“Dubai is not stopping” – chef Stefano Cauzzo backs the city’s dining scene
Despite the recent regional turmoil and the impact being felt across Dubai’s F&B industry right now, one chef is making his position clear: the city isn’t slowing down.
Siena chef Stefano Cauzzo has delivered a confident message about the state of the UAE’s hospitality industry – and why now is not the time to pause.
“Dubai is not stopping, Dubai is going on,” he said. “Even with everything happening, we need to keep moving, keep the mood up and continue.”
The recent opening of Italian-inspired restaurant Siena comes at a time when parts of Dubai’s tourism sector are seeing a softer period, but Cauzzo believes the wider picture tells a different story – one driven as much by residents as visitors.
“There are still a lot of people here,” he said. “Sometimes people think Dubai is only about tourism, but it’s not. Openings like this are for the community as well.”
That sense of stability, he says, is part of what continues to set Dubai apart as a place to live and work.
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“We trust this city. We feel safe here,” he added. “There’s no feeling that everything has to stop because of what’s going on.”
Cauzzo also points to the industry’s recent past as a reminder of its resilience. Having worked in Dubai for over a decade, he saw first-hand how restaurants adapted during the pandemic – and expects a similar mindset now.
“During Covid, many places were closing, but we kept going,” he said. “It’s the same approach; you keep moving forward.”
Backed by an established hospitality group, Siena’s launch reflects a broader trend across the Dubai restaurant scene, where new concepts continue to open despite shifting market conditions.
For Cauzzo, the connection to the city goes beyond work. After 10 years in Dubai, he considers it home.
“I don’t see myself anywhere else,” he said. “I never think about going back to Italy – this is my home.”
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