In the heart of Dubai's financial district, amid skyscrapers and unbridled luxury, there is a restaurant that is revolutionizing the concept of sustainability. It's called Boca and it doesn't just talk about environmental ethics: it applies it in every detail, from the menus printed on recycled paper to the dishes created with local ingredients, often harvested directly from the desert. Its founder, Omar Shihab, explains that sustainability is not a trend, but a commitment measurable by concrete numbers.
The challenge of a sustainable restaurant in Dubai
Dubai is often associated with excess and unbridled consumption, but behind the bright lights something is moving. Shihab tells of ongoing change: agricultural start-ups, research on salt-resistant crops, experiments to grow quinoa in the desert. In such an extreme environment, adaptation means innovation. “Living and producing food in the UAE is like living in the future,”, Shihab tells 50 Best. “Climatic conditions are becoming more and more difficult everywhere, and we could be the model for the food production of tomorrow.”
Ingredients from the sea and the desert
When Boca opened in 2014, the team turned to the sea to find sustainable ingredients. The waters of the Arabian Gulf offer a wide variety of fish, but avoiding overfished species such as hammour, which is now responsibly farmed. The real challenge, however, has been finding resources on land. In a country with less than 2 percent arable land, the concept of agriculture needs to be rethought. Boca has rediscovered native plants: “ As children, we used to go to the desert after the rains to look for wild herbs,”, Shihab recalls. Today the restaurant uses rare herbs such as khansour, which enhances a pisco-based cocktail, and seedaf leaves, the stars of a unique salad.
Innovative agriculture: from foraging to technology
Dubai imports more than 80 percent of its food, but something is changing. Water scarcity has driven creative solutions, such as lion's-mane mushrooms grown on discarded palm leaves and Al Ain's pesticide-free hydroponic tomatoes, perfect for chef Patricia Roig's gazpacho. For Boca, sustainability is also about adapting and making the most of available resources.
Measuring sustainability: data, not words
Boca is not content to declare itself sustainable, it proves it with action. Its Sustainability Manifesto-31 detailed pages-analyzes every aspect of the restaurant: pineapple waste becomes soda, staff uniforms are made of biodegradable hemp, water is filtered and bottled on site. In addition, the restaurant has been weighing and recording every ounce of waste produced for five years, a method Shihab calls “revolutionary in its simplicity.”
Balance between ethics and hospitality
Despite its environmental commitment, Boca's priority always remains hospitality. Only 20 percent of customers choose the restaurant because of its sustainability, but for Shihab that is not an issue. “First of all, we are here to provide an extraordinary experience,”, he explains. “Sustainability is a choice we made behind the scenes, but the guest should enjoy the meal without feeling obligated to think about it.”
The future: a zero-impact restaurant
To be truly sustainable, a business must balance three factors: people, planet and profit. “If we don't support ourselves economically, we can't bring about change”, says Shihab. His dream is to create a fully circular space with an experimental kitchen, garden, restaurant and tasting room designed to minimize environmental impact. “I want to apply everything we've learned and build a restaurant that is a model of sustainability for the future.”
Boca proves that even in a harsh environment like the desert, responsible haute cuisine can be created. It is not just about reducing waste or choosing local products, but rethinking every aspect of the restaurant. Concrete inspiration for the future of food.
