Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards 2007

Last year’s inaugural Time Out Restaurant Awards set the benchmark for high-quality dining across the city. One year on, after months of anonymous eating and independent judging, we return to dish out the gongs to the best restaurants in Dubai

Best Business Lunch

Winner
Vu’s, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Highly commended
Amwaj, Shangri-La Hotel
Café Chic, Le Meridien Dubai
Certo, Radisson SAS Media City

Also nominated
Glasshouse, Hilton Dubai Creek
La Villa, Sofitel City Centre
Legends, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
The Rib Room, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

With its fine food, superb value for money, unfussy service and breathtaking views of the city, last year’s winner, Vu’s, still can’t be beaten if you’re looking to wow a potential business partner and clinch that big bucks deal. Hot on Vu’s heels came Amwaj, with its flowing, modernist decor, sumptuous seafood and modestly priced Dhs95 set menu. Café Chic impressed with the immaculate French creations of Chef Pierrick and its sun-swathed conservatory, and the ever-popular Certo made a distinct impression with its light Italian lunches and extensive wine selection.

Best Café

Winner
Lime Tree Café, Beach Road

Highly commended
More, Garhoud

Also nominated
Armani Caffé, Mall of the Emirates
The One, Beach Road
Shakespeare & Co., Sheikh Zayed Road
Saladicious, Jumeirah
XVA, Bastakia

Gordon Ramsay might not be a massive fan of the Lime Tree Café’s mince pies, but the Jumeirah Beach Road outlet still sparkles as the best café in the city for a second year running. A quick nibble on the cakes, sandwiches and deli dishes here confirmed that the competition will have to raise its game to beat it in 2008. Meanwhile, More in Garhoud deserves to be highly commended for its consistently homely food and funky trimmings.

Best Chinese

Winner
Zheng He’s, Mina A’ Salam

Highly commended
The China Club, Radisson SAS Dubai
Deira Creek
Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel

Also nominated
Long Yin, Le Meridien Dubai
White Orchid, Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa

Despite a titanic tussle of opinions, Zheng He’s emerged as last year’s winner after we concluded that its best moments shone far brighter than those of any other Chinese restaurant in the city. This year, our verdict was unshaken, due to the Mina A’ Salam restaurant’s enchanting setting and some truly inspired dishes, such as the masterful tenderloin beef with wild mushrooms. Across the city, The China Club reminded us that first-rate Chinese food and friendly, efficient service can still be found in Deira, while hovering above a hotel lobby on Sheikh Zayed Road, Shang Palace was only let down by its lack of atmosphere.

Best Contemporary European

Winner
Verre, Hilton Dubai Creek

Highly commended
Tang, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi
Nineteen, The Montgomerie
Vu’s, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Also nominated
Café Chic, Le Meridien Dubai
Celebrities, One&Only Royal Mirage
Mezzanine, Grosvenor House

Perhaps with the exception of the Indian category, this one was the most difficult to call. Tang had bewitched and bewildered us with its amazing molecular gastronomic creations, but was let down by its incongruous decor and vapid atmosphere. Nineteen had impressed with its supreme and substantial offerings, but it didn’t quite cut it in the flair stakes. And although Vu’s made us dizzy with its 50th floor panoramas, it just didn’t have what it takes to nudge its nose in front. Which is why last year’s winner, Verre, took the honours once again with its consistently excellent food, faultless service and fine wines, despite its somewhat unspectacular minimalist setting.

Best Family

Winner
Sezzam, Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates

Highly commended
Café Ceramique, Beach Road
Chili’s, Garhoud
Finz, Ibn Batutta Mall

Also nominated
Go West, Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Johnny Rockets, Dubai Marina
Spice Island, Renaissance Dubai
Soto Soto, Dhow Palace Hotel

What a difference 12 months makes. Last year, there were precious few options when it came to catering for families. But the opening of the huge and sprawling Sezzam at Mall of the Emirates went a long way to redress the balance. With jugglers, clowns, kids’ menus and mesmerising views of Ski Dubai, this multi-cuisine restaurant ticked all boxes for a family meal. It was closely challenged by Finz at Ibn Battuta mall, where amazingly good gourmet food and a spacious setting makes it an ideal pit stop for mall-trawling parents and hungry kids. And Chili’s in Garhoud gets highly commended for its kids’ menu and fun vibe.

