For more than a decade, Bateaux Dubai has been serving 5-star food while sailing on Dubai Creek, but it isn’t the only time a hotel chain to create an out of the ordinary, off site dining concept. Hotel News ME discovers how standalone restaurants are diversifying business beyond the hotel property.
The diversification
Bateaux Dubai is managed by JA Resorts & Hotels as part of the hospitality company’s portfolio of hotels, restaurants and sports facilities in Dubai. The Dubai Creek dining experience was originally conceived to compliment the operator’s portfolio of hotels, resorts and serviced apartments and leisure facilities, not to mention growing trend in standalone restaurants outside of hotel environment.
The establishment
It may not stay still for long but the emphasis for Bateaux Dubai was always to create a dining experience to rival others found along the waters of Dubai Creek. With desert properties which specialise in leisure and family acitivites, JA Hotels and Resorts created the dining experience to add to its portfolio what its physical properties could not, aimed at couples, groups and private charters.
Decadent cruising
With a number of dinner cruises in existence and an even greater number of waterside cruising experiences launched since, Bateaux has maintained its reputation for four course, 5-star food in a number of ways: fresh, on board preparation; exclusive seating plans; and an inside outside concept.
The experience
The most exclusive table onboard Bateaux Dubai is the “Captain’s Table” located at the front of the vessel, it comfortably seats up to eight guests and offers amazing views of the historic sights and modern landmarks of the creek as you cruise along the glittering waters. The idea of an exclusive table is widely used in standalone and hotel restaurants around the world and its application here has proven a draw for hundreds of guests.
On board
The 56-metre long glass-enclosed vessel had a modern décor, offers a personalised service and a panoramic view of Dubai The full length glass windows, allow guests to experience uninterrupted 360 degree views while dining and the outdoor deck at the back of the vessel allows guests to enjoy an al fresco drink while taking in the sights and sounds of the city.
Sustainable sailing
All our properties use sustainable ingredients and refrain from using endangered species on menus. Ingredients such as Veal and Foie Gras have to be supplied with a “Humane Raised Certification”, sustainable produce and products that are not harmful to our environment, which means purchased from suppliers with “WWF Humanitarian Certification” and ingredients such as Tuna, are only provided by approved suppliers.
Local focus
In addition to the sustainability credentials, we support local suppliers of fruit and vegetables and refrain as much as possible from purchasing frozen or processed goods. We strive to make all dips, sauces, dressings and marinades from scratch and we also smoke our own salmon, duck and vegetables.
The challenge
Just because Bateaux’s achievements have been possible, it doesn’t mean to say they were easy. For example, The Galley, the Bateaux kitchen, is the same as most cruise ships around the world; a completely different ball game from a restaurant kitchen ashore, challenged by space. However all dishes are cooked and prepared onboard, from scratch. A huge achievement for the executive chef.
The offsite dining concept
While no other hotel chain has gone as far as to replicate the 5-star restaurant concept of Bateaux, multiple chains are now operating restaurants offsite and, on many occasions, under a completely autonomous brand. The likes of Bateaux, Pier 7 and West 14th are now paving the way for rolling out exceptional concepts and experiences with far fewer boundaries and therefore thriving in spite of previous
