And it’s brought to you by local hero Chef Izu Ani…

DIFC dwellers have a new dining option to look forward to as homegrown Greek restaurant GAIA has just opened its doors in Gate Village.

The restaurant, a collaboration between homegrown chef Izu Ani and the Bulldozer hospitality group, will serve Greek-Mediterranean fusion cuisine in a contemporary setting and promises ‘to become something truly different for Dubai’s restaurant scene’.

The contemporary, airy space has an altogether modern feel, although shelves lined with trinkets and traditional greek artefacts nod towards a more traditional Greek history.

A grand staircase leads guests towards a kitsch and unique souvenir shopt, found on the lower level of the restaurant, while the rest of the lower ground floor space is home to a 12-seater Chef’s Table adjacent to the kitchen.

Inside the restaurant, an ice market takes centre stage, where fresh fish and seafood is changed daily and available to order bespoke. An in-house fish expert can recommend types of seafood to the method of cooking, which the chefs will then prepare infront of you.

Named after the Greek Goddess of Earth, the menu is described as being inspired by the Grecian costal islands, and serves up simple, authentic, high-quality dishes.

Signature dishes include freshly baked bread (something chef Izu is renowned for), baked feta cheese, seabream carpaccio and baby goat, and the restaurant will also offer an array of traditional Creek desserts.

“To create GAIA, we truly delved into the foundations of Greek culture, and explored the elements of their cuisine, their eating rituals and how they enjoy meals. The most important parts are often the ones that you can’t see, like the roots of a tree or the submerged part of the ice-berg. GAIA stemmed from this philosophy, a venture born of depth, history and expertise,” says Chef Izu.

Gaia is open now daily for lunch and dinner.

Gaia, Gate Village 4, DIFC, Dubai, daily 12pm to 3pm and 7pm to 2am. Tel: (04) 241 4242. Facebook.com/Gaiarestaurantdubai

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