REVIEW: THE RIB ROOM

The classic British restaurant and bar has revamped its menu to offer an array of exciting dishes. We sink our teeth into a mouth-watering selection of meat cuts and locally sourced ingredients in a cool, sophisticated atmosphere.

Cindy Bailey

British eatery The Rib Room, which opened in the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in 2015, has firmly cemented itself as one of our favourite restaurants in Dubai thanks to its first class meat selection, impressive flavour pairings and slick décor.

Reminiscent of a gentlemen’s club with its clean and masculine design of a predominate colour palette of tan; bronze and warm chocolate browns results in a cozy, intimate atmosphere. There’s a small bar area perfect for an aperitif or two and an outdoor terrace as well as multiple dining sections suitable for a romantic dinner for two or large groups. The service was top-notch – efficient, friendly and not overbearing.

British favourites such as tartar and pigeon have been given an interesting and incredibly tasty contemporary spin. Imagine spicy veal tartar and wood pigeon kebab with cauliflower hummus that pays homage to a Middle Eastern favourite. Main course highlights include fish pie royal, angus beef rump, Dover sole, 21 days dry-aged grass-fed angus and John Stone beef. The man behind these delicious dishes is chef Daniel Hillier, a culinary connoisseur with more than 25 years of experience working at prominent Michelin Starred restaurants in London, who seamlessly combines traditional dishes with forward-thinking techniques to create delicious food that everyone will love.

A trip to The Rib Room is not complete without experiencing one of their mouth-watering steaks or meat cuts. A real stand-out item on the menu was the John Stone award-winning dry-aged Irish castle raised on grass, 300g rib eye which was cooked just how we like it and arrived with a hearty portion of triple-cooked chips, Béarnaise sauce and watercress. Another standout dish was the Angus short ribs with honey roast parsnips and red wine sauce – sweet and superbly succulent.

End the evening on a sweet note, with the pina colada Eton Mess, or the decadent sticky toffee pudding, or opt for a superb selection of cheeses hand-picked from the British Isles. It is a sophisticated affair where the food takes centre stage. Call 04 453 0444 for bookings or log onto jumeirah.com/en/dine/dubai/zabeel-saray-the-rib-room