Row on 45

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Refinement of Work, Above Dubai Marina

Row on 45 occupies a rarefied position at Grosvenor House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Dubai Marina — a private, penthouse-like dining room that seats just 22 guests each evening. That intimacy is deliberate. Every element, from the fringed lampshades and art deco wallpaper to the plush velvet chairs and bespoke dinnerware, is calibrated to feel like a lively dinner party at someone's exceptionally well-appointed home. Forbes Travel Guide recognised that attention to detail with a Five-Star award, noting the "captivating quirky touches" — eccentric portraits among them — that give the space genuine character rather than generic luxury.

The Philosophy: Britain in Conversation with the World

The kitchen's guiding idea is stated plainly in the restaurant's own words: "We begin with the soul of Britain — its fields, shores, seasons, and centuries-old traditions." British ingredients sit at the centre; Japanese clarity of flavour, Mediterranean lightness, and Asian aromatics are brought in not as decoration but to reveal something deeper about those foundations. The result is modern European fine dining with a distinctly global sensibility — heritage reimagined rather than replicated.

The Team Behind the Table

Chef Patron Jason Atherton shaped his craft alongside Pierre Koffmann, Marco Pierre White, Nico Ladenis, and Ferran Adrià at elBulli before building one of Britain's most recognised restaurant portfolios, spanning London, Mykonos, and Shanghai. In 2023 he launched City Social House at Grosvenor House, with Row on 45 as its most intimate expression.

Day-to-day, the kitchen is led by Executive Chef Daniel Birk, who brings more than 20 years of experience — 17 of them in Michelin-starred environments — including a long tenure as Group Executive Chef across Atherton's global openings. Chef de Cuisine Rahul Shrestha joined the Atherton world in Singapore in 2015 and has since worked in three-Michelin-starred kitchens in Norway before settling in Dubai. Head Pastry Chef Noor Syed contributes over 17 years of fine-dining pastry expertise, and Head Sommelier Lorenzo Abussi, originally from Rome, has curated a cellar of rare European wines and Japanese sake that forms the backbone of three distinct pairing menus.

The Tasting Menu: Three Acts

The meal unfolds in three acts as guests move between rooms — a structural choice that keeps the evening dynamic without ever feeling rushed. The current tasting menu (priced at AED 845 per person) reads as a sequence of precisely sourced ingredients: Akkeshi oyster, Hokkaido scallop, Saroma Wagyu A5, Amaebi, Kinki fish, and a cheese course of Colston Basset, closing with Miyazaki mango and petits fours. A full vegetarian tasting menu at the same price mirrors the format with courses built around Kabu turnip, shiitake, golden beetroot, white asparagus, and Hokkaido corn — not an afterthought, but a parallel expression of the same modern European fine dining philosophy.

Wine and Beyond

The pairing programme runs from the Adventurer tier (AED 745) through Connoisseur (AED 1,345) to the Refinement of Wine selection (AED 3,945), which includes a 2011 Château d'Yquem and a 2019 Penfolds Grange. For those avoiding alcohol, a non-alcoholic pairing (AED 345) works through cold-pressed interpretations named after classic wine regions — Chablis, Hermitage, Sauternes — each constructed with genuine care for flavour rather than as a substitute.

With only 22 seats, an advance reservation and a AED 500 per person deposit are required. Smart elegant dress is expected.