New Openings & Reopenings · November 2026

Moqa MagMediterranean and NikkeiFairmont Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road

The Theater: VENUS Opens a New Season at The Theater

At Fairmont Dubai, The Theater debuts VENUS, a new production of music, dance and aerial artistry built on beauty, desire and the art of restraint, served with dinner on a 360-degree stage.

Review No. 05Moqa Editors10 November 20263 min read

The dining room at The Theater: red velvet seating and white-clothed tables under crystal chandeliers and a coffered ceiling of red and gold, the lit stage at the far end

Five years after opening, The Theater has raised the curtain on its newest production. VENUS marks the start of a new season at the Sheikh Zayed Road venue, and it takes the dinner show in a more intimate direction.

The Theater has built its name on pairing fine dining with live performance, winning Best Show at the Time Out Dubai Awards, Favourite Dinner & A Show at the FACT Dining Awards and Experiential Dining at the BBC Good Food Middle East Awards. With VENUS, the stage puts emotion, restraint and human connection at its centre.

The entrance to The Theater at Fairmont Dubai: a marquee of warm bulbs over glass doors, NOW SHOWING posters in lit display cases on either side — The marquee entrance at Fairmont Dubai

The show

VENUS is an exploration of controlled magnetism: the anticipation before a touch, the silence before a melody takes hold. Conceived by Artistic Director Maestro Guy Manoukian, it moves between moments of intimacy and tension and larger-scale spectacle. Dance, live vocals, aerial artistry and acrobatics each bring their own dimension, performed by an international cast.

A VENUS performance scene: a performer in a pink shell lifted above the stage, dancers with flowing white fans and blue-lit fabrics beneath a starlit ceiling — VENUS: aerial artistry above the 360-degree stage

The staging

Every element of the production carries the theme. Couture and cinema-inspired silhouettes, light, shadow and suspended fabrics meet cosmic references, soulful vocals and deep percussion. Choreography by Creative Director Mariia Khomenko uses proximity and stillness to build tension. The 360-degree stage reaches into the audience, so every seat in the red, gold and black room sits close to the action.

A VENUS performance scene: a performer in a feathered headdress raised above dancers with spears, a red sunset projected behind — Costumes, light and choreography in VENUS

The kitchen

Dinner is part of the performance. Chef Shervin Tolos leads a menu that blends Mediterranean and Nikkei cooking, from crudo and caviar to wagyu, king crab ravioli and maple-miso black cod. The bars put a twist on the classics: a Japanese Negroni made with butterfly pea gin, Mancino Sakura and Suze, and Teqtonic Our Way, with sumac-infused tequila and salted grapefruit cordial.

Two sushi platters on a white tablecloth: salmon maki with cream sauce on a turquoise plate, and a circle of crispy rolls topped with spicy sauce on a dark plate, chopsticks alongside — Salmon maki and crispy rolls from the Nikkei menu

A branded The Theater bowl of black truffle risotto with a parmesan crisp, a margherita pizzetta and gyoza behind on a white tablecloth — Black truffle risotto, pizzetta and gyoza

After the curtain

When the final act ends, the night shifts gear. The stage gives way to a live DJ set, and The Theater becomes an after-hours destination, more relaxed and social, with guests staying on into the early hours. For something slower, 3C, the Cigars, Caviar and Cognac Bar, offers a quieter corner to close the night.

The Theater is for a night out that is an occasion in itself. Book a table close to the stage, let VENUS set the mood, and stay on after the curtain falls.

Moqa’s take

What to order

01Baby Spinach SaladBaby spinach with edamame, avocado, hearts of palm and black quinoa in a goma sauce.
02Crispy Baby SquidFinished with lemon aioli, togarashi and jalapeño.
03Truffle AranciniSicilian rice balls with wild mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella.
04Queen Margherita PizzettaSan Marzano tomato, stracciatella, Parmigiano Reggiano and basil pesto, finished with extra virgin olive oil.
05Black Truffle RisottoWild mushrooms and Parmigiano Reggiano, topped with fresh black truffle.
06Lobster LinguineGragnano pasta with poached lobster, bisque, datterino tomato sauce and basil.

See the a la carte menu Lounge menu Digestifs menu Dessert menu Beverages menu Wine menu Nightlife menu

The verdict

An award-winning dinner show with a new production at its heart, where VENUS, a Mediterranean-Nikkei menu and an after-hours DJ set make one complete night out.

Best for

Dinner and a show
Celebrations
Groups
Late nights

Good to knowVENUS plays Wednesday to Sunday from 10pm, with an earlier 9pm start on Sundays.

At a glance

Area: Fairmont Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road
Cuisine: Mediterranean and Nikkei
Price guide: Starters and small plates AED 40–300; pasta and risotto AED 190–545; seafood AED 180–710; meat AED 400–1,995; caviar from AED 610. Prices include service charge, municipality fee and VAT.
Parking: Valet at Fairmont Dubai
Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 10pm–3am; Sunday from 9pm

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