By mid-morning on Bluewaters Island, syrniki topped with sour cream mousse are already moving toward terrace tables. Flat whites cool beside plates of avocado and salmon toast. Sunlight bounces off the water, and the first lunch orders haven’t even started yet.
This is 45 Bistro, the latest iteration of a homegrown Dubai brand that launched just three years ago.
What started in 2023 as a neighbourhood café concept has quietly grown into a two-location operation, and the Bluewaters outpost marks a distinct shift in ambition. Where the original Port de La Mer venue leans toward cosy breakfasts and coffee catch-ups, Bluewaters introduces a licensed drinks programme, a broader European menu, and the kind of all-day rhythm that keeps tables turning from morning espresso to late-night Dover sole.
For independent restaurants in Dubai—a market thick with international chains, celebrity chef imports, and deep-pocketed hospitality groups—survival past year two is an achievement. Expansion beyond a single site is rarer still. Yet 45 is already planning a third location somewhere in the city, banking on a formula that co-founder and managing partner Stanislav describes as deliberately unglamorous.
“When we created 45, the idea was simple – to build a place where we ourselves would want to spend time every day,” he said. “Not only for special occasions, but for breakfast, coffee, lunch with friends, or dinner with family. We believe that great restaurants are built not around trends, but around consistency, quality, and an atmosphere people genuinely want to return to. That philosophy continues to guide our growth as we prepare to open our third location in Dubai.”
The Bluewaters site operates on a different scale than its sibling. Port de La Mer remains cafĂ©-first, ideal for a quick bite or laptop session. Bluewaters pushes into bistro territory—wine lists, cocktails, longer menus, and the kind of waterfront real estate that commands sunset bookings. The view alone, facing Ain Dubai and the marina skyline, positions it among Dubai’s premium dining corridors, where European concepts compete with pan-Asian fusion and modern Middle Eastern cooking for the same tourist and expat spend.
Chef Maria Zanosiy anchors the kitchen across both locations. Her approach draws from European traditions—borscht with smoked sour cream, slow-braised duck leg with cherry and mashed potatoes, a homemade wafer cake built on a family recipe—but adapts to the UAE’s ingredient flows and seasonal realities. Tomato carpaccio arrives with warm brioche. Filet steak gets truffle purĂ©e. San Sebastián cheesecake comes with a caramelised crust.
Seasonality, in a region where much produce is imported, becomes less about local harvests and more about what’s available when. The menu shifts accordingly, though signature items remain constant.
“For me, 45 is a place people return to because of the food,” Zanosiy explained. “The menu is built around European cuisine, seasonal ingredients, and generous hospitality. Bluewaters offers a beautiful setting, but ultimately it is the food that should do the most important work. Whether guests come for coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, I want them to leave with an experience that feels light, warm, and memorable.”
The drinks programme extends beyond the standard specialty coffee lineup. House-made lemonades include a triple peach variant. Smoothies blend banana, pineapple, and coconut milk. The licensed offering at Bluewaters—significant in a market where alcohol permits require specific approvals and limit venue options—includes wine, classic cocktails, and a curated selection designed to complement the European menu. Non-alcoholic alternatives run parallel, reflecting Dubai’s diverse customer base.
Bluewaters Island itself has evolved since opening in 2018, initially anchored by Ain Dubai and a collection of retail and dining outlets. The dining scene there skews international—Californian bistros, Japanese robata grills, Lebanese mezze—and competition for repeat custom is fierce. Waterfront positioning alone doesn’t guarantee loyalty, not when a dozen other venues offer similar views within walking distance.
What 45 appears to be betting on is frequency. Not the special-occasion booking, but the weekday breakfast regular. The weekend family lunch that stretches into the afternoon. The after-work drink that turns into dinner because the table’s already there and the menu delivers.
That strategy—building around daily habit rather than event dining—runs counter to much of Dubai’s restaurant culture, which often chases the grand opening, the influencer moment, the limited-time collaboration. Whether it proves sustainable at scale will depend on execution, and on whether the third location, still unannounced, can replicate the formula without diluting it.
For now, Bluewaters represents the brand’s most complete expression. Breakfast runs seamlessly into lunch service. Lunch stretches into afternoon coffee and pastries. By evening, the terrace fills again, lights come up around the marina, and the bistro settles into its dinner rhythm.
The question is whether Dubai’s diners will return often enough to justify the expansion.
The Bluewaters location is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations are being taken, and the third Dubai site remains in development, with details yet to be confirmed.
