Inside SUSHISAMBA's Bar: Theatre, Skyline and Serious Craft

Some bars are about the drink. A few are about the whole experience, and SUSHISAMBA Dubai is firmly in the second camp. Perched on the 51st floor of the St Regis on the Palm, with a wraparound view of the coastline and a room that turns into a carnival after dark, it has become one of the city's defining destinations. Behind the theatre, though, sits a serious bar programme worth talking about.

A room built for a show

The setting does a lot of the work: 360-degree views, an open kitchen with a robata grill, live percussion and samba most nights. But spectacle only carries a venue so far. What keeps a place like this respected inside the industry is the craft behind the bar.

A team that competes

SUSHISAMBA's bar talent shows up where it counts. Gianmarco De Luca earned a place on Caterer Middle East's 2025 Bartenders Power List for reshaping the venue's drinks and training its team, and Pinsuda Rhind reached the World Class UAE top ten. The bar has been led by Iris Arely Ruano, who built the programme up from the pre-opening team and has made a habit of putting her bartenders into major competitions. That competitive culture is exactly what separates a good hotel bar from a destination one.

The flavour blueprint

The drinks mirror the food: a three-way conversation between Japan, Brazil and Peru. Yuzu, shiso and sake meet South American staples like pisco and aji amarillo, with bright, theatrical presentation throughout. It is a useful lesson for any bar, that a clear point of view backed by real ingredients beats a long menu of crowd-pleasers.

Bringing the idea home

You do not need a 51st-floor view to borrow the approach. The Japanese side of that blueprint is the most accessible: good yuzu, real wasabi, proper nori and the right rice. We stock a deep Japanese and Asian range alongside the premium brands behind the region's best venues. Home cooks can shop direct, and bars and restaurants can order at trade pricing through fnb.addtocart.ae.