Best Friday Brunch

Winner
The Terrace Brunch, Al Qasr

Highly commended
The Terrace Brunch, Mina A’Salam, Madinat Jumeirah
Spectrum On One, The Fairmont Dubai
Yalumba, Le Meridien Dubai

Also nominated
Dusit Dubai brunch
JW Marriott XII brunch
More, independent
Mediterraneo, Shangri-La Hotel
Thai Kitchen, Park Hyatt
Traiteur, Park Hyatt Hotel

Another tricky category to call, Dubai’s hotels pull out all the stops when it comes to brunch and a fair few independent outlets (particularly More Cafe) are following suit. For sheer opulence, indulgence and startling abundance, the Al Qasr brunch at Madinat Jumeirah wrestled the gong from the grasp of its sister brunch at the Mina A’Salam Terrace in style. The Terrace brunch was still highly recommended alongside Spectrum On One, one of the first bubbly brunches in town, which continues to offer impeccable service and a wide range of international offerings, and Yalumba at Le Meridien Dubai for its great food, buzzing atmosphere and limitless champagne.

Best Indian

Winner
Ashiana, Sheraton Dubai Creek

Highly commended
Handi, Taj Palace Hotel
Indego, Grosvenor House
Khazana, Al Nasr Leisureland

Also nominated
Aangan, Dhow Palace Hotel
Antique Bazaar, Four Points Sheraton
Asha’s, Wafi City
The Bombay, Marco Polo Hotel
Gazebo, Bur Dubai
Nina, One&Only Royal Mirage
Iz, Grand Hyatt

Curry connoisseurs are spoilt for choice in Dubai. With so many great restaurants to choose from it was an almighty struggle to select a winner in what was probably the strongest category in this year’s awards. But it was the dazzling Ashiana that finally shone through for its richly flavoursome creations, arresting ambience and great service. It narrowly pipped Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khazana for the big prize, despite the celebrity chef’s triumphant dishes. Also highly commended were Indego at Grosvenor House, for its contemporary take on traditional favourites in luxurious surroundings; and last year’s winner, Handi, which continues to offer some of the best Indian food in the city.

Best Global

Winner
Spectrum On One, The Fairmont Dubai

Highly commended
Teatro, Towers Rotana

Shortlisted
The Kitchen, Hyatt Regency
The Market Place, JW Marriott

The global category is the decathlon of Time Out’s annual food Olympics. While most restaurants aim to master a single cuisine, these multitasking maestros have to be true Jacks-of-all-trades, although unlike the overstretched Jack, these restaurants certainly aren’t master of none. This year’s Daley Thompson is The Fairmont’s fine all-rounder Spectrum On One, which has consistently impressed us with its expert handling of several world cuisines, friendly service and popular Friday brunch. A close second, the Towers Rotana’s Teatro offers good value global favourites in a buzzy environment.

Best Iranian

Winner
Shabestan, Radisson SAS Dubai Deira Creek

Highly commended
Golestan, Garhoud
Sarband, Century Village

A change of management – last year the InterContinental Group was running the hotel – hasn’t made the slightest bit of difference to Shabestan’s winning ways. The finest Persian restaurant in the emirate can always be trusted to deliver exquisite Iranian food along with a bewitchingly romantic environment with Creekside views and stirring live music. We’d also like to highly commend two low-key Garhoud eateries – Golestan and the Century Village’s Sarband – that wowed us with their delicious, good-value Persian food and friendly service.

