Premier Indian restaurant chain Gazebo celebrates 25 years of culinary excellence

For 25 years, Gazebo has been the go-to restaurant for Indian cuisine for many in the UAE. Known for its rich delicacies inspired by Awadhi cuisine such as the dum pukht biryani, the restaurant chain has grown to become an iconic dining destination not just within the South Asian community but across a multicultural audience.

Today Gazebo boasts 37 outlets across the emirates including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah thanks to its dedication to quality, impeccable services, and a family-friendly atmosphere. During this landmark year, it opened new outlets at Bawabat Al Sharq, Golden Mile and Festival City Mall.

“We began in Dubai with a vision of bringing the famed dum pukht cuisine to the UAE,” says Danish Gaya, Director at Gazebo. “The focus from the start was to give the customer the best the cuisine has to offer and elevate their flavour experience. The famous pot biryani was introduced in the UAE by Gazebo, and we’ve made our mark with that as our star product.”

That famous flavour comes from its dedication to following the traditional dum pukht style of cooking, where the food is cooked on a low flame that enhances all its natural aromas. Beyond biryani, the menu offers a wide range of dishes inspired by 200-year-old recipes from the royal kitchens of Lucknow, Awadh and the north-western frontier of India, everything from kebabs to curries to indulgent desserts.

Just this year, the restaurant’s continuing excellence and strong customer loyalty were recognised through multiple customer-voted honours. It was named Restaurant of the Year and Best Indian Restaurant for 2025 by Careem, along with receiving the Best Indian Restaurant award from Deliveroo — each reflecting the love and support of its diners. Earlier in May, it also won Zomato’s Best Biryani award. Together, these accolades highlight the restaurant’s consistent commitment to quality, service, and an exceptional dining experience that keeps customers coming back.

Anniversary celebrations

Gazebo’s 25th anniversary celebrations highlight not only the flavourful cuisine that has made it so popular with customers but also the deep ties built with the country and the larger community over this period.

This Ramadan, Gazebo distributed hundreds of biryani packages to labour camps, in partnership with The Giving Family, a local charitable organisation dedicated to supporting communities across the UAE.

It has also entered into meaningful, one-of-a-kind collaborations with Emirati artists that aim to celebrate the restaurant’s connection with the country and its vibrant art and culture.  

“Gazebo is a 100 per cent UAE brand, and that makes the Emirati culture a part of our DNA,” explains Gaya. “There is no better way to connect with the community than through culture, arts and creativity. The collaborations have been focused on celebrating the beauty of this wonderful country and its people.”

Art, culture and Emirati identity

One such is Gazebo’s collaboration with Emirati photographer Alia Bent Sultan, who is known for capturing the deeper narratives of UAE society through her lens. Alia photographed local Emirati women, dressed in traditional attire, visiting the restaurant, and created a striking series of images of the iconic location and its signature dishes, which became a part of the chain’s Eid El Etihad celebrations.

Gazebo has also joined hands with renowned autistic Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi, known for his distinctive black-and-white illustrations that depict everyday UAE life. Lutfi partnered with Gazebo to create custom artwork capturing the spirit of the brand’s 25-year journey and success.

This series is a deeply personal one for Lutfi, who is a long-time admirer of the brand, and through it, captures the joy and comfort that Gazebo has brought him over the years. His artwork is not just about the food but pays nostalgic homage to the memories and moments created as a whole in the community. The bespoke art series is now featured across Gazebo outlets on table mats, biryani sleeves, delivery bags, and as wall art.

Continued excellence

The brand has been known for the consistency of its food quality and customer experience. In a country where Indian food is widely loved, Gazebo has carved a niche for itself as a dining destination that delivers rich and varied flavour time and again, with its menu appealing to the tastes of people across cultures and nationalities. The premier restaurant chain plans to keep growing in the country, even as it maintains the quality of its much beloved trademark Awadhi cuisine.

“Gazebo’s plans for the UAE are to keep focusing on bettering our offering and value for our customers,” says Gaya. “We have a few more new outlets coming up next year and we are excited to continue to reach as many of our customers as we can.”