Foodie pop-ups coming to UAE: Ministry of Crab in Dubai and a Dh5,000 dining experience

There is no shortage of sensational dining experiences in the UAE, but there is always extra hype when some of the biggest restaurants from around the world come to the country for one-off, pop-up experiences.

Here, we round-up three pop-up restaurants that are coming to Dubai and Abu Dhabi this autumn.

Ministry of Crab is coming to Dubai

Popular Sri Lankan restaurant Ministry of Crab is coming to Palm Jumeirah's Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort from November 3 to 7.

Chef Dharshan Munidasa's seafood place in Colombo has been named one of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and will be serving up its giant Sri Lankan crab in a five-day pop-up.

The five-course, nightly menu costs Dh425 ($115) per person, and includes crab liver pate to share, baked crab and the signature Sri Lankan pepper crab. There will also be a garlic chilli prawn dish and coconut creme brulee to finish.

Sri Lankan crab is known for its size, abundance of meat and creamy texture.

Chef Dharshan promises to "share the rich Sri Lankan seafood and ingredients we have on offer at Ministry of Crab with the diners of Dubai".

Poolside at Anantara The Palm Dubai, Palm Jumeirah; Wednesday to Sunday, November 3 to 7; Dh425 per person; 04 567 8304; restaurants.dubai@anantara.com

Dh5,000 multi-sensory meal at Sublimotion

Ibiza’s famed multi-sensory dining experience Sublimotion is bringing a pop-up to Dubai from Monday, November 4 until February 4, 2022, accommodating only 12 diners each night.

Located at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, a meal at Sublimotion is described as "whimsical". Expect a 10-course molecular gastronomy and haute cuisine dining experience, which evolves throughout the night and pairs the finest ingredients with interactive performances.

There will be 360° screens and images projected onto every surface, from walls to tables, turning the dining room into a stage.

The menu is a closely guarded secret, part of the performance of the evening.

“The truth is that one of our dreams was always to be able to turn the table into a stage,” says Chef Paco Roncero, who launched Sublimotion alongside creative director Eduardo Gonzales in Ibiza in 2014.

"And today, at Sublimotion, the table is a stage where many things happen on it and around it. Quite simply, we have made a change to the way we eat."

The experience, however, does not come cheap. The meal costs Dh5,000 per seat, or it can be upgraded with a one-night stay at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira for the Dh19,000 Ultimate Sublimotion Experience package. The package includes two seats at Sublimotion, round-trip transfers in a Tesla Model X, one night in a sea or skyline-view suite and a 60-minute spa treatment for two.

Mandarin Oriental Jumeira; 6.30pm and 9pm daily; from Dh5,000 per person; 04 777 2250; mandarinoriental.com/dubai

New York's The Flower Shop in Abu Dhabi

A little bit of New York’s Lower East Side is coming to the UAE capital this month with The Flower Shop bar and restaurant pop-up.

The famed Flower Shop will set up shop at Semi Permanent Middle East festival in Saadiyat Island. The hot spot is known for its eccentric interiors and refined but accessible menu, which includes delicacies such as pink moon oysters and wakame seafood salad, alongside classics including fried buttermilk chicken and fish and chips.

Manarat Al Saadiyat; Thursday to Saturday, October 14 to 16; semipermanent.com