Best Italian

Winner
Certo, Radisson SAS Dubai Media City

Highly commended
Bice, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah
Medzo, Wafi City

Shortlisted
Bussola, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi
Cucina, JW Marriott Hotel
Focaccia, Hyatt Regency Dubai
Le Dune Pizzeria, Bab Al Shams
Mosaico, Emirates Towers Hotel
Splendido, Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Vivaldi, Sheraton Dubai Creek

For some reason, Dubai has struggled to do Italian all that well in the past. If you fancy a simple pizza or pasta dish, there were plenty of good restaurants to satisfy your cravings. But if you’ve eaten in Italy and marvelled at the freshness, the flavours, the aromas and the sheer passion of Italian food, you might have found the restaurants here lacking. The good news is that quality has increased across the board. While getting hold of fresh ingredients is still a problem, every restaurant nominated has upped their game on last year. None more so than Certo. We have reservations about the setting – it’s a functional, formulaic, date-un-friendly kind of place – but the expressive, generous dishes are a revelation. Last year’s winner, Medzo, remains a hugely impressive restaurant and pushed Certo to the post, while Bice is reliably excellent if pricey. It’s also been a great year for Vivaldi, Focaccia and Splendido while Le Dune Pizzeria is a very strong newcomer.

Best Japanese

Winner
Kiku, Le Meridien Dubai

Highly commended
Creekside, Sheraton Dubai Creek
Miyako, Hyatt Regency
Tokyo@The Towers, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Shortlisted
Minato, Radisson SAS Dubai Deira Creek
Sakura, Crowne Plaza Dubai
Sumibiya, Radisson SAS Dubai Deira Creek
Yakitori House, Ascot Hotel

It’s as you were at the top of the Japanese leaderboard, which comes as no surprise considering Kiku’s consummate professionalism. With sleek decor, friendly service, low prices and quite brilliant food, Le Meridien’s restaurant has retained its trophy without breaking sweat. The food at Tokyo@The Towers matches any Japanese fare in the country and is only let down by high prices. Miyako, meanwhile, is a gorgeously serene restaurant with fine food to boot, and Creekside wins points for its outstandingly good value all-you-can-eat deals and friendly service. The reassuringly low-key Yakitori, the revamped Sakura and the Radisson’s two Japanese restaurants all narrowly miss out on the medals this year.

Best Latin American

Winner
La Parrilla, Jumeirah Beach Hotel

Highly commended
Latino House, Al Murooj Rotana Hotel
Maria Bonita’s Taco Shop, independent
Pachanga, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah

Also nominated
Malecon, Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa
Maya, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa

Among the city’s Latin American restaurants, La Parrilla stomped straight to the top of the pile, thanks to its amazing steaks, hot-blooded floorshow and inspiring views of Jumeirah Beach Road and the Burj Al Arab. Last year’s winner, Latino House, was still highly commended for its fine meat and authentic South American dishes; Pachanga at the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah wasn’t far behind, with some excellent Brazilian and Argentinean creations plus a sizzling samba show; while Maria Bonita’s Taco Shop – with its resoundingly good Mexican cuisine and squawking parrots – was justly recognised for the second year on the trot. The only newcomer to the category, Maya, deserves a mention for its fine setting and fast-improving food.

Best Lebanese

Winner
Al Qasr, Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa

Highly commended
Al Khayal, Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Al Nafoorah, Jumeirah Emirates Towers
Awtar, Grand Hyatt Dubai

Also nominated
Al Mijana, Le Meridien Dubai
Al Sawan, Dhow Palace Hotel
Bastakiah Nights, Bastakia
Mays El Reem, JW Marriott

In a city with a plethora of excellent Lebanese options, opinion will always be divided on which one is the best. What characterises the Lebanese dining experience – bountiful hospitality, sheer variety and great entertainment – had to be considered in this difficult category. Which is why Al Qasr, with its dizzying array of homely Lebanese delicacies and swirling belly dancers, came out on top. Last year’s winner, Al Nafoorah, was highly commended this time around for its excellent food and elegant setting, but it lacked some of the warmth of Al Qasr. Awtar was similarly recognised for its fine food and welcoming atmosphere, while Al Khayal was praised for its excellent dishes and brilliant service.

