Dubai is once again in the culinary spotlight with having just opened his newest outpost, Marina Social Dubai, in this UAE city. One of a string of new international restaurants from Jason to open this year—Sydney is next—Marina Social Dubai sees Jason bring his culinary flair to his former home (he once headed up Gordon Ramsay’s Verre restaurant here). Located at the new InterContinental Dubai Marina therestaurant is headed up by Tristin Farmer, who also once worked for Ramsay at London’s Maze restaurant.
Focusing on British-Mediterranean tapas-style dishes, with an open kitchen and dessert bar, the restaurant has opened with positive reviews. The concept is akin to his London eateries: the customer can call in and order one dish and a glass of wine or spend hours grazing over several dishes, should they wish. With a large raw, cold, pasta, meat and fish section (and the tasting menu), the dishes have been finely tuned and are not pretentious in their appearance. The desserts look incredible (have you seen that orange and clove soufflé withchocolate sorbet?), with a salted hazelnut semifreddo and a citrusy bergamot and lemon verbena, olive oil conserves and lemon sponge also featuring on the menu. marinasocialdubai.com
In a surprise move, Swedish chef is also opening a Dubai restaurant. The two-Michelin-starred chef of Restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm is currently refining his Middle East concept. More details to follow…
Jason Atherton’s former mentor, is also gearing up for his latest venture, this time in Bordeaux with the opening of Le Pressoir d’Argent, a new fine dining restaurant at the city’s Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa. Opening on 25 September with executive chef Gilad Peled at the helm, Le Pressoir d’Argent is Ramsay’s second restaurant in France, and the first in Bordeaux, along with two Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay au Trianon in Versailles.
Peled steps in having previously worked with Ramsay and three Michelin-starred chef Clare Smyth at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road, London, although he was most recently executive chef at the Relais & Châteaux Hotel Les Sources des Alpes in Switzerland.
Lobster will appear on the menu (of course!), with the live Brittany Blue lobster presented to guests at their table, before being fried in the kitchen. It will then be finished in the restaurant, by pressing the legs and lobster shell to form the sauce using a lobster press. ghbordeaux.com
In London, there’s another batch of restaurants scheduled to open before the end of 2015. In a surprise twist, 8 Mount Street, which was home to the short-livedLe Chabanais and Inaki Aizpitarte of Le Chateaubriand, Paris,fame (the restaurant opened in May this year, then closed before reopening and then closing again last month), has already found itself a new guise. The restaurant has now re-opened with a new name led by head chef Adrian Mellor, whose menu launches this week.8mountstreet.com/
Ben Orpwood is heading up the new Asian seafood restaurantSexy Fish, which is expected to liven up Berkeley Square from 14 October. In prime Caprice Holdings territory, Sexy Fish will see Ben, who spent time in Istanbul, Dubai, Sydney and Tokyo, draw on his experience at the likes of Zuma, Toko, the Sydney Collective Group, and the Japanese Izakaya bar Daniel San.
Art will play an important role at the 190-seat space, with never-seen-before work by Frank Gehry (Guggenheim Bilbao and the Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris), whose installations include shimmering fish hanging above the bar, as well as a giant crocodile crawling across the wall of the dining room.
Most impressive of all is perhaps The Coral Reef Room, the private dining room, which will feature the largest live coral reef tank in the world and seating for up to 48. sexyfish.com
Les 110 de Taillevent is scheduled to open in Cavendish Square in late October. Operated by the family-owned group behind the two-Michelin-starred Le Taillevent Paris, Les 110 de Taillevent will be home to a 70-cover wine and food-pairing brasserie. Featuring an overwhelming 110 wines by the glass, compiled by Pierre Bérot, cellar director of Taillevent Paris, while the menu has been developed by Alain Solivérès, executive chef director of Taillevent Paris, with a focus on quality produce and seasonality. les-110-taillevent-london.com/en/
Another one for Mayfair, is also scheduled to open in London later this year. The cool kid from Madrid, who at only 35 already has three Michelin stars to his name at DiverXO, is no stranger to London, having trained at Nobu and Hakkasan before returning to Madrid. Expect small plates, street-food inspired tapas and a few surprises from this unconventional chef.
The Fat Duck settles back into Bray, Berkshire, later this month, following a six-month stint in Melbourne, Australia. Proclaiming on their snazzy new website that “The Journey” (their tasting menu) will cost £255 per person, excluding drinks and service charge, The Fat Duck has adopted the ticketing reservation-payment system whereby guests pay at the time of booking. And checking the website for availability earlier today, The Fat Duck already appears to be fully booked for the rest of 2015. As to what’s on the menu, your guess is as good as ours, with The Journey promising seven chapters, such as Are We Nearly There Yet? followed by Rise and shine, it’s breakfast time. thefatduck.co.uk
Lastly on our radar this month is another three-Michelin-starred chef, . The Swiss star takes the baton from Roland Schmid at Äbtestube at the five-star Grand Resort Bad Ragaz from December, adding to his successful Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau. Famous for its spa offerings, guests will soon be treated to Caminada’s famous style of fine Swiss-French cuisine at the resort. resortragaz.ch