A New Homegrown Restaurant Concept Built on Connection
Dubai : A new dining destination has arrived in Dubai, and it begins not with a menu, but with a philosophy: what matters most is people. PEOPLE is the latest homegrown concept from restaurateurs Maryam Alobeidli, Shehab AlHarmoodi, and Sultan Kayed, the creative minds behind GOAT Burger. Designed as more than a restaurant, PEOPLE is a meeting point – a space where food, culture, and community converge. Located at Al Khawaneej Walk, PEOPLE soft opens from 15 to 31 August, ahead of its grand opening on 1 September 2025.
The Heart of PEOPLE
At its heart, this new homegrown concept is about connection. Plates are designed to bring people together across tables, cultures, and generations. It is where strangers become friends, families create memories, and communities are built. The guiding belief is simple: no matter where you are from or what language you speak, when you are here, you are part of PEOPLE. The restaurant’s front-of-house reflects this vision – a multinational team speaking a tapestry of 12 languages, welcoming guests as though into their own living room.
Flavours That Connect
Leading the kitchen is Executive Chef Sameer Bhalekar, whose 16-year career spans New York, London, Barcelona, the Middle East, and India. A protégé of world-renowned chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Thomas Keller, Chef Sameer brings an instinct for storytelling on the plate. His style blends Italian craft, Asian precision, and Emirati sensibility – a reflection of both his own journey and Dubai’s cosmopolitan character. Chef Sameer has crafted a menu of contemporary international dishes that balance bold creativity with comforting familiarity.
“Every journey starts with a place, and every memory begins with a plate,” says Executive Chef Sameer Bhalekar. “At PEOPLE, we treat every dish as a story in itself – blending Italian precision, Asian influences, and Emirati touches with seasonal ingredients. It’s about capturing diversity on the plate while creating food that sparks dialogue, comfort, and discovery.”
Highlights include the Okami crab salad (Dhs55) with tobiko and sesame oil, and the Yuzu burrata (Dhs58) with pomelo and candied walnut. From the raw bar, standouts range from the indulgent Wagyu carpaccio tostada (Dhs132) to the playful Spicy tuna on potato pave (Dhs116) topped with osetra caviar. Signature sharing plates such as the Billionaire wagyu crispy rice (Dhs62) and Buffalo maple shrimp (Dhs55) sit alongside Josper-grilled favourites like Australian lamb chops (Dhs116) and the luxurious Alaskan king crab au gratin (Dhs175).
Desserts bring both comfort and flair – from the Aseeda panna cotta (Dhs54) with saffron caviar to the indulgent Mocha chocolate mousse (Dhs69) with salted caramel. The beverage list features inventive alcohol-free serves, including a refreshing Yuzu lemonade (Dhs37), Blue night lychee (Dhs29), and the vibrant Straw-melon (Dhs29), alongside speciality coffee and matcha.
A Space for Gathering
The interiors, created in collaboration with a leading design agency, BONE Studio, bring PEOPLE’s philosophy to life through a theatrical yet intimate environment. The layout takes inspiration from the open Majlis, with a dramatic sunken U-shaped seating arrangement, conceived as an anchor for sharing and dialogue. The dining space unfolds like a landscape – layered, structured, yet fluid. Designed to seat 100 guests, the space is an exploration of contrasts: bold and soft, grounded and light, refined yet playful. It is a place designed to bring people together, where the richness of material, colour, and atmosphere defines the dining experience as much as the food itself.
Materiality plays a central role. Deep burgundy tiles wrap the kitchen and bar in a tactile skin, paired with richly veined red marble that grounds the volume with warmth and depth. Polished terrazzo flooring reflects daylight as it floods the space, while woven wall textiles and textured upholstery add tactility and variation. Custom-designed tables anchor the dining floor: patterned timber and stone, paired with sculptural seating in crimson-stained wood, woven rattan, and rich teal velvet banquettes that frame communal areas.
Overhead, flowing purple drapery veils the ceiling, softening daylight and introducing movement that balances the intensity of the palette. Lighting is integrated as an extension of the architecture: linear pendants hover above the bar, while table lamps and wall sconces cast a gentle glow, accentuating surfaces. Bookshelves line the walls, adding familiarity to the dining experience and blurring the boundary between restaurant and a living space. Lush greenery spreads throughout the space, woven between tables and architectural elements, softening edges and enhancing the sense of presence.
“PEOPLE is about creating connections,” expresses Co-founder Sultan Kayed. “It’s a place where food becomes a bridge between cultures, between strangers, between the past and the future. We wanted to design something that feels international yet deeply rooted in Dubai, a space where everyone feels at home.”
Soft opening until 31 August
10am to 5pm (coffee & desserts) / 5pm to 12pm (full menu)
Official opening on Monday 1 September
PEOPLE, Al Khawaneej Walk, Dubai.
