Dubai’s futuristic DIFC neighborhood feels worlds away from the UAE’s desert origins. Between the twin Jumeirah Emirates Towers and the Big Ben-inspired Al Yaqoub Tower, it’s easy to forget that until the 1960s, Dubai was essentially an arid fishing village with little infrastructure. Within the last couple of decades, however, modern Dubai emerged, bringing forth a new era of innovation, high-rise architecture and avant-garde dining. With the continuing rise of tourism expanding across the UAE, many five-star hotels have also adopted a culinary focus to draw the attention of travelers, and the Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre is no exception. Under the guidance of executive chef Marc Hardiman, the hotel’s signature Bull & Bear restaurant continues to evolve with the growing culinary scene by fusing forward-thinking with a sense of tradition.
Located on the 18th floor of the 275-room Waldorf Astoria DIFC, Bull & Bear is all cool, glossy tones, chrome accents and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the skyscraper-filled landscape. Dubai’s crown jewel, the Burj Khalifa, is visible, allowing guests to admire the world’s tallest building while sipping the restaurant’s signature Pearl Diver Martini, made with a delicate oyster-infused gin. “When the curtains open at dinner and the Dubai skyline lights up with the Burj Khalifa center stage—it’s hard to compete with that,” Hardiman tells Observer. “It sounds cliché, but it really is picture perfect.” The restaurant’s signature art piece, however, is a life-size Bull and Bear metal sculpture, sandwiched between two massive glass wine cellars toward the restaurant’s entrance.
Before moving to Dubai, Hardiman spent over a decade working in his native U.K. at restaurants in the Cotswolds and London, including the Ritz-Carlton London and Bovey Castle. “For me, it’s always been about cooking great food that’s seasonal, flavor-led and produce-driven,” he explains. “I focus on buying the best ingredients possible and letting them speak for themselves.” Though Bull & Bear formerly marketed itself as a New York-inspired steakhouse, Hardiman has shaken things up by embracing a more European style of dining and introducing the restaurant’s first-ever tasting menu.
The epicurean journey begins with cultured butter and a layered, croissant-like loaf that promptly arrives at the table while you order a drink. A house favorite from the 10-course menu is the Baerii caviar-topped crab sandwich, which uses the entire crab from claw to shell and sits on a toasted slice of brioche, akin to a miniature lobster roll. The Heritage carrots cooked over hot coals are another highlight, boasting a tender texture with subtle crunch in the middle, and plated on a creamy house-made hummus with a nutty Egyptian spice. The Wagyu beef tartare, one of the richest bites of the night, is delivered on a delicate shiso leaf and topped with micro-sized pickled mushrooms and a delicate umami dust.
While the menu will change seasonally, these three signature highlights remain available throughout the year. The Sommelier Selection wine pairing rounds out the meal with bottles from all over the world, but there is also a non-alcoholic option. For dessert, Hardiman’s signature “After Eight” pays tribute to a nostalgic English treat. Layers of mint and chocolate form an infinity-like shape with textures ranging from creamy to crunchy.
The restaurant’s devotion to eco-friendly dining also brings a new layer of depth to your experience. “Sustainability has always been central to my philosophy, even back in the U.K., where I ran my own farm,” Hardiman says. “In Dubai, we took that a step further by partnering with Bustanica Farm to create our own hydroponic grow room, which was the first of its kind in the city.” Given Dubai’s arid climate and unforgiving desert landscape, using nutrient-dense water solutions and indoor vertical farming is one of the only ways locals can produce their own crops.
The hydroponic grow room at Bull & Bear is visible to guests taking a peek into the open kitchen in the heart of the dining room. Compact rows of small, sprouting containers hold more than 30 different herbs such as green sorrel, amaranth and nasturtium. This modern farm-to-plate ethos yields a real difference that you can taste in dishes like the chicken Kyiv, which boasts a tangy radish and ginger-garlic filling with a fresh herb salad.
Another noteworthy dish made possible by Hardiman’s dedication to on-site growing is the homegrown tomato and herbs. A bed of juicy tomatoes, microgreens and edible flowers sits under what looks like a scoop of sorbet, but is actually a sort of tangy, emulsified tomato that melts in your mouth. Though the herbs are grown at Bull & Bear, the tomatoes are sourced from Dubai’s Pure Harvest Smart Farms, which uses indoor hydroponic farming with controlled temps and humidity to replicate the appropriate seasons. Dates are another local delicacy known to thrive in the UAE, and given Dubai’s location on the Persian Gulf coast, exceptional oysters can be sourced from Dibba Bay, which is the Middle East’s sole gourmet oyster farm.
Hardiman also doesn’t shy away from his Michelin ambitions. “I think most chefs secretly dream of a star, even if they won’t admit it,” Hardiman shares. Though Dubai has become a hub for hydroponics and vertical farming, Bull & Bear was the very first local restaurant to launch the hydroponic grow room, an effort that has since been mimicked by other establishments like Conrad Dubai’s Italian Ballaró, which houses an entire hydroponic farm outside in its own shed. “Sustainability is part of our DNA,” Hardiman says. “If the work we do leads to a [Michelin] Green Star, we’d be extremely honored and grateful. But we won’t lose sight of cooking from the heart.”
In the coming weeks, Hardiman is giving a nod to his roots with a special Turbot Fish and Chips—a modern take on a British classic. Guests can also expect classic and refreshing summer dishes like burrata with fresh peaches and a Mediterranean sea bass with flamed piquillo peppers and earthy herbs. “We’re constantly adapting to what’s ripe and at its best, and working closely with our suppliers to get insight from them as well.”
Since joining the team at the end of 2024, Hardiman has helped take Bull & Bear from standard hotel steakhouse to destination-worthy dining. Despite its somewhat novel setting, Arabian hospitality shines from start to finish. Whether you embark on an à la carte journey or place your fate in Hardiman with the chef-driven tasting menu, Bull & Bear offers a new perspective on what is possible for the Dubai dining scene.
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