In a city known for spectacle, Soul Kitchen in Business Bay stands out by doing the opposite. It whispers instead of shouting. Tucked away from the obvious hotspots, the restaurant has become a quiet cultural landmark — a space where food, art, and identity move together in harmony.

More than a dining destination, Soul Kitchen feels like a living gallery. Latin American and Levantine flavours blend on the menu, while stories of migration, memory, and belonging unfold across the walls, ceilings, and even the bar.

At the heart of this creative vision is Tala Mortada, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Factory People. Her approach to design is narrative rather than decorative. Each artwork in the space carries meaning, not just aesthetic value.

One of the most striking pieces is the kinetic installation of migrating birds above the bar — a visual metaphor for the Lebanese and Arab diaspora, and the emotional journey of leaving, adapting, and rebuilding across continents. The piece reflects how food cultures travel with people, evolving through movement and shared experience.

The restaurant also hosts semi-permanent textile installations in collaboration with design houses such as Iwan Maktabi, Jaipur Rugs, and cc-tapis, featuring works by regional creatives like Hussein Bazaza, Hamza Mekdad, Paola Sakr, and Lea Chatila. These pieces transform the space into an evolving archive of Middle Eastern contemporary design.

What makes Soul Kitchen exceptional is that it does not treat art as background. Here, art is part of the experience — just like taste, sound, and atmosphere. It invites visitors not only to eat, but to feel, reflect, and connect.

In a region where creative spaces are rapidly redefining cultural life, Soul Kitchen represents a new model: one where restaurants become platforms for storytelling, and design becomes a language of identity.