News
If your idea of planning ahead is tracking new tasting menus and setting calendar alerts for reservations, November’s third weekend would be one to circle. Gault&Millau UAE’s Culinary Innovators is back for its second edition, bringing some of Dubai’s standout chefs together at The Avery, Conrad Dubai, for a two-day collaborative pop-up.
The event runs on November 21 and 22 with three services in total. There’s going to be a dinner on Friday, then lunch and dinner on Saturday. Each seating is limited to 150 guests, as it’s more of a chef-driven event focused on carefully cooked food.
Last year, Culinary Innovators asked individual chefs to create one-off tasting dishes. For 2025, they have changed the format. Instead of 12 solo plates, the chefs are working in pairs across six shared kitchens, each putting out an appetiser-sized hero dish built around UAE produce and local flavour. As any foodie in the country would tell you, the line up is one to be noticed. TakaHisa is cooking alongside Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Row on 45 is teaming up with Pierre’s TT, Jun’s with Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori, Al Muntaha with Moonrise, plus Maison Dali with Krasota and BRIX Journey with SNA’AP.
Rather than sitting down to a set menu and staying put, guests move around The Avery, stopping at each kitchen for a different plate, with skyline views and live music.
Tickets are split into a few simple options. There is a soft-drinks-led package with alcohol-free serves, a wine-pairing option with glasses matched to the food plus other alcoholic choices, and a champagne-led tier that centres on Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut with extra pairings for anyone who wants to go all in. For people who like to be at the best tables in the room, there is also a VIP reserved section, limited to eight tables of four per service, with early access, a welcome round of canapés and an extra bite from each of the six kitchens. Those tables get dedicated service, premium champagne, access to wine pairings and a full mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Tickets for all three seatings are on sale now here.
