Tom Arnel has been at the forefront of Dubai’s casual dining scene for more than seven years, since his Al Quoz cafe Tom and Serg became an instant favourite. But with his latest venture, it’s time to take things up a notch – with The Guild, a concept born in Dubai, for Dubai.
Arnel’s company Bull and Roo, which is also responsible for Common Grounds and The Sum of Us, is set to launch the eight-brand dining room experience next year, in the Dubai International Financial Centre’s recently opened 53-storey ICD Brookfield Place building.
“Dubai’s restaurant scene is absolutely amazing. It really is world class, but the big and obvious elephant in the room is that they’re all concepts that have been created somewhere else and have been brought into the city and forced into places, sometimes unnaturally. So we’re trying to make the most of this space and give Dubai what we think it needs,” he says.
He promises The Guild will be unlike anything Dubai has seen before. "My number-one goal is to create the most electric dining room in this city," Arnel tells The National.
The Guild has been four years in the making. Arnel was first approached about the 15,000-square-foot licensed space on the ground floor of the commercial centre in 2016, and it was an offer he couldn’t refuse to at least pitch for. “I put a pitch together within a couple of weeks, a high-level idea,” he says. “The guys loved it and the rest is history.”
The Guild will be an amalgamation of Arnel’s years of work within Dubai’s culinary scene, he says, bringing together the people he has looked up to and been influenced by over the years to help create the “best team possible”.
“It’s literally a dream project, a dream come true for a chef and an entrepreneur, and someone who has multiple brands,” he says. “I feel like there are no rules in a space like this and I have an opportunity to customise a concept for the people of Dubai, whether that’s locals or expats.
“I feel an amazing responsibility to get this right because it’s not going to be something that’s imported. It’s something that’s being created here with me and my team. And we feel a sense of pride to be given the opportunity, literally on the doorstep of the DIFC and on the world stage.
“I honestly don’t think there is any better restaurant location than this in this city. It’s probably one of the most fabulous feelings I think I’ve ever had in my career.”
Arnel is, at least for now, keeping details of the eight concepts that will make up The Guild close to his chest, but each will have a talented chef at the helm, and, like his other Bull and Roo brands, the food will have quality and sustainability at its forefront.
"The cooking will be theatrical, it'll be powerful and it will be memorable," he says. "It's going to be robust as well. We're trying not to be too fancy with anything, we're trying to cook with our hands, cook with passion, use the best ingredients and not overdo them. I can't say too much yet, but we are going to let the cooking methods do the talking."
The food, Arnel says, will be elevated by a programme of curated entertainment such as live music, which will adapt with the mood of the venue as it evolves from a casual breakfast spot to a buzzing dinner setting through the day.
“From celebrations to just coming on a whim, you’ll be walking into an electric dining room. My goal, to get people’s heart rates going by experiencing the dining room in its full flight, which means music, entertainment and dining all under one roof.”
What Arnel is very clear about, however, is that The Guild will not be a food hall. “I’m not saying it’s casual. I’m not saying it’s fine dining ... but it’s definitely not a dining hall and it’s not a food hall. It’s a collective of ideas all amalgamated into one massive room.”
"I hope that this venue puts Dubai on the map as a home-grown concept. Something of this scale is pretty hard to find."
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Power: 727hp
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Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
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AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
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Torque: 850Nm
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On sale: Now
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Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
