Premium butchery meets cultural dining in a Tuesday-only pop-up
CarniStore, the UAE-founded online butchery and smokehouse, has partnered with Soul Kitchen, the Business Bay restaurant-bar known for its culture-led programming, to present a limited dining series called Carni Diem. Running on Tuesdays throughout May 2026 from 6pm to 11pm, the collaboration pairs CarniStore’s sourcing and butchery expertise with Soul Kitchen’s menu and creative platform.
What diners can expect
The Carni Diem experience is offered as a fixed-price set menu at AED 175 per person. The menu was developed by Soul Kitchen’s kitchen under Executive Chef Margarita Vaamonde and places a CarniStore-blended patty front and centre. The burger uses a combination of cuts including chuck, short rib and dry-aged brisket to create a denser flavour profile, accompanied by fries and a chipotle mayonnaise. The dessert course reworks classic elements with mini churros in a salted caramel sauce topped with crisped bacon pieces, served alongside cinnamon-labneh ice cream.
Beverages are also bespoke to the pop-up. Alexy Haidar, Soul Kitchen’s group beverage manager, has put together a signature cocktail called the Fig Situation, which features a fig-leaf infused rum with citrus and oolong elements, finished with a lemon-thyme meringue garnish.
Context and industry relevance
Midweek collaborations and pop-up series have become a common tool for restaurants to stimulate weekday traffic, experiment with menu concepts and highlight partnerships with suppliers. For a premium butcher like CarniStore, aligning with a venue such as Soul Kitchen offers a direct route to consumers and a chance to demonstrate product applications in a hospitality setting rather than solely through retail and wholesale channels.
CarniStore, established in the UAE in 2018, has positioned itself as a regional supplier focused on traceability and traditional butchery techniques adapted for modern customers. Soul Kitchen describes itself as a space that foregrounds cultural exchange through food; the venue’s menu draws on the culinary intersections of the Arab diaspora and Latin America, which informs how it adapts premium proteins into more playful or culturally resonant dishes.
What this means for diners and operators
For diners, the series offers an opportunity to sample limited-edition dishes that may not appear on the regular menu, at a single-price format that simplifies the experience. The AED 175 price point positions Carni Diem in the mid-premium range for Dubai casual dining, reflecting the cost of elevated protein sourcing while remaining accessible to regular restaurant-goers.
For restaurateurs and suppliers, the collaboration illustrates how integrated marketing and product trials can work in practice: restaurants gain differentiated content for slow nights, and suppliers receive platformed exposure to hospitality audiences. These arrangements can also inform longer-term menu decisions if particular dishes resonate with guests.
Practical details and booking
Carni Diem runs on Tuesdays starting 5 May, between 6pm and 11pm, at Soul Kitchen in Marasi Drive, Business Bay. Advance reservations are required. To book, contact Soul Kitchen by email at reservations@soulkitchendxb.com or call +971 4 836 0900.
Why it matters locally
Dubai’s dining landscape continues to diversify with concept-driven collaborations that blend sourcing narratives and cultural storytelling. Events such as Carni Diem reflect a broader move toward experiential dining in the city, where provenance and creative execution are both part of the draw for residents and visitors. For food professionals watching the market, the partnership underscores the value of on-site activations to test product appeal and build brand recognition in a competitive hospitality environment.