As Abu Dhabi glows with the creative electricity of Abu Dhabi Art, NOMAD Abu Dhabi, and the luminous public art program Manar Abu Dhabi, a new gastronomic experience is captivating the cultural landscape. From November 16–22, 2025, WE ARE ONA—the roving culinary collective led by visionary creative director Luca Pronzato—arrives on Jubail Island with an evocative pop-up unlike anything the region has seen before. Presented in collaboration with Manar Abu Dhabi and guest chef Solemann Haddad, the experience marks WE ARE ONA’s much-anticipated debut in the UAE.
For Pronzato, who has staged unforgettable dining encounters in Paris, Hong Kong, New York, Arles, and Aspen, the Abu Dhabi edition is both a continuation and a transformation—rooted deeply in the city’s natural landscapes and its rising global cultural moment. As light installations shimmer across the mangroves and archipelagos for Manar Abu Dhabi, and as collectors and design lovers arrive for Abu Dhabi Art and NOMAD, the WE ARE ONA pop-up becomes its own kind of beacon: a culinary lighthouse devoted to fire, stars, and ancient rituals of gathering.
A Dining Experience Inspired by Flame, Smoke, and the Night Sky
Courtesy of WE ARE ONA.
Anchored in the narrative poetry for which WE ARE ONA is known, this edition takes inspiration from the primal gestures of cooking outdoors—fire as a guide, smoke as a storyteller, and starlight as a compass. Guests enter a monumental smoke dome, imagined as a contemporary interpretation of an earthen oven. Seated in a circular formation around a glowing core, diners are invited to slow down, breathe deeply, and enter a space where nourishment becomes ceremony.
As shadows ripple across the dome’s surface and aromatic plumes rise from the open fire, the environment blurs the border between the ancestral and the avant-garde. The experience mirrors Manar Abu Dhabi’s own spirit—bridging light, landscape, and imagination through sensory immersion.
Solemann Haddad: A Rising Star at the Hearth
Courtesy of WE ARE ONA.
At the center of the flame stands Solemann Haddad, Head Chef and owner of Dubai’s Michelin-starred Moonrise, and one of the most celebrated young culinary voices in the Middle East. Recognized with the Michelin Guide Young Chef Award and named among Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants, Haddad brings to the table a refined yet daring language of flavor—merging Japanese technique, Franco-Syrian heritage, and a deep respect for local ingredients.
His signature style—hamachi crudo washed in sumac and labneh, a reimagined hummus layered with furikake, and a sharp, elegant minimalism—becomes the foundation for a tasting menu designed exclusively for the pop-up. It is a cuisine of identity and exploration, perfectly attuned to an event shaped by movement, journey, and elements.
WE ARE ONA: Where Gastronomy Meets Design and Art
Courtesy of WE ARE ONA.
Courtesy of WE ARE ONA.
Since founding WE ARE ONA in 2019, Pronzato has redefined what a dining experience can be—melding architecture, design, storytelling, and gastronomy into a cohesive, transportive world. Known for collaborations with artists like Carsten Höller and designers including Cristina Celestino, Willo Perron, and India Mahdavi, WE ARE ONA stages more than 100 culinary events each year for major cultural institutions and luxury maisons.
This Abu Dhabi edition, unfolding during a week when the city becomes a nexus for global art and design, reflects the collective’s deepest values: collaboration, immersion, and the belief that dining can be both ephemeral and unforgettable.
Practical Information
Courtesy of WE ARE ONA.
WE ARE ONA x Manar Abu Dhabi Pop-Up
Dates: November 16–22, 2025
Location: Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
Service Hours: 8:00 PM / 8:30 PM
Tasting Menu: 750 AED
Alcoholic Pairing: 200 AED
Soft Pairing: Complimentary
As Abu Dhabi continues to expand its imprint on the global cultural map—through Abu Dhabi Art, NOMAD Abu Dhabi, and the radiance of Manar Abu Dhabi—WE ARE ONA offers a rare moment of communion. A place where fire meets sky, where design meets nature, and where dining becomes its own form of luminous art.