Best New Restaurant

Winner
Nineteen, The Montgomerie

Highly commended
Almaz by Momo, Mall of the Emirates
Iz, Grand Hyatt Dubai
Shu, Beach Road

Also nominated
Aangan, Dhow Palace Hotel
Al Sawan, Dhow Palace Hotel
Flooka, Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa
Golestan, Garhoud
The Grand Grill, Habtoor Grand
Maya, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa
Salmontini, Kempinski Hotel
Samad, Deira

With a strong field of contenders for best new restaurant, there was plenty of head scratching and pencil chewing before we arrived at our verdict. Ultimately it was Nineteen at the Montgomerie Dubai Golf Club that won the day for its excellent contemporary European food with an Asian twist. Almaz by Momo gained praise for its authentic and wonderfully fresh Moroccan food in a beautiful restaurant that melds traditional style with modern flair (despite being in a mall). Iz at the Grand Hyatt missed out on the big prize because of its slightly confused service, but the beautiful contemporary Indian restaurant has all the potential to make a huge impression next year. And Shu was also highly commended for its charmingly kooky decor, fine Lebanese food and buzzing atmosphere.

Best North African

Winner
Marrakech, Shangri-La Hotel

Highly commended
Almaz by Momo, Mall of the Emirates
Tagine, One & Only Royal Mirage

Also nominated
Shoo Fee Ma Fee, Souk Madinat Jumeirah

Marrakech at the Shangri-La keeps its crown as the best North African restaurant in Dubai for its upmarket take on traditional grills and tagines, not to mention its elegant Moroccan décor. This was despite stiff competition from Tagine, which can still be relied upon to rustle up some excellent North African dishes in atmospheric surroundings; and newcomer Almaz by Momo, which is fast proving a hit with a trendy crowd who prefer their Moroccan favourites in a more contemporary setting.

Best Romantic

Winner
Pierchic, Al Qasr

Highly commended
Bateaux Dubai, Jebel Ali International
Eau Zone, One&Only Royal Mirage
Majlis Al Bahar, Burj Al Arab

Also nominated
Beach Bar & Grill, One&Only Royal Mirage
The Dhow, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi
Pai Thai, Madinat Jumeirah
Splendido, Ritz-Carlton Dubai
Villa Beach Restaurant, Jumeirah Beach Hotel

With spectacular, pulse-quickening views of the Burj Al Arab, the Palm and the Madinat, Pierchic snatched the prize for best romantic restaurant this year. The beautiful, ambient lighting along the pier instantly gets you in the mood for a delightful evening in the company of somebody special, and the house speciality – a delicate lemon sole – makes the whole experience one you’ll want to remember. Just be sure to book a table on the terrace. Last year’s winner, Eau Zone, was highly commended this time around for a shore-side location that would make any occasion special. Also praised was Bateaux Dubai for its elegant dinner cruises, and the Burj Al Arab’s Majlis Al Bahar’s alfresco restaurant for its enchanting setting.

Best Seafood

Winner
Pisces, Souk Madinat Jumeirah

Highly commended
Al Mahara, Burj Al Arab
Amwaj, Shangri-La Hotel
The Aquarium, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

Also nominated
Flooka, Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa
Marina Seafood Market, Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Peppercrab, Grand Hyatt Dubai
Pierchic, Madinat Jumeirah
Salmontini, Kempinski Hotel
Sammach, Beach Centre
The Wharf, Madinat Jumeirah

With its placid, flowing ambience, sleek service and exquisite seafood creations, Pisces simply couldn’t be beaten for the second year in a row. There was also high praise for Amwaj, which offers artfully presented seafood in a stunning contemporary setting, and Al Mahara at the Burj Al Arab, despite its frankly ridiculous ‘submarine’ ride to the dining room. The Aquarium at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club was also highly commended for its arrestingly giant fish tank and its excellent seafood.

Best Southeast Asian

Winner
Sukhothai, Le Meridien Dubai

Highly commended
Buddha Bar, Grosvenor House
Pai Thai, Madinat Jumeirah
Lemongrass, Bur Dubai

Also nominated
Blue Elephant, Al Bustan Rotana Hotel
Hoi An, Shangri-La Hotel
Thai Connection, Ascot Hotel
Thai Kitchen, Park Hyatt Dubai
The Noodle House, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

The evocatively authentic food, attractive wood-carved decor and friendly service at Sukhothai meant that Le Meridien Dubai’s superb Thai restaurant couldn’t be toppled for the second year in a row. This was in spite of a strong challenge from Pai Thai at the Madinat Jumeirah, who poached Sukothai’s head chef in 2006. Also highly commended were the achingly cool Buddha Bar at Grosvenor House and Lemongrass in Oud Metha, whose excellent Thai food and welcoming ambience proves that an independent restaurant is more than capable of holding its own with the big boys.

