The food and beverage offering at City of Dreams Mediterranean provides a snapshot into the melting pot of gastronomic influences that typify Cyprus, as IAG learned during a sit-down chat with the property’s Executive Chef, Olivier Belliard.
With its unique location in the eastern Mediterranean providing a cultural melting pot of European tradition and Middle Eastern flair, it’s no surprise that Cyprus’ new integrated resort features food at the heart of its offering.
And guiding the way when it comes to F&B at City of Dreams Mediterranean is none other than Executive Chef Olivier Belliard, a culinary colossus whose years of experience have taken him from the Michelin-starred opulence of Paris to the decadent developments of Dubai, plus everywhere in between.
Born in Normandy, where he began his career as an apprentice in a Michelin-starred restaurant before moving to the bright lights of France’s capital city, Belliard’s career has taken him as far as Mauritius in Africa, Thailand in Asia and San Francisco in the USA, with stints in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in between, yet it is Cyprus where he claims to have found his home.
“Being a Michelin-trained chef and French, I quickly realized that I had this opportunity to travel around the world quite easily, because you have a bit more notoriety when you have this kind of background, but I always had this idea building up through my career that I wanted to work for a casino,” he explains, pointing to an early stint spent at a casino in Deauville.
“That’s why the last property I [worked at] in Dubai was a massive one, around 800 rooms – because I realized that I wanted to have this kind of background where you have high volume in a big hotel.
“One day I met a head-hunter and let him know I was interested in working for a casino, and a couple of months later he contacted me back and said there was an opportunity in Cyprus for City of Dreams. I said, ‘Great, let’s go!’
“I enjoy the volume of work and the diversity in terms of outlets and restaurants. It’s very different from normal hospitality because of the casino aspect, and I realized quickly that we are just an amenity. In a normal hotel we are one of the prime departments but here we are secondary to support the casino.
“But I enjoy it because I have the opportunity to touch some very interesting products and concepts. I’ve got a free hand to do what I want which I really appreciate.”
City of Dreams Mediterranean’s food offering comprises eight outlets highlighted by three signature fine-dining restaurants: French Gastro Club Anaïs pays tribute to the classic dishes of Belliard’s home nation, Pan-Asian offering Amber Dragon – recently named as “One to Watch” at a local gastronomy awards night – reflects the heritage of the property’s owner Melco Resorts & Entertainment, while Oléa is a tribute to Mediterranean cuisine, although the latter is soon to be converted into a steak restaurant.
“We’ve decided to move to a steakhouse because we discovered the people that come here are much more meat lovers, and there are so many local restaurants making their own food around that [Mediterranean] concept, so we decided to bring something else,” Belliard explains.
“We have almost a year of experience now, so we know more about the market and the customers we are attracting, which gives us a bit more direction. We understand who we are and what we are supposed to do. I think that’s good. It’s moving from a kid to a teenager and soon we will be a young man.”
Another standout is all-day dining outlet Aura, the venue for City of Dreams Mediterranean’s buffet breakfast and a recently added Sunday seafood lunch, while other outlets include Center Stage on the main gaming floor, seasonal pool bar Aqua, casual meeting place The Lounge, and Veranda Café.
Naturally, given that Cyprus is just a stone’s throw from Turkey to the north, Syria, Lebanon and Israel to the east, Egypt to the south and Greece a little further to the west, flexibility is key. And Belliard takes pride in being able to effectively cater to so many cultural and dietary requirements: City of Dreams Mediterranean doesn’t have a kosher kitchen for its Jewish guests but can outsource kosher food when asked, while halal is a common request given the property’s significant Middle Eastern guest list.
This is why, he explains, the chefs who populate the resort’s kitchens represent an array of nationalities and backgrounds from all across the region.
“I’m very pleased that one of our latest recruits was a chef from Jordan that was working with me in Abu Dhabi and is very talented in Arabic cuisine,” Belliard says. “I also have a banquet chef from Syria, so we have this connection and I can say we excel in Arabic cuisine, among others.”
More challenging is sourcing rare food items, being located on a small island.
“I have come here from Dubai where everything is available,” Belliard smiles. “If you can dream about it there, you can get it. Here it’s a bit different, a bit more restrictive on the type of product you can find or the time it takes to get it. So, I have to be careful when designing the menu that I choose products I can access, but I’m lucky to have a few good suppliers who really support us, and as long as I give them information early enough about what I need and the quantity, we can usually solve most problems.”
Most rewarding for Belliard, however, is seeing the growth of his team as they drive the F&B offering at City of Dreams Mediterranean to the same heights that Melco’s integrated resorts in Asia have become renowned for.
“Seeing the evolution of the property has been very rewarding,” he explains as the property’s first full summer season approaches. “The team is gaining experience and I’m happy to see very good key leaders emerge in the kitchen.
“We are getting better and better at what we are doing which shows in the appreciation of the customer – our ratings for our outlets are very strong and that’s a reward for us doing a good job. We are growing in the right direction, so the team is blooming.
“It’s still a learning curve, so what will happen this summer will be a plus for the next one, but we are getting there. We are reopening some outlets for summer, we are adding some different concepts, and we are increasing our offerings in some outlets. There is always something to do, but that’s why we love this business.”
