Dubai’s food scene has been shaped by a generation of Russian-speaking entrepreneurs who arrived with passion, expertise, and the determination to create something that did not yet exist. Konstantin Harbuz, co-founder of Roasters Specialty Coffee, has lived in Dubai for 11 years and turned his obsession with quality into one of the city’s most recognised independent coffee brands. Roasters evolved from a hobby into a full-fledged business.
He started by importing the finest beans from around the world and roasting them himself, opening a three-storey venue on Al Wasl in Jumeirah with a rooftop, VIP rooms, and roasting facilities. The Al Wasl location has become iconic, hosting numerous events across Dubai’s business community. Sergey Avayan built his reputation in the restaurant industry through relentless attention to detail and the conviction that hospitality is a form of care.
Roman Ulyanov developed a concept around authentic flavours brought from Russia to Dubai, finding that the appetite for quality Russian cuisine among the city’s growing Russian-speaking population far exceeded what the market was offering. Antony Crow approached the food business from a hospitality background, understanding that the dining experience in Dubai requires a particular kind of theatre — the atmosphere must match the ambition of the menu. Sergey Samoylov focused on the intersection of food and community, building a restaurant that became less a venue and more a gathering point for a diaspora finding its footing in a new city. What unites these entrepreneurs is not a shared cuisine or concept but a shared understanding of what Dubai’s food scene demands: consistency, originality, and the courage to build something genuinely personal in one of the most competitive restaurant markets on earth.