CHEF SARADHI DAKARA BRINGS THE MEDITERRANEAN TO THE TABLE WITH NEW VIVA ORILLA BRUNCH

Orilla, the chef-led MediterrAsian restaurant from Saradhi Dakara and Stellar Society Group, is entering a new season with a renewed focus on the things at the heart of the restaurant: Mediterranean-inspired food, generous hospitality, music, community and the pleasure of sharing a table.

Set on the 27th floor of Hotel Local, Autograph Collection by Marriott, in Jumeirah Village Triangle, Orilla brings together the flavours of the Mediterranean coast with subtle Asian influences, drawing on Chef Saradhi’s travels, memories and nearly two decades working in Dubai’s culinary scene.

At the centre of the new season is Orilla’s Family Sharing Brunch, taking place every Saturday from 12.30pm to 4pm. Designed around the Mediterranean tradition of gathering around the table, the experience brings guests a selection of dishes served for sharing, including tomato salad, salmon roll, beef carpaccio, garden maki, baba ganoush, focaccina, risotto ai gamberi, rigate alla Norma, tagliata and koji chicken, followed by desserts including doughnuts and chocolate mousse.

The brunch is available with Soft, House and Prosecco packages, with children under seven dining free and a dedicated children’s menu available for younger guests.

Champagne also plays a starring role at VIva Orilla with bottles of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV available at AED600 and Bollinger Special Cuvée NV at AED650, offering guests the opportunity to make the weekend experience a little more celebratory.

“Orilla has always been about more than the food,” says Chef Saradhi Dakara. “It is about the feeling you get when you sit down, the people you are with, the music, the hospitality and the memories you take away with you. The Mediterranean has always been about that sense of community and generosity, and this season is about bringing even more of that spirit to Orilla.”

For Saradhi, Orilla represents a particularly personal chapter. After spending 10 years with The Maine Group and helping shape its growth, he created Stellar Society to develop concepts through his own culinary voice. His experiences across Dubai, London, Ibiza and Bodrum continue to influence the way he approaches food, hospitality and the spaces around it.

“Orilla” means shore in Spanish: a meeting point where cultures, journeys and experiences come together. That idea remains central to the restaurant: a place to eat, drink, listen to music and spend time together, from a long weekend lunch overlooking the Dubai skyline to a late evening around the bar.

Beyond brunch, Orilla’s weekly programme continues to bring different sides of its personality to life. Sunset Rituals run on weekdays from 4pm to 8pm, while After Shift offers three beverages for AED100 on Mondays and Tuesdays, Wednesdays feature Mi Amor, with complimentary wine for ladies at the bar, and Fridays introduce Neighbourhood Nights, built around community and a three-course dinner.

Every second and fourth Sunday, R&B Sundays bring a live DJ, two-course menu and late-afternoon energy to the rooftop. A new Comedy Night will also be announced soon, with all-you-can-eat sushi on the menu.

The programme reflects Chef Saradhi’s belief that a restaurant should be somewhere guests want to return to regularly, not just a place to visit once.

The menu is inspired by the coastal towns and cultures that have shaped Saradhi’s culinary journey. His approach is rooted in seasonality, ingredient-led cooking and storytelling, with each dish intended to connect guests to a place, memory or experience.

The new season also marks the continued development of Stellar Society Group, the UAE-based hospitality company co-founded by Chef Saradhi Dakara and US restaurateur Utkarsh Patel. Orilla is the group’s first concept, representing the beginning of a wider hospitality vision centred on ingredient-led dining, thoughtful execution, authenticity, community and craft.

Viva Orilla Information

• When: Every Saturday, 12.30pm-4pm | How Much: AED275 (soft drinks), AED390 (house package), AED475 (prosecco) | Free (kids under seven), A la carte (kids seven-12), AED150 (kids 12 and above) | Where: Orilla, Hotel Local Dubai, Jumeirah Village Triangle | To Book: +971 04 575 2986