For the past eight years, Her Highness Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum has been thinking about the way that food serves as a connection between people. She set out to embark on a special project, one that has finally come to fruition in a recently renovated 1987 building in the heart of Nad Al Sheba. She named the new high-end Emirati eatery Gerbou – a word that is deeply rooted in Emirati hospitality. “It’s the call of welcome you hear from the doorway, an invitation to step inside and share in generosity, warmth and belonging,” explains Her Highness. “The name encapsulates my vision: a place where design and culinary artistry meet in harmony, honouring tradition while
embracing innovation.”
Photo: John Marsland
As founder and director of UAE-based arts centre Tashkeel, which nurtures and supports creators specialising in visual art and design, she planned the ambiance of the space with the utmost attention to detail. Weaving a comprehensive cultural narrative, each element is thoughtfully incorporated into the restaurant, from the dishes to the decor – for which Sheikha Lateefa commissioned alumni from Tanween, a Tashkeel incubation programme that empowers designers to conceptualise and then complete products inspired by the UAE. They worked with natural materials sourced locally, such as camel leather, Ghaf wood, henna powder and fish scales. “The Ghaf tree, a symbol of resilience, is subtly woven throughout the interiors and the plateware –whether in the patterns on textiles, the sculptural forms of the furniture reflecting the building’s architecture, or the way shadows play against surfaces,” she explains.
“The furniture and fixtures echo the fluidity of the desert dunes while handcrafted details reflect the artisanal heritage of the UAE. Every corner of Gerbou is designed to feel intimate yet deeply connected to the land, creating a seamless dialogue between past and present.”
A meal at Gerbou is a complete sensory experience, beginning…
