CULTURE AND CONNECTION

Gerbou, which opened in February adjacent to the Tashkeel studios in Nad Al Sheba, brings together art, design and nostalgic Emirati flavours. The restaurant is the latest venture by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Tashkeel’s founder and a champion of Dubai’s design community, in partnership with Atelier House Hospitality, the group behind Michelin-starred restaurant 11 Woodfire and French bistro RSVP.

Gerbou seats diners in sunny indoor-meets-outdoor spaces by Kristina Zanic, an interior designer whose projects include The St. Regis Red Sea Resort. The restaurant’s sinuous curves are inspired by Dubai’s desert and sea; the furniture and artworks are from graduates of Tashkeel’s annual Tanween programme. Housed in a former clinic dating from 1987, Gerbou embraces the clean lines of its home.

There are nods to the UAE’s natural and cultural heritage everywhere: in mesh design features inspired by gargour fishing traps, in ceilings that mimic areesh weaves, and in patterns of ghaf trees and Eurasian collared doves on the steel canopy above the Dry Bar where 10 flavours of gelato are served. Sheikha Lateefa’s sense of style—and humour—is present, too. One of the hand-drawn doves on the canopy is chubbier than the others, she points out, because he’s eaten so much ice cream.

A standout piece is Emirati designer Wafa Al Falahi’s sculptural chandelier Roots, made from steel and biodegradable henna-infused bioplastic, inspired by memories of her grandmother. Developed as part of the 2023 Tanween programme, the piece casts a warm glow over diners seated beneath.

Menus feature flavours both local and international, with a touch of nostalgia to some of the dishes. “Gerbou isn’t only about Emirati cuisine, but it’s also about what people here grew up with,” Sheikha Lateefa says.