The bar-driven concept comes to us from former Zuma bar director, Jimmy Barrat.
Dubai (finally) has its very own EDITION hotel and team FACT couldn’t be happier. Offering bespoke stays and culinary adventures in exotic locales including Bodrum, Madrid, Miami, New York, London, Reykjavik, Shanghai and Tokyo, each of EDITION’s boutique properties is designed to reflect the cultural and social milieu of the city.
The Dubai EDITION is no different. Situated in the heart of Downtown and boasting impressive views of the Burj Khalifa, the hotel has fast become a culinary hotspot that is already home to Peruvian-inspired INTI and DUOMO, an Italian restaurant with an immersive digital art show projected onto the vaulted ceiling. With so much vying for diners’ attention, the chic address has taken things up a notch with the opening of Ergo.
The bar-driven concept on the hotel’s mezzanine level is the brainchild of bartender Jimmy Barrat, who you might recognise as the former Global Bar Development Director for Zuma. Now that’s some serious mixology clout, especially given that Zuma Dubai was recently ranked No 17 in the world and the best bar in the Middle East and Africa by The World’s 50 Best Bars.
Ergo’s interiors have been meticulously crafted by interior design firm Standpartners, with an urban-chic feel comprising Kintsugi cracked concrete walls with gold veins, a black Marquina marble bar top, and Palladiana stone floors. Revellers are greeted at the hostess stand by a striking mural by Milanese calligraphy artist Luca Barcellona, before moving from the open kitchen facing the lounge into the more energetic bar area.
Taking a seat at a high bar table, we’re presented with three leather-bound menus: food, cocktails and wine. Each features a succinct selection of beverages and nibbles that are far more elevated than the expected bar bites. The borderless Mediterranean menu is a nod to Barrat’s upbringing on the French Riviera, and features everything from mango and citrus crab scones (AED 76) to lobster bao with saffron aioli (AED 143) and linguine with sea urchin cream (AED 180). These decadent dishes are appreciated and help to accentuate Ergo’s alternative approach to drinking and dining.
Working our way through a trio of plump chorizo-stuffed arancini (AED 45) and a salad of creamy stracciatella with confit tomatoes (AED 95), it’s easy to get wrapped up in a dining experience that successfully balances between bar and restaurant. However, make no mistakes, Ergo is a fully nightlife-driven concept where a UFO-inspired DJ booth takes pride of place at the far end of the bar, close to a cosy terrace. The venue’s music policy is simple – if it’s good, it will get played, and as the night progresses, things become increasingly kinetic.
But what about the drinks? Designed by Barrat, the central station has been custom created for the venue, featuring a six-tap draught station that does not pour beer but flows cocktails. Here, you can sip on Raging Bulls, Ergo Negroni’s and (our personal favourite) the piña colada-like Vice City. All cocktails at Ergo are priced at a reasonable AED 69. Elsewhere, Ergo Cocktails, Timeless Cocktails and Like A Virgin (mocktails) traverse the spectrum of sweet and sour, punchy and light. Don’t miss the Skinny Beach (a combination of Tito’s, Applewood, mango and vanilla) or the Myer’s Sour (an alluring blend of butternut squash, mandarine and bergamot).
Just as impressive as the masterful mixology are Barrat and his charismatic team – both behind the bar and on the floor – who enliven Ergo with a sense of fun and frivolity anchored around top-notch beverages and a dare-to-be different vibe.
The bar’s namesake comes from the French philosopher René Descartes’ famous phrase “cogito, ergo sum”, which translates into “I think, therefore I am”. It seems an appropriate moniker for a night on the town and judging by the busy crowd on our Wednesday evening visit, the word is well and truly out when it comes to this new hotspot.
Let the drinking commence.
Ergo is open daily from 6pm to 2am.
GO: Visit https://ergodubai.com for reservations and more information.
