Review: Gitano, filling a Dubai restaurant void we never knew existed

The modern Mexican restaurant and beach club beats to its own drum in J1 Beach… 

“A lot of venues here say they’re Tulum-inspired, but what makes us different is that we’re born in Tulum, we embody it,” Gitano’s founder James Gardener tells me when we meet at his J1 Beach venue. Our meeting comes just days after a splashy opening party that drew the city’s most glamorous residents – almost 1,000 of them – for Gitano’s grand reveal. A few days later, and the space is a lot more calm, although no less glam.

We know we’re in the right place when we spot the neon pink Gitano logo, which leads you down a pathway lined with tropical plants to the friendly hostess desk. Disco balls – a Gitano signature at the original in Tulum (where the brand has also now evolved into a boutique hotel as well as a restaurant and beach club) and at the revered pop-up on Governors Island in NYC – add some welcome sparkle to the alfresco restaurant and the boardwalk that leads down to the beach. The space is expansive but cleverly designed, you’re welcomed into the outdoor restaurant where monochrome tiles and verdant plants echo the ‘gypsy disco’ aesthetic the original is renowned for. Down on the beach, there’s a beautifully landscaped pool flanked by loungers, pink Gitano towels neatly laid out on them, and as you spill further to the sand, the space is peppered with plush loungers and wooden cabanas that welcome guests for daytime revelry (fully redeemable rates are priced at Dhs350 Monday to Thursday and Dhs400 from Friday to Sunday).

There’s an indoor restaurant too, where bold artworks of wild animals grace the walls, and mis-match furniture, cushions and antiques on first glance look thrown together, but upon closer inspection are all intentionally placed to make you feel like you’re in the eccentric home of a fabulously well-travelled friend. There’s even a rooftop, where the same beautiful design details can be found, reserved for those in the know to enjoy drinks with a view.

I don’t dine upon first visit, but return a few weeks later by night, when the ambience is arguably even more captivating. The glittering disco balls spin delicately, almost in time to the tropical house beats being spun by the DJ on the edge of the terrace. A well-heeled crowd fill almost all the tables outside, chatting animatedly and sipping on the extensive list of Mezcal-based signature drinks. We join them and order the staple Gitano margarita, a refreshing sip with cucumber, rosemary and lime; and pair it with a bowl of guacamole (Dhs65) to graze on as we peruse the menu. The guacamole is muddled just enough to still leave us able to taste the chunks of avocado, but given a zesty flavour with a wedge of lime, and served with round corn totopos.

The black truffle tlayuda (Dhs85), is effectively a Mexican twist on a pizza with a toasted tortilla topped with goats cheese, mushroom, and silky mole negro sauce. It’s given a Dubai upgrade through shavings of black truffle. It’s lovely and crunchy, but eclipsed by the star flavours of the hamachi tostada (Ds90) a late entry into the best Dubai dishes of 2024. Fermented chilli spikes meaty cubes of hamachi with a welcome hint of spice, slivers of grilled avocado balancing the flavour profile perfectly.

Elsewhere, we’re guided through Gitano’s signature dishes, and there’s nothing we don’t like. Their juicy birria taco (Dhs155) features some of the most tender short rib we’ve tasted in a long time; and the Bronzino in banana leaf (Dhs160) is flavour-packed with authentic Mexican flavours of Serrano pepper and tomatillo.

Desserts are also excellent, and the lemon tart (Dhs50) is something between a lemon tart and a cheesecake. It’s creamy, citrusy, and a little bit crunchy thanks to a cookie crumble. But it’s the churros (Dhs60) that steal the show. So good, we order two bowls, they’re piping hot and served with a jalapeño chocolate and mezcal-spiked caramel.

Verdict: For pool days, cocktails and late night dinners, Gitano hits the high notes.

Gitano, J1 Beach, Jumeirah 1, 11am to 1am weekdays, 11am to 2am weekends. Tel: (0)58 566 2320 @gitanodubai