After taking my reservation, the voice on the phone explained how to find the place, ‘Look for an old, red London telephone booth outside the Atrium as you enter Habtoor City from SZR’, he said, ‘and you’ll have found The Rose & Crown’.
I don’t know why but I felt right at home as I entered. The Rose & Crown has got a very familiar look and feel. Perhaps that’s because it’s so similar to…um, a modern British pub.
The food was brilliant. I think I may just have had the best Fish and Chips I’ve ever had in Dubai at the Rose.
Impressive too was the Ploughman Board we started with. The ham was rubbish; too thin, too dry, but the Cheddar was good, the Stilton better. And I loved the chunky, tangy Chutney.
My guest ordered their house burger, unsurprisingly called the Rose & Crown Burger. He poor man probably ended up with stretch marks on the corner of his mouth from the exaggerated bite size he needed to take to accommodate the monstrosity. He said it was an excellent burger.
On the night we visited, the (downstairs) service crew were predominantly from the Eastern Bloc. They added spice to our dining experience with their lovely accents, sense of humour and genuine friendliness. There’s another bar upstairs. In fact, there’s like a whole different world upstairs. I only got a quick look around going to and from the loo. But it didn’t click with me the way the downstairs did. The downstairs I really enjoyed, based on which I wholeheartedly recommend the Rose & Crown.