Gastronomes are marking their calendars as the start of the culinary event of the season approaches. Now in its eighth year, the 2021 installment of Dubai Food Festival (DFF) offers a calendar full of food-related concepts representative of Dubai’s rich culinary scene.
In a bold move, Hilton has announced that they will have 13 venues participating across eight of their Dubai based properties for this year’s DFF. The program – which focuses on Hilton’s locally based talent – will bring to life a number of innovative F&B activations and promotions that will cover a diverse range of cuisines, while creating thoughtful and unique dining experiences for the duration of the festival.
Speaking about the partnership with DFF, Emma Banks, V ice President, F&B Strategy & Development, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hilton, said: “At the heart of every Hilton hotel is a passionate culinary team and an outstanding restaurant experience. We are absolutely delighted to contribute to this year’s Dubai Food Festival program in such a committed way. Our partnership with DFF this year promises to be a great platform for us to showcase our dedication to dining and our creativity within the F&B space. We look forward to highlighting the best that Dubai has to offer, whilst creating experiences and menus for every audience, taste and budget during this year’s Dubai Food Festival.”
To celebrate this year’s Dubai Food Festival and to kick-off the comprehensive Hilton DFF program, a stellar line up of Hilton’s “culinary heroes” will host an exclusive one-off dinner on Tuesday March 30th at Bliss 6 in Conrad Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road. The special open-air evening will see six of Hilton’s best Dubai-based chefs bring to life an authentic dining experience that presents modern-twists of classic Arabic dishes using locally sourced produce. It is set to be a one-of-a-kind showcase where the Hilton F&B team will flex its culinary muscles.
This year’s Dubai Food Festival – running from March 25 th to April 17 th – will see culinary heroes from Hilton operated restaurants including Luigi Vespero, Andrea Fioravanti, Francesco Acquaviva, Steven Smalley, Yannis Manikis, Kevin Coey, Mehdi El Naaamane and Rene Johari create a range of activations, special chef’s tables, masterclasses and promotional menus in their restaurants. To add a touch of international flair, BiCE Ristorante at Hilton Dubai Jumeirah will also host the Italian Michelin-Starred maestro Paolo Gramaglia for a special series of exclusive dinners.
Emma Banks added: “ Our restaurant experiences within our hotels are some of the best in the world and we are very proud of the talent that we have here in the region. I look forward to the Dubai team showcasing their skills and expressing the values of Hilton’s F&B culture through the upcoming DFF activations that they have designed for our venues.”
Participating Hilton properties will include Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre, Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, Hilton Dubai The Walk, Conrad Dubai, DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai – Jumeirah Beach, DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai – Business Bay and Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef.