Maradona to Van Dijk: See the footballers who visited Salt Bae

You’ve heard of football clubs retiring shirts to honour legends of the game — but how about giving up a table at one of the most in-demand restaurants in the city? That’s exactly what happened last month at Nusr-Et’s Dubai steakhouse, when they retired Maradona’s reserved table, after the iconic Argentinian footballer died aged 60.

Salt Bae has come a long way from being just another meme on the Internet. Nusret Gökçe, a chef, restauranteur and butcher, went viral online in 2017, when he was seen in a video seasoning meat with one arm held upright and his wrist twisted at an angle, dusting salt from his fingertips. The meme catapulted Gokce — now affectionately nicknamed Salt Bae — into superstardom, and his restaurants became a must-visit for celebrities and athletes, including David Beckham who stopped by his New York location in 2018.

Maradona isn’t the only footballer who has made sure to see Salt Bae. In fact it’s become a rite of passage — or a symbol of status, perhaps — for footballers to make a stop at the popular steakhouse at one of its many locations, which include Dubai, Istanbul and New York. Virgil Van Dijk is the latest footballer to pay Salt Bae a visit in Dubai. The world-class Dutch defender is out of commission in the English Premier League due to a season-ending ACL injury, but Van Dijk has been making the best out of his time away from Liverpool with a stop at the Dubai steakhouse.

Double the trouble or twice the fun? Barcelona legend Leo Messi and Manchester United’s Paul Pogba made a joint visit to Nusr-Et’s Dubai location in November of 2018 — and missed a great opportunity to line-up by height.

Ronaldinho knew that Nusr-Et was famous before he went INTERNET famous. The jubilant Brazilian football legend visited Nusr-Et here in Dubai all the way back in 2015, proving he’s a tastemaker both on the pitch and off of it.

Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer, often considered the best goalkeeper in the world, saved his appetite for a lush evening at Nusr-Et’s Dubai location in January of 2017.

Turkish star Mesut Ozil is no stranger to Nusr-Et’s offerings, and was another footballing star who visited his restaurant in Turkey before the chef and restauranteur became meme-worthy. Ozil is seen here with his fellow countryman back in 2015.

Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City’s not-so-secret weapon in the midfield, visited Nusr-Et in Dubai back in 2018, and he had one thing to say about Salt Bae in his Instagram caption: “The boss.”

Goal-scoring machine Pierre Emerick Aubameyang may be struggling to live up to his full potential with Arsenal this season, but his visit to Salt Bae back in 2018 sure made an impression as some publications reported that the Golden Boot winner was sporting about £65,000 (Dh322,780) worth of jewellery in his picture with Salt Bae. That’s what we call a priceless phot

Maradona and Messi weren’t the only Argentinian footballers who made appearances as Nusr-Et’s restaurants. In 2018 in Dubai, the Manchester City forward scored a nice evening for himself at Salt Bae’s Dubai location.

Croatia’s star player Luka Modric stole the hearts of millions in 2018, when Croatia were runners-up to the World Cup — an underdog story that tugged at the world’s heartstrings. That same year, Modric had some downtime to treat himself to a night on the town, and he chose to spend it with Salt Bae in Dubai.