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Boca

Dubai

Championing produce and people

On the Pass

Patricia Roig

At a glance: Founded in 2014 and headed by restaurateur and sustainability thought-leader Omar Shihab, Boca is a homegrown, DIFC-based restaurant serving modern Spanish-inspired cuisine.

What makes it special? Flying the flag for sustainability and local produce, Boca was one of the first restaurants in Dubai to serve UAE-grown Dibba Bay oysters. The team works with several local farms to source herbs and produce including strawberries and tomatoes and has strong relationships with desert foragers who supply them with several varieties of native plants. 

Connection and community: Boca also lead the way when it comes to looking after its people and celebrating diversity. The restaurant regularly hosts activations that highlight female chefs and bartender, as well as educational events to support Dubai’s growing sommelier community. It also uses the space to help raise awareness of current events and social issues.

Team players: Two key additions to Boca’s team in the past year, head chef Patricia Roig and sommelier Shiv Menon, have seen the restaurant level up in terms of the authenticity of the menu. New highlights include tortillitas de camarones and kokotxas de bacalao as well as the diversity and creativity of the beverage programme. 

Pioneering practices: Last year Boca became the first restaurant in the region to release a carbon emissions report. Though it was an arduous process, Shihab hopes to show the way for other restaurants to follow suit so that real waves in the sustainability movement can be created across the region.

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