Say hola and bienvenido to the latest restaurant on the Dubai scene, Quiero. Spanish for “I want”, it brings to the emirate the traditional flavour of Spanish food, authentically cooked by a Spanish head chef.
Located in Barsha South, the restaurant is the brainchild of Anisia Pienaar, who missed the authentic tastes from her childhood cooked by her mother. Not wanting the rest of the world to miss out, Pienaar decided to open her own restaurant and make her Mum, Mary, the head chef.
Pienaar, owner of Quiero, says: “Growing up, my days often revolved around food, but no matter where I travelled to or ate, nothing was as good as my Mama’s famous cooking. I knew I had to share her creations, giving Mama the platform to do what she does best.
“It has been a dream to bring authentic and traditional Spanish cooking to Dubai and I’m thrilled to finally make it a reality. I can’t wait to welcome everyone and create the feeling of a Spanish home here.”
Stepping in to the quaint and cozy restaurant feels like being transported to Andalusia, with Quiero’s simple yet homely design and images of Spanish locations projected on the large screens. The open kitchen is a site to behold, where diners will be welcomed by Mama Mary, cooking with colours and fragrances.
Dishes include creamy scrambled eggs with garlic mushrooms, pastries of the day or typical Spanish toasted bread with olive oil and salt. The lunch and dinner menu is bursting with tapas options from patatas bravas to gazpacho, breaded vegetables, an assorted Spanish cheese platter and various seafood dishes such as calamari, cuttlefish, and prawns.
Of course, grand Paella dishes are available, cooked with either chicken, seafood, vegetarian or black rice. Quiero also has a Fideuá, which is the same as a paella, but with a small pasta instead of rice.
The restaurant is open for dine-in and takeaway, from 8am until 10pm, seven days a week.
