I visited Leopold Café & Bar, more in remembrance of a friend I lost in the cowardly November 2008 terrorist attacks, than for a meal. I thought I’d drink a toast in his memory. Yeah, that didn’t work out too well – it was a dry day. So, my friends and I settled for some … Continue reading Leopold Cafe & Bar – Mumbai
I can think of very few proper Gujarati thalis you can get for AED25 in Dubai today. The last ‘budget’ Gujarati thali I had (also in Karama) was at Ajanta, a shocking experience I have yet to recover from. Kathiawa gives you Rasoi Ghar and Rajdhani quality in a smaller, no frills package. Understandably, service … Continue reading Kathiawa – Karama
Kaftan, that exceptional, artsy Turkish restaurant opposite Jumeirah Beach Hotel on Umm Suqeim, has now opened a branch at La Mer. As with the original, the interior and exterior are beautifully decorated and immediately recognisable as Turkish – I simply love the olive tree inside. Not everything from the Umm Suqeim menu is available at … Continue reading Kaftan – La Mer, Jumeirah-1
The Kabab Erbil Iraqi franchise goes from strength to strength, this Jumeirah 2 branch is their latest…and greatest. It’s certainly a far cry from the no-frills, cash only original in Al-Muteena Street. Located between Emirates Hospital and arch-rival Samad Al Iraqi Restaurant on Jumeirah Beach Road, this new restaurant occupies a whole building. The interior … Continue reading Kabab Erbil Iraqi – Jumeirah 2
Breakfast at Tashkent is certainly an option to consider if you’re in the Barsha-1 area, especially if you like cold cuts. For AED25 you get a couple of cold beef sausages, a few cold cut slices of chicken and beef, a few pieces of mild yellow cheese, two folded creps, some gel like jam, two … Continue reading Tashkent – Barsha-1
Al Dimyati & Iskandaron is a small, modest Arabic restaurant in Karama which serves some of the BEST lamb chops on Planet Earth. There, I’ve said it, now someone prove me wrong. Walk in and you’re like, oh dear, have I come to the right place; skinny legged, plastic chairs and fake wood tables, fluorescent … Continue reading Al Dimyati & Iskandaron – Karama
Exit…stage left the Cocktail Kitchen. Enter…the Axe House with the same layout (but craft beer, slightly grungy, hipster look replacing the classy wine bar ambiance), same kind of vibe, even the same crowd. I think the only real differences were on the menu, and the addition of pool tables on the far end of the … Continue reading Axe House – JLT
Kona Grill is a fully-licensed, American-Asian themed restaurant with a spectacular waterfront view. Located at the modern, marina end of the amazing new Marsa Al Seef development, it’s almost dead opposite the US Consulate on Al Seef Road, Southeast of Bastakiya. Don’t bother with parking, dedicated valet is available; just honk. Similar to licensed restaurants … Continue reading Kona Grill – Marsa Al Seef, Umm Hurair
If there is one thing I hate more than ordering chicken or fish at a steakhouse, it’s ordering meat well done. So, it came as a double-whammy to me when I was asked to “share” a Chicken and Lamb Espetana (what are we lions to share our meat? well, actually I am a lion. I’m … Continue reading Butcher Shop & Grill – Al Safa
Peshawri, at the beautiful ITC Maratha in Chakala, is Bukhara by another name: you know the old saying, “if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck”? Well, that applies here. Just walk in and you’ll understand. It’s a literal copy-paste of Bukhara. … Continue reading Peshawari – Mumbai
