Review: Soul Kitchen

Following years of turmoil in their native Lebanon, Beirut creative collective Factory People transplanted their thoughtfully curated restaurant, listening room, and communal hub Soul Kitchen to Dubai’s Business Bay. The food—Levantine/Latin hybrid that celebrates waves of Arab migration to Central and South America—is, indeed, soulful: Think ceviche tabbouleh, hummus chimichurri, shawarma empanadas, and Wagyu kafta in pillowy arepas paired with Araki bellinis and sumac-laced peach margaritas. But musically minded locals have also forged a community around Monday jazz sessions, Latin Sundays, iftar supper clubs, and party brunches with global musicians and DJs taking the stage. The lush, plant-filled space also doubles as an arts venue: Rumi Dalle’s Feathers of a Migration is suspended from the ceiling, and walls are adorned with textiles curated by carpet house Iwan Maktabi.