Kraken by Chef Gregoire Berger: The Deep Sea Dining Experience Dubai Needed

Kraken on Al Wasl Road is positioning itself as a bold, seafood-forward concept led by Chef Grégoire Berger, bringing his Ossiano-honed storytelling and ocean-inspired precision to a more unapologetic, fire-driven dining room in Jumeirah.

Location and opening

• Kraken is slated for Al Wasl Road in Jumeirah, signaling a neighborhood, destination-style restaurant rather than a resort venue setting.

• Recent social updates indicate the restaurant will open it's door for Dubai on the 17th of October, with the brand teasing an oceanic, immersive ambience built around “the deep calls.”

  
  

Chef Berger’s pedigree

• Grégoire Berger is the acclaimed former executive chef of Ossiano at Atlantis, The Palm, where he earned a MICHELIN Star and global recognition for narrative-led, ocean-inspired menus.

• Berger was named Gault&Millau UAE Chef of the Year and has featured in The Best Chef lists, cementing his influence on Dubai’s fine dining scene.

Concept and menu direction

• Kraken is framed as “Unapologetic. Bold. Redefining the sea,” suggesting a seafood-centric menu that leans into flame, smoke, and a raw, elemental approach—Berger has publicly emphasized “mastery of fire” over theatrics.

• Expect provenance-driven seafood with Berger’s French technique and storytelling DNA from Ossiano, adapted to a grittier, more visceral format built for an independent, chef-led room.

  
  

From Ossiano to Kraken

• At Ossiano, Berger developed a progressive, ocean-driven tasting experience famed for its underwater setting and meticulous narrative pacing, which shaped his philosophy of multisensory dining.

• Kraken translates that ethos into a homegrown concept with hospitality partner Badr Benryane, hinting at a tighter, chef-forward operation that privileges product, fire, and service cohesion.

  
  

Team and craft

• Recruitment for a head chef and pastry chef highlights a rigorous, fine-dining backbone with emphasis on technical command and disciplined execution.

• Berger’s public calls for chefs “with scars, stories” underscore a kitchen culture favoring substance, craft, and lived experience over trend-chasing.

  
  

Why Al Wasl matters

• Al Wasl Road connects Jumeirah’s residential density with Dubai’s buzzy indie dining strip, positioning Kraken to capture both destination diners and local regulars seeking chef-led seafood.

• Moving from a resort icon to a street-front address signals confidence in Dubai’s maturing appetite for homegrown, narrative-led fine dining formats.

  
  

What to expect on the plate

• A seafood-led menu with seasonal sourcing, technique-forward compositions, and a tilt toward flame, char, and maritime minerality rather than aquarium theatrics.

• French technique filtered through Berger’s “tales and travels through food,” implying courses that read as chapters—memories, products, and places expressed with clarity and restraint.