Ramsay's venture in Dubai to open soon

The gourmet restaurant set up by chef Gordon Ramsay in the new Hilton Dubai Creek opens on 1 October and is to be called Verre, it emerged this week.

Ramsay will not be cooking at the restaurant. His company has been a consultant in the entire food and beverage operation at the 154-bedroom hotel, which will include a brasserie called the Glasshouse. The hotel, which has a "soft" opening from this Saturday, is the latest of Hilton's so-called lifestyle hotels.

Ramsay has taken 16 staff to Dubai from Britain, including the head chef at the 50-seat Verre, Jason Atherton, and the executive chef for the hotel, Angela Hartnett. Atherton was head chef at the recently closed L'Anis, while Hartnett previously worked under Marcus Wareing at P‚trus in London's St James.

All the staff will be employees of Hilton on a two-year contract, and Ramsay's company has been paid consultancy fees which will be boosted depending on the food and beverage turnover.

It was hoped at first that the Dubai restaurant would be called P‚trus, but the owners of the famous French wine chateau refused permission.

A spokesman for Ramsay said: "When this idea was first suggested, we thought Hilton was not a natural synergy with Gordon Ramsay, but it became clear that this hotel is something quite different, something very special."

Ramsay's other project in progress, the new restaurant at Claridge's, has been put back a month because of building delays. It will now open on 22 October with a preview on 18 October. Unlike Dubai, which he is contracted to visit just a few times a year, Ramsay will directly supervise the Claridge's kitchen, where he hopes to add to his collection of Michelin stars.

by David Harris

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 13-19 September 2001