German restaurant Der Keller has been a favourite in Dubai for almost 40 years. It has recently been given a makeover and a new chef has arrived with a fresh menu. Stacie Overton Johnson finds out what has changed and the secrets to its longevity
Der Keller is a rarity on the increasingly packed Dubai dining landscape: a staple in the emirate that has stood the test of time.
The popular German eatery opened in 1977 in what was then called the Chicago Beach Hotel and became the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in 1997. For a business that’s been running successfully for nearly 40 years, some might wonder why it needed to close this summer and reopen with a new look, a new menu and a new chef.
Laura Jacobsen, Der Keller’s manager, explains.
“We wanted to bring the venue up to date with current food trends, preferences and Dubai’s vibrant dining scene,” she says. We underwent a refresh and menu overhaul to be more aligned with modern tastes, but we still offer old-time hospitality.”
Der Keller’s new look is reminiscent of an Alpine country house. While the original brickwork has been kept, along with welcoming smiling faces carved into the chairs, the interior has been given a fresh look, with light-beige and green tones. Dark wood has been replaced with lighter, natural woodwork throughout the restaurant and the outdated lighting has been replaced with modish, warmer illumination.
“Playing on a traditional country house, we incorporated a feeling of warmth to the venue,” Jacobsen says. “A place where you want to go and enjoy a meal with family and friends.”
Providing an ideal venue where family and friends can gather is perhaps what’s kept Der Keller going for so long in a city where new restaurants come fast and furious and, too often, shut down before many diners ever knew they were there. It is also very popular with the more than 10,000 Germans who live in the UAE.
“Der Keller became a staple jaunt for some of the first expatriates in the UAE,” says Jacobsen. “Along with hearty good food, it brings authenticity and fond memories.”
The new chef, Marcel Kuropka, cooked in restaurants across Germany in his early years, but he has since gained experience around the world with other cuisines. He has worked in the United States, Greece, Saudi Arabia and, most recently, in Aqua, a restaurant in The Rosewood hotel, Abu Dhabi.
“I’m going back to my roots, so to speak,” Kuropka says. “I’m excited to bring my authentic and signature cooking style to the menu.”
The new menu is still focused on German food, but in an attempt to appeal to Dubai’s international market, it now features Austrian and Swiss dishes as well.
New highlights on the menu include the Der Keller platter, a selection of traditional meats or cheese from the Alpine region served with homemade pickles; traditional Austrian Wiener schnitzel served with sautéed potatoes and lingonberries; Swiss raclette; Zurich-style veal with button mushrooms and spaetzle; Swiss potato cake with spinach and hollandaise; and kaiserschmarrn, a classic Austrian pancake served with fruit, confectioner’s sugar and a side of plum compote.
“I want people to try some of the new dishes,” says Kuropka. “Something they would not normally try, or make at home, and give it a chance. I want to share my honest style of home cooking and, for many, bring back memories of home-cooked meals with our signature dishes.”
Kuropka is proud to be part of Der Keller’s reopening and he is confident in the food his team of chefs will deliver. “There are not too many German restaurants in the city and the ones that are here stick with mainly Bavarian dishes. We offer something different. We offer Alpine cuisine at its best.”
Der Keller is open from 6pm Sunday to Thursday and from noon on Friday and Saturday. For reservations, call 04 366 5866
sjohnson@thenational.ae
