UPTOWN WHIRL

Hip Italian eaterie Marea has arrived in Dubai from NYC

IF THERE HAD BEEN A SEQUEL to Tom Wolfe’s 1987 Bonfire of the Vanities, the social x-rays would surely have moved on from the novel’s see-and-be-seen restaurant La Boue d'Argent to Marea, whose 2008 launch in Manhattan quickly saw it become a firmament in the city’s social whirl.

The forgiving glow of the backlit onyx bar and the two-Michelin star food, courtesy of super-chef Michael White, has now been transported to Dubai, where the city’s very own socials and business people gather in the new DIFC venue. The starched-white tablecloths and smartly attired staff are offset by a menu that feels like a Sicilian breeze has wafted over it. Clean crudos, charred octopus, billowy burrata — these are ingredients that transport the senses.

The interiors by local talent Viktor Udzenija are simply luxurious, and the restraint allows focal points to shine

– quite literally when it comes to the Lasvit glass bubble installation connecting the restaurant to the bar. As you descend, the atmosphere changes, feeling less formal and more louche. This is where you come to celebrate the closing of a big deal late into the night and, if you’re feeling like one of Wolfe’s Masters of the Universe, the silk-lined private dining room should be capable of containing all your excesses. marearestaurant.com/dubai