Situated on the 51st floor of the St. Regis Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, SUSHISAMBA is a blend of Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian cultures that reflects a rich historical connection when thousands of Japanese emigrants travelled to South America to cultivate coffee plantations. This Dubai outpost of the iconic restaurant brand (with locations across the UK, Middle East, USA and Singapore) has the added bonus of 360-degree panoramic views of its host city.

The striking 3D-printed ceiling inspired by traditional Japanese and Brazilian weaving, and cascading living wall are real standout elements of the interior design which was overseen by New York design agency ICRAVE. The bar itself is oval-shaped with a beautiful black marble bar top and boasts the biggest collection of Japanese whisky in the region. The cocktail programme is inventive and creative, however the work behind the scenes is meticulous in order to create an excellent guest experience. 

Menu creation is a true collaborative process with every member of the bar team encouraged to research and develop a specific drink for the final list. This process takes months and provides great opportunities to learn and be creative. All drinks are made with the intention of blending the three distinct cultures that make up SUSHISAMBA – and where ingredients are not so widely available – the team has to recreate these flavours in house.   

In a small prep-room the team manages to create the many homemade ingredients they require – using techniques such as fat washing, clarification, distillation, cold infusions, slow cooking, and macerations. This results in uniquely flavoured bitters, sodas, foams, syrups, daily-squeezed juices and infusions. Ice too is carefully personalised and large block ice bears the brand name stamped into it. 

Taking care of the environment and minimising waste is taken seriously here with by-products from ingredient prep repurposed – for example the pulp from vegetable juice is dehydrated and made into sugars and salts. However anything that can’t be used is moved to an aerobic Orca machine. The company now employs a Sustainability Manager full time, whose sole responsibility is training and education around waste and recycling systems.

Training extends to more than just the beverage programme and diversity and inclusion training to promote an understanding and appreciation of different perspectives and experiences ensures that the already diverse team is working seamlessly together. Their training also covers grooming standards, communication, guest engagement with team members given personal training plans that can span daily, weekly or monthly targets. 

Away from the bar – the team supports several charitable and local environmental organisations and hosts beach cleans and also food drives for Iftar during Ramadan when the venue operates on heavily reduced hours.