Goodbye-vy to the Ivy @Jumeirah Emirates Towers
Restaurant Dining | In Unspecified on November 23rd, 2016
200-300 AED
Unspecified
This week has inadvertently turned into a week of farewell visits to stalwarts of the Dubai culinary scene. Joining Al Badia Golf Club In the soon to be written history books is Classic British restaurant The Ivy, whose doors will close in Dubai for the final time following a lavish New Year's Eve send-off on 31st December 2016.
Closing after five years due to the end of the site's lease in the iconic Jumeirah Emirates Towers, the multi-award winning restaurant will wave ‘ma salama' to Dubai and it's established throng of loyal followers.
We found ourselves rushing through the the doors on a Tuesday night, and although not a brunch, we could not suffer the indignity of having "The Ivy" close those iconic green doors without at least seeing with our own eyes what all the fuss has been about. We were seated in the smoky bar section of the restaurant as the as the dining section was fully booked. The bar area was also packed with groups of friends and work colleagues gathered around and perched on top of sofas, reminding us of that familiarity you feel when entering your grandparents living room or a snug rural pub (in the days where you could still smoke in U.K. Pubs).
The Ivy Classics Menu runs side by side on a Tuesday with their ladies night, which explains the hugely disproportionate amount of females encamped inside the venue. The 200AED set menu does exactly what is says on the tin and offers a chance to sample some of the classics which have been made famous over the years across the dubai outlet and its original big sister back in London.
The Hors D'oeuvres include a Prawn Cocktail and Aged Parma ham with burrata and poached pears, but we plumped for the Aromatic Duck Salad with watermelon and cashews and the twice-baked cheese soufflé with gruyere, parmesan & truffle. The duck was perfectly crisp and the contrast of the sharp soy sauce and coolness of the watermelon was the perfect foil for the texture of the light and airy soufflé, which had been delicately flavoured, yet could have done with a slightly stronger cheese to give it a bit more of a kick.
For Entrees, options include the Ivy hamburger, haddock fish & chips and a butternut squash risotto. Mrs B's Shepherd's pie had a slightly crispier topping of mash than she is used to, but overall an excellent reminder of why simple dishes such as these have been fondly emblazoned into the memories of many an expat from childhood. On the flipside, I justified my ordering of the Thai-baked Seabream in-so-much that Thai food is now considered as British as say, a chicken tikka masala. The flavours were there...sourness, a slight saltiness and a semblance of heat. The only disappointing thing was that the whole fish I had imagined tucking into materialised into a solemn fillet.
Dessert came in the shape of a Lemon meringue pie with elderflower clotted cream and a sumptuous Scandinavian iced berry medley. Whole frozen blueberrys, raspberrys & strawberries were topped with an indulgent molten white chocolate sauce. The perfect end to the meal, along with an espresso martini or two.
The evening's loud din of conversation was accompanied musically by a chirpy piano playing songstress who is tucked away surreptitiously beind the giant grand piano in the corner. The rest of the quintessentially British interior of dark woods and deep emerald greens are offset by crisp white table cloths and giant chandeliers. It is this mix of comfort, set amongst a deep sense of tradition and propriety that will be missed by many who long for a taste of home in the dessert, and we are glad that we finally got to have a taste before the big swansong.
Jumeirah Emirates Towers…you have some rather large shoes to fill.
Goodbye-vy!
For reservations please call 04 3198767 or email: theivy.reservations@jumeirah.com
We found ourselves rushing through the the doors on a Tuesday night, and although not a brunch, we could not suffer the indignity of having "The Ivy" close those iconic green doors without at least seeing with our own eyes what all the fuss has been about. We were seated in the smoky bar section of the restaurant as the as the dining section was fully booked. The bar area was also packed with groups of friends and work colleagues gathered around and perched on top of sofas, reminding us of that familiarity you feel when entering your grandparents living room or a snug rural pub (in the days where you could still smoke in U.K. Pubs).
The Ivy Classics Menu runs side by side on a Tuesday with their ladies night, which explains the hugely disproportionate amount of females encamped inside the venue. The 200AED set menu does exactly what is says on the tin and offers a chance to sample some of the classics which have been made famous over the years across the dubai outlet and its original big sister back in London.
The Hors D'oeuvres include a Prawn Cocktail and Aged Parma ham with burrata and poached pears, but we plumped for the Aromatic Duck Salad with watermelon and cashews and the twice-baked cheese soufflé with gruyere, parmesan & truffle. The duck was perfectly crisp and the contrast of the sharp soy sauce and coolness of the watermelon was the perfect foil for the texture of the light and airy soufflé, which had been delicately flavoured, yet could have done with a slightly stronger cheese to give it a bit more of a kick.
For Entrees, options include the Ivy hamburger, haddock fish & chips and a butternut squash risotto. Mrs B's Shepherd's pie had a slightly crispier topping of mash than she is used to, but overall an excellent reminder of why simple dishes such as these have been fondly emblazoned into the memories of many an expat from childhood. On the flipside, I justified my ordering of the Thai-baked Seabream in-so-much that Thai food is now considered as British as say, a chicken tikka masala. The flavours were there...sourness, a slight saltiness and a semblance of heat. The only disappointing thing was that the whole fish I had imagined tucking into materialised into a solemn fillet.
Dessert came in the shape of a Lemon meringue pie with elderflower clotted cream and a sumptuous Scandinavian iced berry medley. Whole frozen blueberrys, raspberrys & strawberries were topped with an indulgent molten white chocolate sauce. The perfect end to the meal, along with an espresso martini or two.
The evening's loud din of conversation was accompanied musically by a chirpy piano playing songstress who is tucked away surreptitiously beind the giant grand piano in the corner. The rest of the quintessentially British interior of dark woods and deep emerald greens are offset by crisp white table cloths and giant chandeliers. It is this mix of comfort, set amongst a deep sense of tradition and propriety that will be missed by many who long for a taste of home in the dessert, and we are glad that we finally got to have a taste before the big swansong.
Jumeirah Emirates Towers…you have some rather large shoes to fill.
Goodbye-vy!
For reservations please call 04 3198767 or email: theivy.reservations@jumeirah.com
