Somewhere in DIFC right now, a deal is being closed over miso-marinated black cod; somewhere on Al Maryah Island, a couple is celebrating an anniversary; and somewhere under the desert skies of Ras Al Khaimah, a long lunch is stretching well into the afternoon. Three emirates, three entirely different evenings, one signature dining experience.

More than twenty years after Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney opened the original on London's Raphael Street, Zuma has woven itself into the UAE's dining landscape - first in Dubai in 2008, then Abu Dhabi in 2014, and now, in its second year, as a desert-side pop-up in Ras Al Khaimah.

 

The Ebisu Business Lunch at Zuma Dubai offers an elevated midday escape in the heart of DIFC. The financial district moves on lunch meetings the way other cities move on coffee, and from Monday to Friday, between noon and three, Zuma serves the version of itself that is precise and polished. Miso soup, a choice of two starters, one main course - beef tataki with ponzu, prawn and black cod gyoza, crab salad with avocado, grilled seabass with red yuzu pepper, miso-marinated black cod.

Come Saturday, the venue transforms. The Baikingu Brunch, running from 12.30pm to 4pm, leans into Zuma's more indulgent register - sushi and sashimi prepared in front of you, live stations, robata classics, Zuma's signature dishes plated with the same precision as the à la carte menu, and a dessert room that can't be missed.

And then there is Yashoku Brunch, Zuma's late-night incarnation, named after the Japanese word for a late meal. Here, the music turns up, the lights dim, and the night takes its own course.

Abu Dhabi, and the Speed of a Different Weekend:

 

Zuma Abu Dhabi, set inside The Galleria on Al Maryah Island, strikes a different tone. The cuisine remains the same, with its disciplined balance of kitchen, sushi counter and robata grill, but the atmosphere slows to a more deliberate cadence, and matches the natural rhythm of the capital itself.

The Abu Dhabi location also offers its own Yashoku Brunch, extending the late-night spirit beyond Dubai. And alongside it, Zuma has launched its most ambitious new chapter: a multi-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Named the team's official Lifestyle & Dining Curator - the first time a global restaurant brand has joined a Formula One team in this capacity, Zuma now activates across the F1 calendar in Abu Dhabi, Monaco, Silverstone and Madrid. During Grand Prix weekend, the restaurant becomes the setting for pre-race dinners and post-race celebrations.

The RAK Landscape:

 

Zuma's most recent addition, set against the dramatic terrain of Ras Al Khaimah's desert landscape, is a pop-up by definition but a destination in itself. After a successful debut, the brand has extended its presence in the northern emirate for another year. The Ras Al Khaimah version of Zuma is designed for lunches that linger, slow sunset dinners and the kind of weekends where the long drive is part of the experience. It is Zuma without the suit, and without the business agendas.

Three emirates, three entirely different evenings, and the same unmistakable thread runs through all of them.

www.zumarestaruant.com | @zumadubai | @zumaabudhabi