There is a classical bust sitting between my friend and I, and we are about to cut its head open. Beneath the white chocolate exterior lie strawberries, raspberries and red velvet cake, which makes the impending decapitation considerably easier to justify. This is dessert at Daniel’s Room, where contemporary artist Daniel Arsham has turned his fascination with archaeology, erosion and imagined futures into an entire café. His work appears everywhere, from the turquoise interiors to plates illustrated with crumbling figures and cups that look as though fragments have been chipped away over time.
Daniel often reimagines familiar objects as relics unearthed from another time and that visual language finds its way onto the table at Daniel’s Room and appears across the crockery. One plate bears a drawing of a classical bust partially consumed by architecture. Another has sections that appear to be crumbling away, its surface interrupted by the crystalline erosion that has become Daniel Arsham’s signature. Even the cups looks as though it has survived an excavation. I spent much of the meal admiring these details before discovering that many of the plates, glasses and objects had been created specifically for the café and were available to purchase. Wanting to take half the table home is all part of the experience.
Proclaimed as an “art and café experience,” Daniel’s work hasn’t simply been hung on the walls to establish a theme. His aesthetic reaches across the furniture, lighting, books, tableware and food, giving the café the coherence of a complete artwork.
Turquoise runs through the room, appearing across the walls, shelving, crockery and smaller details on the table. Paired with white sculptural surfaces, natural wood and sandy upholstery, the colour gives the space much of its character without overwhelming it. My friend and I visited for lunch on a relatively relaxed afternoon. The café was not particularly busy and the warm, attentive team gave us plenty of time to work our way through a generous selection from the menu.
We started with fresh pomegranate juice and the Cloud Espresso, an iced espresso beaten until creamy and served with coconut water. Coffee and coconut water sound like an experiment you agree to largely out of curiosity. In this case, the experiment works. The coconut water gives the drink a refreshing quality while the whipped espresso brings body and intensity. It was unexpected, delicious and one of the highlights of lunch.
We were considerably less restrained when it came to the food, ordering two sandwiches and several smaller plates to share. The smoked salmon sandwich was the best of them. Generous folds of salmon came inside beetroot ciabatta, drizzled with truffle mayonnaise and accompanied by a mixed green salad. The beetroot ciabatta brought both colour and a subtle depth of flavour to the sandwich, while the truffle mayonnaise added richness without masking the salmon. It was a familiar combination made far more interesting through the bread and dressing, with each bite balancing smokiness, creaminess and the slight sweetness of the beetroot.
The salmon worked just as well on the bruschetta, where it was layered over toasted bread with cream cheese, capers and a squeeze of lemon. The crisp base gave the dish a welcome change in texture, while the sharpness of the capers and lemon cut through the cream cheese. It was fresh, balanced and every bit as enjoyable as the sandwich.
The turkey ham sandwich was simpler, with sliced turkey and Kewpie mayonnaise inside plain ciabatta. It was pleasant, though less distinctive than either of the salmon dishes. The cucumber bites followed a similar, lighter approach, layering cream cheese, cucumber and red radish on small brioche buns. Between the soft bread, cool cucumber and crisp radish, they made a refreshing addition to a table already dominated by richer flavours.
Dessert brought the food fully into Arsham’s world. The Status Dessert arrived as a white chocolate classical bust set against a large turquoise plate, looking far too composed for what was about to happen to it. Cutting through the carefully sculpted face revealed layers of fresh strawberry, raspberry and red velvet cake beneath the white chocolate mousse.
With a dessert this photogenic, flavour could easily become secondary. The Status Dessert avoids that trap. The berries give the white chocolate mousse freshness and acidity, while the red velvet adds a soft, cakey contrast. It was flavourful without becoming heavy, making it far easier to finish than its sculptural form might suggest. Yes, that sentence reads like three tasting notes attached to a noun. It needs to describe the experience properly:
We also ordered the tiramisu, which stayed faithful to the classic dessert and had a deep, satisfying richness that contrasted nicely with the fresh berries and lighter texture of the Status Dessert.
The food forms only one part of Daniel’s Room. Around the café, shelves display books, sketchbooks and collectible objects that offer a closer look at Daniel’s wider body of work. Among them is Arsham-isms, a book that collects the artist’s thoughts on subjects ranging from architecture and popular culture to his own creative process. Printed on its back cover is the line, “My work is my life. I don’t distinguish.” The quote makes particular sense in a café where his work has been integrated into almost everything a guest sees or handles. His drawings appear across the plates, his eroded forms shape the cups and glasses, and the turquoise that recurs throughout his art defines much of the interior. Several of these pieces were created specifically for Daniel’s Room and can be purchased from the café, including the same tableware used during the meal.
Daniel’s Room gives you plenty to look at but the food is never secondary to the setting. It makes for an excellent lunch stop in Dubai Mall, particularly for anyone who enjoys art with a playful streak. I already know my next visit will start with one of their signature matchas, although whether I leave with another dessert or a new set of plates remains to be seen.
