, perhaps more deliberately than before. A new technique discovered. A service that felt calm and connected despite everything happening outside. New guests who have never joined us at Trèsind Studio previously. Joy has to live in the day-to-day, because in times like these, waiting for awards night is simply too far away.” Chef Himanshu Saini
And for now, that seems to be enough.
Read also: Our in-depth analysis of The Noma crisis and labour practices in fine dining
