One of Dubai’s biggest culinary trends over the last couple of years has been the shift towards mindful drinking. Consequently, some of the city’s most lauded restaurants are rising to the occasion with non-alcoholic pairings that are every bit as thoughtful and beautifully executed as their wine or cocktail counterparts.
From bespoke tea infusions to globally inspired mocktails and low-intervention ferments, here’s where to find Dubai’s most exciting non-alcoholic beverage pairings right now.
MORE IN DUBAI: Dine near the city's most iconic landmarks
La Dame de Pic Dubai
Set within the striking skyscraper that houses One&Only One Za’abeel, two-MICHELIN-star La Dame de Pic Dubai is the first Middle Eastern outpost of celebrated chef Anne-Sophie Pic. Its two set menus, called Symphony and Harmony, offer modern French cooking while staying true to traditional and time-honoured cooking techniques. Paired with this is a non-alcoholic beverage menu with elevated drinks, such as Sweet Leaves, which is created using non-alcoholic rum, blueberry, vanilla and cinnamon. All the pairings aim to create a sense of balance between the food and drink.
moonrise
Perched on a Dubai rooftop with just 12 seats wrapped around an open kitchen, diners will find an intimate and exclusive dining experience at one-MICHELIN-star moonrise. Chef Solemann Haddad draws inspiration from his Syrian-French heritage and his upbringing in Dubai to create a deeply personal omakase-style tasting menu, and the non-alcoholic pairing is equally inventive and elegant. Delights await with the Tochigi strawberry daiquiri, a bright and aromatic blend of Tochi-Aika strawberries, Madagascar vanilla and tonic. The Loomichello offers a Middle Eastern twist on limoncello made with black lime, shōga (Japanese ginger) and Ras Al Khaimah Sidr honey. Other beverages use various teas such as hojicha and jasmine to offer greater depth to the drinks.
Trèsind Studio
Diners can expect to take a multi-sensory journey through modern Indian cuisine at this two-MICHELIN-star restaurant, where the experience is as much about storytelling as it is about food. Chef Himanshu Saini’s tasting menu is rooted in tradition but presented with global flair, and the restaurant’s non-alcoholic pairing menu is as thoughtfully crafted. Diners can partake in beverages like milky oolong infused with capers and sea asparagus, a delicate persimmon and French marigold combination and tomato and banana elevated with rosemary distillate – each of which adds to a pairing experience that is in sync with the boundary-pushing food.
Row on 45
Three ‘acts’ await anyone who dines at Jason Atherton’s Dubai restaurant, with 17 courses on offer. At two-MICHELIN-star Row on 45, the non-alcoholic pairing is every bit as elevated as the tasting menu it accompanies. There are delicate and earthy tones of oxidised pear, quince and beeswax, while the cold-pressed Chardonnay-inspired blend with oak butter and yoghurt whey boasts a smooth and creamy finish. Fresh, green notes can be found in the Granny Smith apple, green pepper and lemon verbena drink, and you’ll also be delighted with a local twist in the raisin, Solliès fig and Medjool date-infused option.
avatāra
For those searching for a fine dining experience that’s fully vegetarian, look no further than one-MICHELIN-star avatāra. Chef Rahul Rana’s tasting menu is highly ingredient-driven, and the beverage pairings offer plenty to look forward to, with both an elegant mocktail menu and a curated selection of alcohol-free wines. The former includes a creative use of botanicals, fruits and spices where drinks like Rhododendron are created with grapefruit, nasturtium and citrus, while Kokam matches kokum, curry leaves and yuzu kosho for a savoury tang. If you’re after a more wine-like experience, avatāra also offers a non-alcoholic wine pairing featuring premium selections from France, Belgium and Spain.
Jun’s
Cuisine that borrows from chef Kelvin Cheung’s own multicultural history can be found at this MICHELIN-selected Downtown Dubai venue, through a specially curated eleven-course tasting menu of the chef’s most-loved dishes. This menu comes with a zero-proof pairing that reflects its ‘third culture spirit’. For example, Loomi is a bold drink that blends papaya, melon and black lime with a hint of fish sauce, while Tepache blends pineapple, Thai chilli and curry leaves into a sweet-and-sour beverage. The menu also offers Pu-erh ‘wine’, which blends black grapes, cranberry and aged tea to mimic the depth of traditional wine – but without the alcohol content.
Ossiano
Indulge in a ten-course tasting menu surrounded by an aquarium at this elegant one-MICHELIN-star restaurant within Atlantis, The Palm – where, unsurprisingly, the non-alcoholic pairing is not an afterthought. Rather, it’s a seven-course beverage menu made using more than 50 ingredients, designed to enhance the storytelling of the food. Among the highlights are Ossiano Cola, a house-made cola reinvented with a Japanese twist – it uses the flavours of shiso leaf with a touch of coriander and black sesame to deliver a fizzy and complex drink. The final drink on the menu – referred simply to as Cocoa Old Fashioned – is a rich blend of non-alcoholic rum and cocoa cordial, enhanced with a hint of balsamic vinegar, which pairs beautifully with the restaurant’s signature chocolate dessert.Image credits from top to bottom: Afrin/avatāra; Pic Group/La Dame de Pic Dubai; Fabiola Credillo/moonrise; Shresth Maloo/Trèsind Studio; Vitaly Gonyukov/Row on 45; Afrin/avatāra; behlah barbhaya/Jun's; Atlantis the Palm/Ossiano
