1206 opens on 30 October 2026 on the fourth floor of Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
Head Chef Stephanie Haywood combines British cooking traditions with European influences.
The menu centres on seasonal produce, local farm partnerships and whole-ingredient cooking.
Chef Stephanie Haywood will lead the intimate new dining destination.
Dubai loves a dining discovery, and Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab has saved one final reveal for its culinary collection. Opening on 30 October 2026, 1206 in Dubai takes its name from a previously hidden room on the resort’s fourth floor. Now, that space will offer a restaurant dedicated to contemporary cooking with a terrace garden and views stretching from Jumeirah Burj Al Arab to Burj Khalifa.
Leading the kitchen is Head Chef Stephanie Haywood, whose career includes Michelin-starred restaurants across the UK, Scandinavia and the GCC. Raised in the Sussex countryside, she developed an appreciation for where food comes from long before taking charge of a professional kitchen. Her experience covers fermentation, foraging, butchery and cooking over open flames, giving her plenty of techniques to draw upon at this new Dubai address.
The menu takes British cooking as its starting point, with French, Mediterranean and Scandinavian influences woven into the approach. Seasonality and sourcing will determine what reaches the table, supported by relationships with local farms. Vegetables receive as much attention as meat and seafood, while the kitchen aims to make full use of its produce through curing, fermentation and slow cooking.
The signature langoustine preparation offers a particularly interesting introduction to that philosophy. Its tail becomes the main element of the dish, while the shells form the base of a bisque. Offcuts find a further role in the drinks programme, and remaining material goes back into the soil of the terrace’s herb garden. It is a process that connects the kitchen, bar and garden through a single ingredient.
That garden has a practical role beyond providing a leafy backdrop. Herbs, greens and botanicals grown on the terrace will be used in both dishes and cocktails. The wine selection follows a similar interest in provenance, highlighting smaller producers, grower Champagnes and wines made using sustainable and low-intervention methods.
Inside 1206 in Dubai, design studio AvroKO has drawn on the architecture of the Levantine coast. Earthy colours, carved marble and handcrafted surfaces establish the setting, with bespoke cabinetry and herbal displays reinforcing the relationship between the dining room and its garden. An expansive terrace makes the most of the fourth-floor outlook, offering another reason to book as Dubai’s outdoor dining season gets underway.
Where: 1206, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Umm Suqeim, Dubai
When: Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm to 11pm
Contact: www.jumeirah.com