Maison Mer dubai: A New Riviera-Inspired Dining Destination

Dubai’s newest contemporary luxury restaurant brings the spirit of Provence and the French Riviera ,to the shores of the Arabian Gulf

Opened in November 2025, Maison Mer Dubai emerges as one of the city’s most anticipated new dining destinations — a design-led, coastal restaurant inspired by the relaxed glamour, soulful cuisine and sun-soaked rituals of Provence and the French Riviera.

Its name, meaning “House of the Sea,” is both literal and symbolic: a tribute to coastal life and a quiet nod to mère, the French word for mother, capturing the warmth, generosity and nostalgia of gathering around a table.

Created by Lucia Penrod, CEO of Nikki Beach Hospitality Group, Maison Mer is rooted in personal history: decades of summers in the South of France, where days unfolded in a rhythm of market produce, long lunches, chilled rosé, and nights that stretched past sunset. Those memories, carried from Saint-Tropez to Dubai, give Maison Mer a rare emotional integrity: a restaurant built on lived experience rather than borrowed aesthetic.

A Sensory Celebration of Provençal Cuisine

At Maison Mer, cuisine is shaped by sun, sea and seasonality rather than formality. Provençal flavours meet Riviera ease, infused with Gulf influences and plated with discreet elegance.

The culinary program is led by James Hawkes, Executive Chef at Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai, celebrated for his immersive dining experiences, including the acclaimed “Dinner in the Sand” series. Committed to sustainability, Hawkes integrates eco-friendly practices, cultivates on-site herbs and seasonal produce, and creates a menu that balances refinement with simplicity.

Expect bright salads, seafood-driven dishes, vibrant Mediterranean vegetables, shared plates, and nostalgic desserts that honour culinary heritage through a modern Dubai lens.Lunch and dinner are served Tuesday to Sunday, designed for travellers and residents seeking luxury dining in Dubai that feels soulful, relaxed, and deeply rooted in place.

Design & Atmosphere: A Riviera Home by the Sea

Designed by Rémi Viale, Maison Mer reimagines the Provençal maison through a coastal, contemporary lens. Guests arrive beneath a limestone archway, guided by lavender and rosemary, before entering a dining room defined by vaulted ceilings, arched portals and hand-tiled tables framing expansive Gulf views.

Outdoors, scalloped parasols, mosaic flooring and rattan chairs invite leisurely lunches that linger into golden hour — a visual tribute to Riviera afternoons. Select pieces sourced directly from antique boutiques in Provence add a sense of inheritance and lived-in charm, while Maison Mer’s bespoke design identity — a modern interpretation of classic Provençal paisley — is subtly integrated into plates, textiles and signage.

Every design choice reflects Nikki Beach Hospitality Group’s architectural sophistication and Viale’s artistic instinct: creating not a staged “restaurant interior,” but a home by the sea — intimate, cinematic, and timeless.

Evenings of Sound, Sea and Slow Indulgence

At night, Maison Mer transitions into an atmosphere that feels both elevated and effortless. Early in the week, soft music, warm lighting and gentle tempo set the tone for dinners that stretch late into the evening. By midweek, the energy shifts with live musicians weaving through service, evolving from acoustic warmth to French house and modern disco.

From Thursday to Saturday, a pianist, guitarist and vocalist build an immersive, coastal soundtrack, while Sundays ease into Riviera jazz and soft DJ sets — a final sip of weekend glamour.Evenings feel unhurried yet electric; a rare balance of intimacy and celebration that recalls summer nights in the South of France.

Private Celebrations by the Sea

With Gulf views stretching to the horizon, garden pathways perfumed by herbs, and a dining room that echoes the charm of a Provençal home, Maison Mer sets the stage for private celebrations in Dubai with style and ease.

From romantic dinners to engagement parties and birthday lunches, gatherings carry the generous, unpretentious spirit of Riviera hospitality — seasonal dishes, good wine, shared tables and details that feel thoughtful, not theatrical.

Here, an event isn’t just hosted — it’s experienced, remembered, and lived in the moment.

A New Chapter for a Global Hospitality Vision

Maison Mer marks a significant milestone in the expansion of Nikki Beach Hospitality Group, one of the world’s most influential lifestyle operators, with a portfolio spanning beach clubs, resorts, restaurants and residences from Miami to Saint-Tropez, Marbella, Ibiza and Dubai.

Under the leadership of Lucia Penrod, the group has entered a new era of growth, adding standalone dining concepts such as Lucia Cannes, Lucia Marbella and Maison Mer Dubai, while continuing to innovate across design, entertainment and culinary culture. Penrod’s philosophy, elevated, human-centered hospitality rooted in joy, memory and connection, remains at the core of every new project.

Maison Mer Is Dubai’s New Destination for Design-Led Dining

For travellers searching for the best restaurants in Dubai, Maison Mer is poised to become a must-visit destination, offering something rarely found in the city: a luxury dining experience that is romantic, relaxed, sensory and deeply personal.

With its Provençal flavours, Riviera-inspired design, immersive live music and panoramic Gulf views, Maison Mer invites Dubai to slow down, savour and celebrate the everyday beauty of life by the sea.

Maison Mer, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai

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