This Jumeirah branch is where it all started for the Lime Tree Café. It’s hard to believe it was fifteen years ago – wow! How time flies. Back then the Lime Tree was one of a handful of trendy cafés catering (mainly) to the European community in Jumeirah. Whilst it’s still catering to the Europeans, it isn’t alone anymore. In fact, for every one Lime Tree Café (there are now three) I think I can safely say that there are a dozen newcomers fighting for the same consumers. So it’s a testament to their enduring concept and the quality of their food that their restaurants are always still full.
My daughter is a big fan. And as with all her other favourite restaurants, she orders exactly the same thing every time. In the case of the Lime Tree it’s the Chicken Corn Toasty. I had a bite this time to see if I could figure out why she likes it so much…and couldn’t. It’s nice, but nothing rave worthy.
I tag along with her for two things, the Grilled Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad with Hoisin Dressing and the Salted Caramel Tart which is easily one of the most delicious, ultra-sweet desserts I have ever tasted – ever, ever.
This was my wife’s first time at the Lime Tree. She ordered the Multi-Grain Risotto with Pumpkin and Feta, AND the Quiche with Mediterranean Vegetables. Surprisingly, didn’t like either. She complained that the black olives in the Quiche gave the dish a bitterness, and that the Risotto was too characterless and dry…until she poured a little salad sauce from the side salad which came with her Qit. Then it was OK.
I’ve always felt the Lime Tree’s Achilles heel is its lacklustre service. See, whilst the wait staff are polite and respectful at all times, they’re hardly what I’d call friendly. Nor do they seem very motivated. Come to think of it, they’re very much like the wait staff in Austria and Germany – human robots. We had to send food back because it wasn’t warm enough and continuously ask for things which should have been brought to our table when it was being set. That said, I like the Lime Tree; it’s a casual, laid back, unpretentious café where the food is always good irrespective of how grumpy and dizzy some of the staff are.
And if by any chance you do make it out to one of them, check out the little souvenir corner where you can pick up some amazing marmalades, jams, cook books, aprons and the like. Oh, and the Salted Carmel Tart is MUCH better than their famous carrot cake.
Waste NOT. Want NOT.