One of a kind, this restaurant is situated inside an aquarium with 65,000 fish! Would you like to dine in its massive underwater dining room? Here's how to get there, who the chef is, and what surprises await on the Michelin-starred menu!
The restaurant
To end my experience at Atlantis the Palm in Dubai on a high note, I dined at the acclaimed Ossiano restaurant by Chef Grégoire Berger. It was a special evening because he was joined by the brilliant Australian colleague, Josh Niland, a deep connoisseur of the ocean, direct from Sydney's Saint Peter.
It was a four-handed dinner where the two displayed their skills, knowledge, and above all, respect for a cuisine where fish takes center stage, focusing on sustainability and preventing food waste. It was a moment of great value, where two thoughtful minds with strong culinary backgrounds came together to share their philosophy through an intelligently crafted menu.
Chef Berger had already made a name for himself in recent years, boasting a Michelin star, ranking fourth and the highest new entry in the 2023 Middle East and Africa's 50 Best Restaurants, 87th globally, with four chef's hats and restaurant of the year in the Gault&Millau guide. Quite impressive, to say the least.
You arrive at an underground restaurant inside one of the world's largest aquariums, the Ambassador Lagoon, with 65,000 marine animals, including sharks and rays to admire during your dinner. The cuisine can be described as narrative, technical, and a blend of classicism with plenty of innovation, paying homage to the riches of the ocean and its edible treasures.
Born in Versailles, near Paris, Berger grew up in the French region of Morbihan, in Brittany. Spending his youth in this coastal city, he quickly developed a taste for quality ingredients and cuisine, spending much of his time in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother.
At sixteen, he decided to pursue his dream with an apprenticeship at La Closerie de Kerdrain, a fine dining restaurant owned by Martine and Fernand Corfmat in Auray. "Entering that kitchen was like experiencing real magic, and from that moment on, my path was unquestionably set," he says.
He spent the following years honing his skills alongside a series of talents at Michelin-starred restaurants in France and luxury resorts around the world, including Paul Bocuse, Roger Verge, Gaston Lenotre, and Frederic Robert at La Grande Cascade in Paris. He also decided to spend some time under the guidance of pastry chef Gilles Marchal and Michael Nave, the right-hand man of Pierre Gagnaire, and the chef at Balzac. Inspired by his wife's Arab origins, he finally moved to the Middle East in 2014, taking the helm of Ossiano, a restaurant now considered one of the must-visit gastronomic destinations in the country.
The dishes
The "Escale" (translated as "stopover") tasting menu consists of 11 "waves" and currently represents the third chapter of Ossiano, emphasizing respect for seasonality, terroir, and the availability of the sea, with elements of aging, preservation, a revolutionary approach, and, above all, consistently bold flavors in dishes filled with surprises and substance.
Guiding guests through a transformative journey of emotions, scents, and tastes, Ossiano showcases some of the finest ingredients from around the world (after all, we are in Dubai), offering the opportunity to savor exceptional ingredients in the heart of a city that is itself a crossroads of the world. "Cultures merge, traditions meet" is one of the most interesting dishes through which he invites guests to join in the narrative of his first visit to the Big Apple, where the generosity of the French coast and the vibrant streets, flavors, and cultures of New York intertwine... through what appears to be a star and stripes hot dog.
A sensory and emotional experience, inspired by a deep respect for the life cicle and times of the oceans, serving as a means to express his love for storytelling and journeys: each dish is guided by the savoir-faire of French cuisine, blended with the desire to take guests on a true journey of pleasure and fun, where nothing is as it seems.
If we were to pinpoint a particular place that evokes the beginning of his journey, it inevitably leads us to Tokyo, which he visited at the age of 14. An enlightening experience that inspired the current third chapter of Ossiano. The different landscape, culture, and emphasis on Japanese ingredients and techniques strongly influenced Berger's dishes, such as "Euphoria of a new departure," featuring Japanese shrimp garnished with shiso flowers, pickled daikon, and yuzu vinaigrette.
There are also creations like "Kissing the sea on the lips," based on smoked salmon, caviar, and plankton, and others, like a "candle" made of foie gras, sliced and served at the table, a version of a croque monsieur laid out on the face of a clock that runs backward to transport the diner back in time, or yuzu clams presented inside a burnt leek.
Kudos to a chef capable of exploring and captivating, and to the entire team that supports him, especially sommelier Thomas Domingues, for their daring pairings and passionate storytelling. Indeed, Ossiano is considered the "place to be," but for only 54 guests each evening. Prepare to be transported both visually and sensually into the depths of the ocean.
Address
Ossiano
Crescent Rd - Atlantis the Palm - Dubai - UAE
