From F&B to RB&E: Mandarin Oriental evolves the traditional hotel dining model to create destinations where food, drink, design, music, culture and atmosphere come together.
— From F&B to RB&E: Mandarin Oriental evolves the traditional hotel dining model to create destinations where food, drink, design, music, culture and atmosphere come together.
Mandarin Oriental today announces the introduction of Restaurants, Bars & Experiences (RB&E), a new approach that moves beyond the traditional hospitality definition of Food & Beverage to reflect what guests increasingly seek when they choose where to spend their time. Mandarin Oriental is evolving its Food & Beverage function into Restaurants, Bars & Experiences, reflecting a broader vision that places culture, creativity and human connection alongside exceptional food and drink.
At Mandarin Oriental, Restaurants, Bars & Experiences is where culture connects.
The evolution from F&B to RB&E recognises a fundamental shift in hospitality. Guests no longer experience a restaurant or bar through food and drink alone. They experience it in 360 degrees: through the welcome at the door, the energy of the room, its design and music, the people they meet, the stories they discover and, at its heart, what they eat and drink. RB&E brings these elements together with a single purpose: to create places with their own identity, cultural relevance and compelling reason to return.
It represents a move beyond the conventional idea of restaurants and bars as hotel ‘outlets’. Instead, Mandarin Oriental is approaching each as a destination in its own right – designed to resonate with international travellers and local communities alike and to compete with the most exciting independent restaurants, bars and hospitality concepts in each city.
Christian Gradnitzer, Group Director RB&E, Mandarin Oriental, said:
“People are no longer simply going out for dinner or a drink. They are choosing how and where they want to spend their time. Food and drink remain at the heart of what we do, but an exceptional experience is created by everything around them – our chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, bartenders and service teams, alongside design, sound, atmosphere, storytelling and programming.
“That is why the move from Food & Beverage to Restaurants, Bars & Experiences is much more than a change of name. It is a change in mindset. Every restaurant and bar needs an identity, an audience and a reason to visit – and, importantly, a reason to return. Our ambition is to create places that people seek out because they are relevant to their city, while carrying the craftsmanship, precision and legendary service that are unmistakably Mandarin Oriental. By evolving Food & Beverage into Restaurants, Bars & Experiences, we are recognising that guests increasingly choose experiences, communities and cultural connection alongside exceptional dining.”
A strengthened RB&E leadership team
To support the continued evolution of Restaurants, Bars & Experiences, Mandarin Oriental has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of James Norman as Regional Director of Restaurants, Bars & Experiences Operations for Europe & Americas.
An accomplished luxury hospitality operator with a strong culinary foundation, Norman has held senior operational leadership roles with Ritz-Carlton, Kempinski and Mandarin Oriental across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. His career spans Michelin-recognised restaurants, complex hotel operations, concept development and large-scale Restaurants, Bars & Experiences businesses, with a strong focus on operational performance, commercial delivery and talent development. Working alongside Christian Gradnitzer and the wider RB&E leadership team, Norman will help drive operational excellence, concept development and talent growth across Mandarin Oriental’s Restaurants, Bars & Experiences portfolio.
Craft creates the experience
Behind this evolution is a renewed focus on the individual crafts that make hospitality memorable.
Across Mandarin Oriental, chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, bartenders, hosts, designers, operators and service teams each contribute to an experience that guests can feel. RB&E will create stronger platforms for these talents to develop, collaborate across the portfolio and gain greater recognition for their craft. Technology and guest insight will support teams in understanding demand more intuitively, responding to guest preferences and enhancing day-to-day performance. The approach also brings creative ambition together with operational discipline. Each venue is expected to perform emotionally, operationally and commercially, creating destination demand, repeat local business and long-term value for the hotel.
“Craft differentiates us, but execution earns trust,” continued Gradnitzer. “An idea only becomes meaningful when guests can experience it consistently. We have extraordinary talent across Mandarin Oriental. Our opportunity now is to connect that talent through a clearer direction, make our best work more visible and create concepts that can grow without ever becoming generic. This is as much an investment in our people and their careers as it is an evolution of our restaurants and bars.”
