Hit Netflix Film Nonnas Comes To Life In Dubai With The Opening Of MamaBella At The End Of September

Hit Netflix Film Nonnas Comes To Life In Dubai With The Opening Of MamaBella At The End Of September

At the end of September, Dubai will welcome MamaBella, a restaurant where age-old recipes, Italian soul, and real grandmothers from across Italy come together under one roof. It is the real-world embodiment and a living tribute to Italy’s grandmothers – their food, their stories, and their cultural heritage.

Located in the heart of Dubai at Kempinski The Boulevard Hotel, and designed like a rustic southern Italian village tucked between glass towers, MamaBella is a celebration of the simplicity and heart of Italian home cooking.

At its core is the “Cucina Mamma” experience: every month, a new grandmother will be flown in from Italy to cook the dishes she has spent a lifetime perfecting – from handmade pastas to beloved regional specialities like lasagna, culurgiones, seadas, grilled lamb, and more.

In a world obsessed with reinvention, MamaBella goes in the opposite direction – embracing memory, family, and food made with hands and heart.

“MamaBella is about giving a voice – and a kitchen – back to the original guardians of flavour,” says Chef Alessandro Miceli, the chef behind the concept. “These women are walking cookbooks, and we’re giving them a platform to share their stories through food.”

The venue, created by Gastronaut Hospitality – the team behind BohoX, Trove, and the upcoming WOOHOO and Ram&Roll – celebrates the richness of Italian ingredients: wild herbs, artisanal cheeses, fresh seafood, premium meats, and the unmistakable flavour of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. The menu is deeply regional, seasonal and emotional.

At the heart of the restaurant will be the Mamma Studio, a 12-seat communal table where guests can watch, taste, and learn. The goal is to create a living archive of Italy’s culinary heritage.

MamaBella opens at the end of September 2025, with the first visiting nonna and full menu details to be announced soon.

@mamabelladubai