BACKGROUND: Jumeirah Restaurants opened The Ivy Dubai on June 9 which, with summer and Ramadan ensuing, meant it hasn't had the opportunity to fire on all cylinders yet, but that's all changing with the corporate and winter tourism season now in full flow. It's designed by Martin Brudnizki, who recently revamped The Rib Room at Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London (click here for recent 'tried and tested' review), and has been busy down the road at the soon-to-open Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi (click here).
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Located beneath an escalator on the ground level in the centre of The Boulevard, Jumeirah Emirates Towers (to the uninitiated, it’s an upscale retail-come-eating area that bridges the office and hotel towers), it's fair to say The Ivy Dubai doesn’t share the visual corner-street impact of its London counterpart, but the distinctive stained glass window exterior, dark woods and green leather chairs strike a familiar, welcoming chord.
WHAT'S IT LIKE? As you walk in, a discreet reception desk is located to the left, and bar with 10 stools and accompanying lounge area to the right and centre, which leads into the dining area, which contains a partition divider. Beyond, built into the wall, are the toilets and attractive private dining area, which can seat up to 18 people and features an in-cabinet large screen TV and enormous chandelier (there are three opulent ones in the main dining area too). There's an emphasis on small two-seat square tables for one-on-one meets, and enough four-seat tables too, although both my dining partner and I agreed they were quite close and perhaps not ideal if you were looking for complete privacy. Through doors on the left is a large 60-seat terrace which again, has maximised the space with tables, and more natural light than the main dining area.
I found it a bit disconcerting eating fine food in an area formerly occupied by one of the city’s busiest bars (Scarlett’s) and despite the interiors changing beyond all recognition, there’s some design reminders left (ie the area by the terrace) – although it’s unlikely to bother visiting executives. The restaurant was about half full with diners, among them prominent members of Dubai's business community.
THE FOOD A quick word about the kitchens. Every serious restaurant has a formidable back-of-house operation, and the Ivy Dubai is no different, with its spacious, purpose-built kitchen containing state-of-the-art Charvet ovens and tucked away at the back is a self-contained pork kitchen (after starting with lunches and dinners, the plan is to serve breakfasts soon, with home-made sausages et al).
On the business lunch menu, there’s a choice of three starters and mains. I opted for the delicious chilled beetroot soup which came with sour cream and minutely-chopped chives, and my colleague went for the interesting-sounding ‘bang bang chicken’, an Asian-esque offering cooked in coconut milk, peanut chilli sauce and came on a bed of salad. For mains, I selected kedgeree, which had plenty of smoked haddock and was topped with a poached egg, although it was quite thick and wasn’t far off a curry – it actually came with sauce and chutney – and my partner opted for duck hash, which was similarly wholesome – effectively a circle-shaped duck-and-potato cake, and that was topped with a fried egg.
The only slight peculiarity during the meal was that both of us felt uneasy spilling the fresh bread crumbs over the white linen tablecloth, and staff didn’t seem too perturbed to clean it for the first 10 minutes or so (although they did later in the meal). Afterwards, we were served tea and coffee and two pieces of lemon Madeleine cake each, which was exquisite. The Shepherd’s Pie signature dish wasn’t on when we dined, but you might be lucky as the menu is rotated every week.
I stayed on the water, but there's a comprehensive drinks list should you need to relax or impress. A bottle of white starts at AED195 (Trebbiano Moncaro, 2009 Marche, Italy) and rises as high as AED1400 for Chablis Grand Cru 'Les Clos' and Meursault 'Les Criots', while the entry level red is Sangiovese, Cantina Moncaro (AED195). The most expensive label in the house is Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru (a cool AED3500).
SERVICE Prompt and courteous, both courses arrived within 35 minutes so time-pressed executives who may have one eye on the clock can be rest assured of no delays.
PRICES A two-course business lunch set menu including tea/coffee and petit fours costs AED150, available from midday to 3pm, Sunday to Thursday. Given that a meal in even the most ordinary Dubai venue won't give you much change out of AED70 these days, it seems good value.
VERDICT It’s still early days but the central location, affordable prices and attention to detail mean all the successful ingredients are in place.
CONTACT For reservations tel: (+9714) 3198767, or email: theivy.reservations@jumeirah.com. theivy.ae
Dominic Ellis
