Ariana’s Persian Kitchen Lunch at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai

The lunch at Ariana’s Persian Kitchen is a three-course set menu at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, served every day between noon and 3pm at the first restaurant from Iranian-American chef, author and TV presenter Ariana Bundy. It is a relaxed way to try her contemporary take on Persian home cooking, built on family recipes, saffron, rose, pistachio and the smoky flavours of a charcoal grill.

Lunch runs for around two hours, the last booking is at 2.30pm, and valet parking is included. The current listing covers lunches through to 23 December.

Who is Ariana Bundy?

Ariana Bundy trained in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu and Le Notre, and at the Fauchon patisserie, before becoming head pastry chef at the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles, where she catered for the Oscars, the Golden Globes and film premieres. Her cookbook, Pomegranates and Roses: My Persian Family Recipes, led to an eight-part cookery and travel series, Ariana’s Persian Kitchen, which she wrote, produced and presented. It launched on NatGeo People and has aired in more than 40 countries.

The Dubai restaurant shares the show’s name and its mission: to bring Persian food to a wider audience. Atlantis describes it as a female-led debut restaurant serving family recipes with a modern twist.

The restaurant

Ariana’s Persian Kitchen sits within Atlantis The Royal, the resort that opened in 2023 on the crescent of Palm Jumeirah, a short distance from its older sister, Atlantis The Palm. The design aims to recall the aromas and warmth of a traditional Persian home, and the plans for the space included:

• Seating for more than 140 guests
• A central show kitchen with a large charcoal grill and a tanoor, a fire oven for fresh bread
• Vaulted domes and a cordial bar
• A private dining room for up to 12, designed to evoke a traditional home in Kashan
• A garden terrace with wooden day beds and sea views towards the Dubai skyline

At lunchtime, with daylight on the terrace and the water, the setting is at its brightest.

What to expect from the lunch

The lunch is a three-course set menu. The listing does not publish the exact dishes, and menu items can change at the restaurant’s discretion, but the restaurant is known for a handful of signatures:

• Fesenjoon: a rich stew of walnuts and pomegranate, one of the great dishes of Persian home cooking
• Kabab koobideh: minced meat kebabs cooked over charcoal
• Caspian-style filet kabab and rose-scented sea bass
• Saffron, pistachio and rose-water ice cream, Bundy’s version of a classic Persian dessert

Persian cooking is known for pairing fruit, nuts and fragrant spices with meat, rice and vegetables, and for the long, careful cooking of its stews. A set lunch is a good way to sample that balance without having to navigate the full menu.

Saffron is the thread that runs through it all. Iran is the world’s largest producer of the spice, and it colours and perfumes everything from rice to desserts. Persian rice is a craft of its own too, with the crisp golden layer from the bottom of the pot, known as tahdig, often the most fought-over part of the meal.

Lunch or dinner?

The restaurant is open for both, from noon to 3pm and again from 6pm to 11pm. Lunch is the set-menu option sold here, which keeps the choice simple and the pace unhurried, while dinner is better suited to a longer evening at the resort.

Drinks

Drinks are not included in the lunch. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks can be ordered and paid for at the restaurant, along with any items not on the set menu.

Who it suits

• Food lovers curious about Persian cuisine beyond the kebab shop.
• Fans of the TV series who want to taste the recipes in person.
• Families: Atlantis says all ages are welcome. Children aged 0 to 3 do not need a ticket, and children aged 4 to 11 can order from the kids’ à la carte menu, paid at the venue.
• Resort day-trippers visiting Atlantis The Royal or the Palm who want a sit-down lunch.

Booking notes

• Group size: bookings are for a minimum of two guests, and the whole table must arrive at the same time.
• Dress code: smart casual. Long trousers, smart jeans, tailored shorts and T-shirts are fine for men. Swimwear, sleeveless shirts, sportswear and flip-flops are not allowed, and the rules apply to children too.
• Running late: if you will be more than 15 minutes late, call restaurant reservations on +971 4 426 2626, or your table may be reallocated.
• Luggage: large bags are not allowed in the restaurant and cannot be stored there. Hotel guests can leave them at reception.
• Offers: discounts and vouchers cannot be combined with this promotion.
• Changes: tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable. Transfers are not included.

For more ideas, browse our dinner and brunch guide, the city’s top attractions, things to do in Dubai and what is on in November.