At Atlantis The Royal, where the skyline of Dubai stretches toward the surreal, one might expect an entrance of spectacle. And yet, the approach to La Mar by Gastón Acurio offers something else, an orchestrated pause. From the lobby, a cylindrical elevator, sheathed in cascading water, rises gently, offering a moment of stillness. The air shifts. A low mantra hums as the doors open, ushering guests into a dimly lit corridor that feels almost sacred. At its end, oxidized copper doors rise floor to ceiling, an homage to the temples of Peru, inviting you into a world shaped by memory.
Inside, the atmosphere softens. The warmth of the hostess’s greeting is sincere, grounding, unmistakably Latin. The dining room breathes with casual elegance: clean lines, polished surfaces, and subtle textures that echo Acurio’s sensibility, contemporary, but deeply rooted. At the cebiche bar, chefs move with quiet focus, their hands marinating fish and slicing tiraditos in rhythm. Just beyond, the terrace overlooks the Skyblaze fountain, where arcs of fire and water blur the line between nature and performance. This is where the journey begins, through the heart of Peru, reimagined for Dubai, yet tethered always to something deeply personal.
Gastón Acurio’s legacy began far from the Pacific coast he now evokes with such ease. Trained in Madrid and Paris, and originally destined for a legal career, Acurio returned to Lima in the early 1990s with a conviction stronger than ambition: that Peruvian cuisine, in all its regional and emotional complexity, deserved a place on the global stage. Since then, through his flagship Astrid y Gastón and a family of restaurants across continents, he has transformed not only how the world perceives Peruvian food, but how Peruvians understand their own culinary heritage.
At La Mar in Dubai, that mission has matured into something playful yet profound. The dishes are generous and vibrant, designed to spark conversation and sharing, a joyful collision of sea, spice, and color. And while the restaurant embodies luxury, it does so with a kind of humility: a waiter’s smile, the familiar cadence of laughter at nearby tables, the bold ceramics recalling mountain reds and ocean greens. Acurio’s cooking has always been emotional, but here it feels particularly grounded, less a performance, more a homecoming. In a city built on spectacle, La Mar’s beauty lies in its authenticity.
The Menu as a Journey
La Mar’s menu doesn’t unfold as a spectacle. It reveals itself gradually, with a quiet confidence that speaks of culinary maturity. The cebiche tasting sets the tone, three distinct compositions that express the ocean through layered intensities. The Clásico is direct and crystalline: line-caught sea bass in a citrus-bright leche de tigre, accented by the crunch of cancha and the creaminess of coconut. The Chalaco builds on that foundation, introducing shrimp and octopus, deepened by the coral of the crustacean and a broth that lingers with purpose. Finally, the Braza, unique to Dubai, introduces a more contemplative note, lightly smoked bluefin tuna, paired with a subtle ají amarillo and an oyster emulsion that carries both salinity and silk.
The tiradito, composed of delicately sliced bluefin, showcases the kitchen’s restraint. Marinated in a golden leche de tigre, its acidity is softened just enough to let the tuna’s richness unfold.
It is precise, intentional. The anticucho, meanwhile, brings welcome contrast: octopus grilled to smoky tenderness, served with a Peruvian olive sauce of remarkable depth and a verdant pesto that adds a flash of herbal clarity. Alongside it, an empanada filled with lomo saltado offers heat and heft, its rocoto cream striking the fine balance between fire and fat.
A grilled white fish course follows, served with a jipan milk reduction the color of baked clay, subtle, comforting, anchored by chalaca and a simple mound of white rice. It reads like a personal note from Acurio himself. Dessert continues the narrative: a bitter chocolate mousse with Maras salt and olive oil, gold leaf flickering in the candlelight, paired with a clean coconut sorbet. But perhaps most telling is the final course, a curated box of handcrafted chocolates, each hidden in its own wooden drawer. Lucuma, ají amarillo, passion fruit, tonka… the final flourish is not about indulgence, but intimacy. It reminds the guest that storytelling, not just skill, is what defines a great meal.
As each dish arrives, carefully plated, confidently presented, it becomes clear that La Mar is composing a sensory environment. The room around the plate is part of the experience. Light spills softly across stoneware and linens, not glaring but deliberate, like a spotlight in a quiet theatre. The walls, muted and warm, hold the space without pressing in. Textures, the weight of ceramic bowls, the grain of the wooden tabletops, the hammered silver of the spoons, echo the dishes themselves: tactile, grounded, made to be felt.
You begin to notice more. The cebiche bar hums with focus, open but unobtrusive, the chefs moving with a kind of practiced reverence. A terrace breeze rolls in, scented faintly of salt and something green, as the Skyblaze fountain pulses in rhythm with the city beyond. Even the private dining room, set back and silent, offers no ornament for ornament’s sake, only composure, and intimacy. The space never interrupts. It listens, it supports, it sharpens your attention to the food, to the company, to the stillness between courses. In the hands of Gastón Acurio and his team, design becomes a form of care.
A Cultural Dialogue at the Edge of Luxury
Living in Dubai feels like stepping into a world of wonder, everything is grand, dazzling, luxurious. Buildings compete to be more extravagant, cars are jaw-dropping, and hotels race to outdo one another in opulence. Yet this restaurant steps away from the contest. It offers a sanctuary, a space where friendship takes precedence over spectacle. Here, guests are invited to slow down, to savor flavors, aromas, textures, and above all, to reconnect with those around the table.
Gastón Acurio’s food becomes a thread that ties emotion, heritage, and global sophistication. The dining ritual unfolds like a dance, gently drawing people closer, creating room for vulnerability through the joy of a truly epic gastronomic experience.
We left the dinner feeling as though we had gained something rare, time. Time with the people we care about, which daily life so often denies us. Walking through those copper doors was like entering an ancient Inca temple, a sacred space where the noise of the outside world falls away. Inside, only connection remains, between people, flavors, and fleeting moments of joy.
Long after the meal ends, the feeling lingers. When the goal is to reconnect with cherished companions in a meaningful way, few experiences in Dubai rival a reservation at Gastón Acurio’s restaurant at Atlantis The Royal, a setting where time slows, flavors come alive, and human connection takes center stage.
Photos: Atlantis The Royal Media | Words: Maria Donadio
