In France, the homeland of Gault&Millau, a restaurant’s wine offering is as integral to its success as its food. Traditionally, however, that’s not been the case here in the UAE, where a host of influences have ensured that drinks lists have generally been viewed as second to produce and service. Until now, with the launch of the Gault&Millau UAE Champagne Index.
As the country’s fine dining scene continues to evolve and gain recognition as a global gastronomic hub, the entirety of the dining experience is coming under fresh scrutiny. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s unlicensed venues, that means curating and developing a truly original non-alcoholic drinks selection. In licensed venues, it means having a world-class wine list. Yet when we decided, at Gault&Millau UAE, to take a deeper dive into the industry’s offerings, we were surprised to discover a lack of continuity and clarity across the sector.
While diners seeking somewhere to eat can now access any venue’s food menu at the click of a button, the same cannot be said of wine lists, which many restaurants choose not to share publicly. Changing availability can certainly be blamed for some of this lack of transparency – the supply chain issues hitting the F&B industry in 2022 are being acutely felt in the fine wine sector, necessitating regular menu editing by those in charge of the nation’s cellars.
Yet there is more than availability at play here. During our extensive research, a number of eateries said was company policy not to share their wine lists. A number exclude vintages from their menus. Still more publish their lists without prices. And where those prices are available, they vary significantly.
How we compiled the Index
The Gault&Millau UAE 2022 guide contains 44 toque-rated restaurants, two of which are unlicensed. In order to compile this index, we sought out the up-to-date Champagne menus of the other 42, visiting and photographing the lists where these were not made available online or provided on email when requested. The results, when comparing the lists side-by-side, were eye-opening, with identical bottles often soaring in price by 100% or more between restaurants.
Of course, a huge number of variables play into those differences – tax variations between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, rent costs, staff numbers and salaries, to name but a few. Yet even those differences do not explain how a bottle that costs AED665 (US$181) in one part of the city can cost a staggering six times more – AED4,100 (US$1,116) – just 10km away. Or, even more curiously, how a bottle that costs AED9,950 (US$2,709) at the top of the Burj Khalifa can cost AED13,500 (US$3,675) at the bottom of the very same building.
In its 50-year history, Gault&Millau has always strived to provide consumers with all of the information needed to find a city’s finest dining experiences. Of course, that means seeking out fantastic food, sterling service and the very best beverages – but it also means ensuring our recommendations offer value for money.
This index seeks to do just that, highlighting the venues that offer the most accessibly priced Champagne lists as well as those holding the most unusual and rarest vintages to tempt true connoisseurs. We hope the publication, and regular updating, of this Index will serve to encourage a new culture of openness in the industry, ensuring prices become more competitive as the market opens up. We also hope it allows our readers to feel better equipped to book restaurants which offer value across their drinks offering as well as their food menus.
Mostly though, we take pride in opening up a new conversation about an area of the UAE’s food industry which has waited a long time for the spotlight. For many, a good meal begins with Champagne. Now, we’re delighted to raise a toast to those offering the very best to the nation’s diners.
Do you see a price or a bottle on our Index that needs to be updated? Get in touch at champagneindex@gaultmillauae.com