Abu Dhabi, UAE: Em Sherif Sea Café has opened the doors to its first location in the United Arab Emirates, with stunning waterfront views on Al Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. The latest evolution in the Levantine dining experience that began in in the heart of Beirut in 2011, Em Sherif Sea Café is a seafood concept with a beef bar corner created by acclaimed restaurateur and Em Sherif founder Mireille Hayek as an homage to Lebanon’s historic ties to the Mediterranean world.
Located on the ground floor of the Rosewood Hotel, the new restaurant features an expansive terrace overlooking the ocean, a fresh seafood bar and a beef bar corner. Guests visiting from near and far can experience the breath-taking views of the Arabian Gulf as they enjoy the award-winning Levantine cuisine that has taken the world by storm.
“Em Sherif Sea Café is my love letter to Lebanon’s Mediterranean side, with fresh bright flavours and welcoming interiors filled with natural light and beautiful sea-inspired designs. The last few years have reminded us of the value of time, and being able to spend it with loved ones, so this is a space where everyone is welcome and can come together to enjoy a great meal, but also just catch up with friends over a coffee or shisha if that’s what they please. From our delicious seafood dishes, traditional Lebanese mezze, expertly grilled meat cuts, and our attentive service, we hope to provide our loyal guests with a fantastic dining experience in beautiful surroundings,” said Mireille Hayek, founder of Em Sherif.
The menu features a variety of fresh seafood dishes including ‘the catch of the day’; guests can stop by the display bar to select their choice to be expertly prepared to their liking, and a selection of cold and hot mezze, including traditional delicacies and more contemporary dishes with a unique twist. Highlights include Raw Red Sea Bream, Shrimp Provençale and Samak Rass Asfour, as well as delectable vegetarian options such as a Whole Roasted Cauliflower in Tahini and spicy pickled walnut dip, Hindbeh bil Zeit and Lentil Kibbeh, perfect for a light summer meal. For those looking for a heartier option, the restaurant also features a beef bar corner with a selection of grilled meats, made to order including Aged Cote De Boeuf, Ribeye, Striploin, Wagyu Tenderloin, and accompanying sauces Béarnaise, Zaatar chimichurri or Peppercorn sauce.
Em Sherif delivers unmatched culinary experiences by bringing back forgotten traditional flavors of the Levant and has become a landmark in authentic oriental cuisine both regionally and globally. Em Sherif Sea Café is where the best of yesterday and today combine, deliciously. Crisp and contemporary, the elegant, airy café is a visual and culinary homage to Lebanon’s historic ties to the Mediterranean world both through the theme of its delicately hand-painted Portuguese Azulejo wall tiles, and varied menu of main and mezze-style offerings. The sea-inspired interior is meticulously selected, creating a vibe that resonates with the restaurant’s homage to the Mediterranean world. From à la carte dining to coffee, shisha, and late-night bites, Em Sherif Sea Café is as much a place to socialize, as it is to eat. Located on the ground level of the Rosewood Hotel, the new restaurant is surrounded by world class shopping, dining and entertainment destinations.
Em Sherif, a landmark in authentic oriental cuisine and a finalist in the first ever MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants list, is the passion project of entrepreneur Mireille Hayek, who seeks to reinvent traditional Arabic recipes and transform them into something new and unforgettable to give her customers an unparalleled first-class dining experience. Since the opening of the first Em Sherif Restaurant in Beirut in 2011, the group has expanded to include two more concepts, including Em Sherif Café, an all-day dining elegant Lebanese café and Em Sherif Sea Café, a seafood concept with a beef bar corner created by Mireille as an homage to Lebanon’s historic ties to the Mediterranean world. Em Sherif Sea Café, which is currently open in Manama and Abu Dhabi, will be followed by the opening of Em Sherif Sea Café Riyadh later this year.
