London favourite Berenjak has landed at Marsa Boulevard with a pop-up that is only around until the end of April — and it is worth going before it disappears. The waterfront set-up keeps things simple: open-air seating right by Dubai Creek, sharing plates, and the Tehran-style kebab cooking that made the brand a household name in the UK.
What Is the Berenjak Dubai Pop-Up?
Berenjak is a Persian restaurant that built its reputation in London on traditional kebab-house cooking inspired by the street-food culture of Tehran. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation — the guide's recognition for quality cooking at accessible prices — and its permanent Dubai location at Dar Wasl Mall was its first outpost outside the UK.
The Marsa Boulevard pop-up is a lighter, more casual take on that same concept: a creekside courtyard, a tighter menu, and a format built around sharing.
Menu: What to Order
The pop-up menu celebrates Persian street food with enough variety to keep the table busy:
- Barbari — clay-baked sesame flatbread; order it first, it sets the tone - Mast o khiar — yoghurt and cucumber dip, a brand staple - Black chickpea hummus - Koobideh taco and OG koobideh burger — familiar formats wrapped around Persian-spiced minced meat - Olivieh sando and caesar tond with sangak bread — sandwich options that add variety without straying from the core concept - Loaded sibzamini bowls - Persian tea soft serve — infused with Ceylon and bergamot; do not skip it
Where and When
The pop-up is located at Marsa Boulevard, the creekside dining and retail strip that has quickly become one of Dubai's most popular waterfront destinations. The run started on 19 March and closes at the end of April, so the window is narrow.
Berenjak's permanent Dubai restaurant at Dar Wasl Mall stays open after the pop-up wraps.
Why It Is Worth Your Time
The Marsa Boulevard pop-up distils the Berenjak experience into its most approachable form. There is no elaborate booking process, the setting is breezy and social, and the menu prices reflect the Bib Gourmand ethos. For anyone who has eaten at the London original or the Dar Wasl flagship and wants a more relaxed version, this is it. For first-timers, it is a low-friction introduction to one of the more serious Persian kitchens in the city.
