Palm West Beach is getting a fresh reason to stay out after sunset. SAONA Dubai, a Caribbean restaurant with a modern Peruvian streak, is due to open on the first floor of voco Dubai The Palm in December 2026. The chef running the kitchen is a name Dubai’s jerk chicken loyalists will already know.
When does SAONA open in Dubai?
SAONA is scheduled to open in December 2026 on the first floor of voco Dubai The Palm, on Palm West Beach, Palm Jumeirah. An exact opening date has not been announced yet. The 244-seat restaurant will serve Caribbean food with modern Peruvian influences, led by Jamaican-born chef Richie Richards.
It joins a busy December for Dubai dining. You can keep track of everything else on the way in our running guide to new restaurants opening in Dubai.
What is SAONA?
The name comes from Saona Island, the postcard-pretty sliver of white sand and turquoise water off the coast of the Dominican Republic. The restaurant borrows that island mood and gives it a city-night twist.
The plan is dinner first, then the volume goes up. As the evening rolls on, DJ sets and a cocktail programme take over, so you can eat, drink and dance without the 11pm debate about where to go next. Think big night out rather than quiet Tuesday supper.
There is plenty of room to spread out. SAONA will seat up to 244 guests across:
- A main dining room
- A dedicated VIP lounge
- Relaxed lounge seating
- Outdoor areas
Guests reach the space through a dramatic entrance corridor that opens into a room of layered textures and warm lighting. We’ll judge the drama in person once the doors open.
The chef: Richie Richards, formerly of Miss Lily’s
SAONA’s executive chef is Richie Richards, a Jamaican-born chef with more than two decades of experience. If you have eaten at Miss Lily’s, the award-winning Jamaican restaurant, you have probably had his cooking already. His menus there included curry goat stew and jerk chicken.
His CV runs deeper than one restaurant. He trained at Runaway Bay College of Hospitality and the Culinary Institute of America. He worked as a sous chef at the Trident Hotel in Portland and the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston before moving to Dubai, where he was also sous chef at Ting Irie. In other words, the Caribbean half of SAONA’s menu is in very safe hands.
Caribbean meets Peruvian: what to expect on the menu
The full menu has not been released yet. What we do know is that Chef Richie’s menu will play with where the two cuisines meet: traditional ingredients, modern techniques and some deliberately unexpected flavour combinations.
On paper, it is a smarter pairing than it first sounds. Both kitchens love chilli heat, bright citrus, seafood and a serious marinade, so there is plenty of common ground between a Caribbean grill and a Peruvian ceviche bar. Whether it lands on the plate is the bit we can’t tell you yet.
We will add signature dishes, prices and the cocktail list here as soon as SAONA shares them.
Where is SAONA Dubai?
SAONA sits on the first floor of voco Dubai The Palm, the IHG lifestyle hotel on Palm West Beach. That puts it on the trunk of Palm Jumeirah, right on the beachfront promenade. The neighbours are lively, including all-day favourite Koko Bay, and the strip has been on a roll lately with arrivals like ISBA by Bagatelle.
| SAONA Dubai at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | First floor, voco Dubai The Palm |
| Area | Palm West Beach, Palm Jumeirah |
| Cuisine | Caribbean with modern Peruvian influences |
| Executive chef | Richie Richards |
| Capacity | Up to 244 guests |
| Spaces | Main dining room, VIP lounge, lounge seating, outdoor areas |
| Opening | December 2026 (exact date to be confirmed) |
| Prices | Not yet announced |
| Opening hours | Not yet announced |
| Bookings | Not yet announced |
💡 WOW Expert Tip: Palm West Beach has an underground car park with paid parking, and diners at the strip’s restaurants have been able to get their ticket validated after spending a minimum amount. Ask SAONA whether it validates when you book. On Thursday and Friday nights, a taxi to the voco entrance usually beats circling for a space.
Who is SAONA for?
With a VIP lounge, DJ-led evenings and room for a crowd, SAONA is clearly built for date nights, birthday tables and groups who want dinner and a party under one roof. The private spaces should also appeal to anyone planning a celebration over the festive season.
Bringing the children? The later, louder hours suggest an adult-leaning venue, but SAONA hasn’t published a policy on kids yet. We will update this once it does. For now, an early dinner seems the safer family bet.
💡 WOW Expert Tip: December is the busiest month on Dubai’s dining calendar, with festive parties, Dubai Shopping Festival and New Year’s Eve all landing at once. If you want a weekend table at SAONA in its first few weeks, book as soon as reservations open, or try a weeknight while the team finds its rhythm.
More new openings on Palm Jumeirah
SAONA isn’t the only newcomer on the Palm this season. Japanese favourite ROKA is opening its second Dubai restaurant at Six Senses The Palm. If you’d rather keep your toes in the sand, our pick of the best beachfront restaurants in Dubai has you covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
SAONA is due to open in December 2026. The exact opening date has not been announced yet, so check back here or on the restaurant’s own channels closer to the time.
SAONA is on the first floor of voco Dubai The Palm, on Palm West Beach. Palm West Beach is the beachfront promenade on the trunk of Palm Jumeirah, Dubai.
SAONA serves Caribbean-inspired food with modern Peruvian influences. The full menu has not been released yet, but it will explore the overlap between the two cuisines, alongside a cocktail list.
The executive chef is Richie Richards, a Jamaican-born chef with more than two decades of experience. Dubai diners know him from Miss Lily’s, where his menus included jerk chicken and curry goat stew.
Prices have not been announced yet. We will add a guide to prices in AED as soon as the menu is published.
Yes. SAONA will seat up to 244 guests across a main dining room, a VIP lounge, lounge seating and outdoor areas, which makes it well suited to group dinners and private celebrations.
Conract & Location
Phone – +971 4 249 5555