A new chapter, beginning in Hong Kong
The rejuvenation of Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong will provide a significant expression of the RB&E philosophy, bringing together 14 distinctive restaurant, bar and experience venues as part of its phased transformation. The collection will combine celebrated favourites with a new generation of concepts, reflecting both the heritage and evolution of Mandarin Oriental’s approach to dining and hospitality. Existing highlights include Terrace Boulud, while new additions such as The Pizza Bar by Daniele and Thistle & Jade will open on 2 November, followed by Blake Foyer.
A wellness-focused RB&E concept will also form part of the Group’s broader approach to nutrition and wellbeing. The hotel will demonstrate how multiple concepts can coexist within one destination, each with its own personality and audience while expressing the cultural codes and legendary service of Mandarin Oriental.
The philosophy will extend across the Group’s evolving portfolio. Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, Mallorca will bring together Leña, Matsuhisa, Sobretaula and Jacinta, creating a restaurant and bar destination that is integral to the resort experience rather than a conventional hotel dining collection. Across the existing portfolio, the foundations of RB&E are already visible. In Shenzhen, The Bay by Chef Fei has achieved two Michelin stars and OPUS by Chef Alessio Durante one, while Jiang by Chef Fei in Guangzhou retains two Michelin stars. In Vienna, Le Sept, Atelier 7 Brasserie, Atelier 7 The Café and Atelier 7 Izakaya & Bar demonstrate how distinct concepts can together create a complete culinary destination.
The strength of Mandarin Oriental’s culinary portfolio is reflected in its international acclaim. Across the Group, Restaurants, Bars & Experiences venues now hold 33 Michelin stars, supporting Mandarin Oriental’s position among the world’s leading luxury hospitality brands for culinary excellence and the craftsmanship of its chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, bartenders and service teams.
Building destinations, not outlets
As RB&E develops, Mandarin Oriental will place greater emphasis on original concept creation, commercial validation, distinctive venue identities, collaborations, design, cultural programming and storytelling. The brand is also developing a select number of Mandarin Oriental-owned concepts and experience platforms that can be interpreted for individual destinations. Rather than standardisation, the aim is to build intellectual and creative capital within Mandarin Oriental, allowing successful ideas to evolve with greater consistency while retaining their local soul. The approach will continue through upcoming openings and rejuvenations, creating a growing portfolio of restaurants and bars conceived not simply as amenities within hotels, but as destinations within their cities and communities.
Through the evolution of Food & Beverage into Restaurants, Bars & Experiences, Mandarin Oriental is establishing a framework that reflects how guests engage with restaurants and bars today: not simply as places to dine, but as cultural destinations where design, atmosphere, creativity, connection and craftsmanship come together to create memorable experiences.
For Mandarin Oriental, the shift also reflects a wider transformation in luxury hospitality. The most precious luxury is increasingly time: how guests choose to spend it, who they spend it with and how an experience makes them feel long after it has ended. Restaurants, Bars & Experiences responds to that change by bringing together exceptional food and drink with culture, atmosphere, creativity and human connection. Collaborations and cultural programming are equally important. Recent examples include the A. Wong collaboration at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair and the Culinary Dialogue between Thomas Seifried and Richard Ekkebus, connecting creative talent across the Mandarin Oriental portfolio.
About Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Mandarin Oriental is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. Each outstanding property reflects the Group’s dual Asian heritage, while proudly distilling the Essence of the Destination, reflected in every hotel’s own fan – carefully crafted by local artisans. Driven by a passion for the exceptional, every day, everywhere, the Group’s mission is to craft time-enriching experiences that transform the ordinary to the exceptional and guests to fans through its legendary service. The Group now operates 47 hotels, 16 residences and 44 exceptional homes in 30 countries and territories with many more projects under development. Mandarin Oriental continues to drive its reputation as an innovative leader in luxury hospitality, delivering sustainable growth over the long term.
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