Why Dubai’s secret supper clubs are becoming a sensation | Dinogo

Dubai boasts such an extensive dining scene that if you tried a new restaurant every day, it would take nearly 50 years to sample them all. With cuisines from every corner of the world, it’s no surprise that many residents rarely cook at home.

Supper clubs are exclusive, fixed-menu dinners hosted by both amateur and professional chefs. Guests usually don’t know the menu or the venue until after booking, and are encouraged to come alone or with just one companion, offering a great opportunity to network. BYOB is typically encouraged.

While supper clubs aren’t a new trend and have been seen worldwide, the phenomenon has exploded in Dubai over the last year, with numerous underground dining experiences popping up across the city.

‘I wanted to bring people together around one table, to encourage open conversation and share a great meal,’ says Palestinian chef Ahmad Halawa, who launched his supper club in 2019. He hosted dinners on weekends while managing a full-time marketing job.

Initially, it was just friends and family attending, but once word spread about Halawa’s delectable meals, ‘I started welcoming strangers into my home, and people were booking spots to join the experience,’ he recalls.

Halawa’s events are typically discovered through word of mouth or via Instagram, and his dinners often sell out within just two days. After quitting his marketing job in 2021, he now hosts up to 30 guests twice a week in his backyard, which is beautifully set with a long banquet table, floral arrangements, and twinkling fairy lights.

While great food is essential to any supper club, Halawa believes the social experience is a big draw in Dubai, where roughly 90% of the population are expats.

‘Most people are away from their families, so I wanted to create a sense of community that’s often missing in Dubai,’ says Halawa. His dinners are served family-style at a communal table, offering a more intimate experience compared to the individual plated meals at restaurants.

‘People crave that sense of authenticity,’ Halawa explains. ‘Supper clubs offer a more personal, intimate experience for attendees.’

Innovative culinary experiences

The surge in popularity of Dubai’s supper clubs can be partially credited to some notable success stories. Pop-up venture Hawkerboi transitioned from sell-out supper club dinners to opening a permanent restaurant in 2023.

Self-taught chef Neha Mishra built a devoted following for her ramen-focused supper club, which sold out six nights a week for three years. Her success led to the creation of Kinoya, a restaurant that ranked 11th on the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants list, earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and recently opened a second location in London.

Inspired by success stories like Mishra’s, Dragan Susa, a concept development chef at Emirates Flight Catering, began his own supper club in 2021. Though his day job keeps him in the office, his supper club gives him the freedom to unleash his creativity in the kitchen.

Like Halawa, Susa believes that the quest for connection is a key factor driving the popularity of these dining experiences.

‘Dubai is a city that never stops, where people come and go, often staying only a year or two,’ says Susa. He adds that supper clubs offer a chance to meet people outside your work circle or existing social groups.

A passionate foodie, Dave Luis attended his first supper club, Kuv’s Secret Supper Club, in July 2022, and has since enjoyed many more.

‘I love dining out, but I had grown tired of Dubai’s restaurant scene,’ says the 50-year-old South African, now living in Dubai. ‘The concept of a supper club, hosted in a chef’s home, felt so much more intimate and memorable – a chance to taste dishes I wouldn't typically find at a regular restaurant.’

For Luis, the social experience is just as important as the food. ‘It’s rare to have a night out where the brilliance of the food is matched by the excitement and joy of meeting people from all over the world, many of whom have since become friends,’ he adds.

‘The heart and soul of the culinary scene’

Supper clubs exist in a bit of a gray area: they aren’t classified as restaurants, so they don’t require food licenses, making them easier to set up. However, this also means they aren’t governed by traditional health and safety regulations.

To bring order to the growing trend — and to capture a piece of the supper club market — entrepreneur Kevin Vaz co-founded Splidu, an app that connects diners to unique underground dining experiences in the UAE. The platform streamlines bookings, payments, and legalities, allowing chefs to focus more on creativity than logistics.

‘We have public liability insurance tied to our trade license, which ensures protection for both the guest and the chef, as well as any other involved parties,’ says Vaz.

While platforms like ‘Design My Night’ are active in the UK, Australia, and Ireland, and global apps like Eventbrite occasionally feature supper clubs among other events, Vaz points out that Splidu is one of the first platforms to focus solely on underground dining. His aim is to establish a unique niche within the food and beverage industry, much like the evolution of food delivery services.

According to Splidu’s data, over 4,000 diners booked experiences on the platform in the first half of 2024, with an average of 41 events available each month.

‘This is the very essence of the culinary world,’ he explains, noting that 88% of first-time users return to book another experience. ‘Once they try it, they’re hooked — it’s an experience unlike any other.’

Susa, who promotes his events through Splidu, believes supper clubs are the perfect platform for experimenting with new ideas and pushing the boundaries of his culinary aspirations. Like many chefs, owning his own restaurant is a dream he hopes to achieve.

‘You never know who you might meet, or who they might be connected to,’ says Susa.