It’s not every day that you get to savor a meal prepared by one of the top Michelin-starred chefs in the world amid an out-of-the-world landscape, so when I got an invitation to try out Ducasse in AlUla, I couldn’t resist. For the uninitiated, the Michelin Star Guide, a prestigious rating system by the French tire company Michelin, evaluates restaurants worldwide based on food quality, service, and overall dining experience. These rankings, unchanged since 1931, denote excellence– one star signifies a very good restaurant, two stars denote exceptional cooking, and three stars indicate cuisine worth traveling for.
Renowned French chef and restaurateur Alain Ducasse boasts multiple restaurants with three Michelin stars, including Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London and Plaza Athénée in Paris. With a remarkable 21 Michelin Stars– the second most globally– Ducasse’s dedication to culinary excellence and innovative cuisine has made him an icon. His influence extends worldwide, with 34 restaurants and “ateliers” from Japan to Qatar, and now, a new pop-up in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla.
Nestled near the ancient heritage site of Jabal Ikmah, against AlUla’s breathtaking rock formations, “Ducasse in AlUla” offers a limited-time “oasis-to-table” dining adventure. This culinary experience, part of AlUla Moments– a calendar featuring global artists, wellness festivals, and more– embraces sustainability and utilizes local ingredients with a French twist. Designed by French architects Aliénor Béchu and Donald Bovy and helmed by Ducasse’s protege, Afonso Barreto, as executive chef, the desert outpost promises an unforgettable experience.
Operating as an outdoor pop-up with an unspecified end date, this dining venture blends locally-sourced produce with French culinary techniques, positioning AlUla as a premier gastronomic destination. With an emphasis on honoring AlUla’s natural heritage, guests embark on a sensory journey through the town’s culinary legacy and vibrant ecosystem.
The tantalizing menu features lunch and dinner options with hearty, mouth-watering dishes such as marinated bonito fish served with tamarin and burnt lemon, freekeh cooked in a coquette and garnished with fresh herbs and pomegranate sourced from nearby farms, confit spinach lamb with spinach leaves and pistachios, and oven-baked hammour, tomato, and date.
Diners can wash down their meal with a variety of refreshing drinks, including non-alcoholic spirits and wines, fruit juices made out of freshly squeezed cranberries or pineapples, and refreshing mocktails infused with hibiscus, passion fruit, lemon, and cucumber. Just make sure you leave some room for dessert– may I suggest the decadent foamy chocolate infused with cocoa nibs and green cardamom? The luscious melt-in-your-mouth chocolate coupled with the intriguing blend of exotic flavors will undoubtedly leave you craving for seconds.
To book, visit www.ducasse-alula.com