Best Steakhouse

Winner
The Exchange Grill, The Fairmont Dubai

Highly commended
Legends Steakhouse, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Manhattan Grill, Grand Hyatt Dubai
Palm Grill, Radisson SAS Dubai Deira Creek

Also nominated
The Grand Grill, Habtoor Grand
JW’s Steakhouse, JW Marriott
The Rib Room, Jumeirah Emirates Towers
Rodeo Grill, Al Bustan Rotana
Western Steakhouse, Crowne Plaza Dubai

There’s something about steak that gets passions running high. Dedicated carnivores all have their opinions as to where the best steaks in the city can be found. So we trawled them all in search of the juiciest, tenderest cuts of beef, and found that The Exchange Grill at The Fairmont Dubai just couldn’t be beaten. Last year’s victor, Manhattan Grill, just missed out this time despite great steaks and sleek service. Meanwhile, Legends’ staggeringly good value and equally excellent beef earned them a plaque and Palm Grill made us doff our caps in reverence at its lovingly prepared meat and jazz piano flourishes.

Best Bar Food

Winner
Barasti Bar, Le Royal Meridien Mina Seyahi

Highly commended
Après, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates
The Irish Village, independent
Waxy O’Conner’s, Ascot Hotel

Also nominated
The Boardwalk, Dubai Creek Golf and
Yacht Club
Carter’s, Wafi City
Dhow & Anchor, Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Ginseng, Wafi City
The Terrace, Park Hyatt Dubai

When it comes to eating in bars, we rarely expect the best food the city has to offer. Rather, a combination of tasty, substantial dishes and a convivial atmosphere in which to enjoy them alongside a relaxing drink or two. Which is why Barasti Bar was awarded the gong in this new category – its sultry sea-front location and satisfying, if a little expensive, grazing food is hard to beat. The Irish Village scored highly for its dependably hearty creations and cheery outdoor terrace while Après scoring highly for similarly impressive setting and excellent fare. But the big surprise came with Waxy O’Conner’s, which has ditched its pub-grub stodge in favour of some of the best food to be found in any of the city’s watering holes.

Restaurant Of The Year 2007

Verre, Hilton Dubai Creek

Twelve months on from Time Out’s first restaurant awards and Verre still sits proudly at the top of the heap. With many excellent new restaurants opening, and many established restaurants improving in the past year, competition has increased like never before. While some may have lost their way, others have consistently raised the bar when it comes to excellence in fine dining. And just like owner Gordon Ramsay, Verre has refused to bask in past glories. Pressure has been building from many quarters, notably Tang, with its inspired, imaginative and challenging menu, and Pisces, with its astoundingly good seafood and serene setting. But Verre has resolutely concentrated on what made it so special in the first place: the pursuit of perfection. It may not be quite there, and it may never reach the heights to which it aspires, but its strident efforts to shine beyond any of Dubai’s other fine dining establishments mean that standards will continue to rise in the city. If the likely contenders – and perhaps one or two new openings – can catch up by next year’s awards, we’ll all be in for a treat.

Divorce for calling wife a mouse, 1 March 2007. A Dubai court granted a divorce to a 28 year old Arab woman because she was offended when her husband said she looked like a mouse. The 37 year old husband was also ordered to pay her a monthly maintenance.

Dubai, March 2 Muslim authorities in Dubai, acknowledging the synergy of technology and tadition, Thursday confirmed that a Muslim divorce can be carried out via a mobile phone text message or SMS.

The country's Grand Mufti, Ahmed al-Haddad, who issued a fatwa on the subject, noted: "Islamic clerics disagreed over the way divorce can be written."

"While some said writing a divorce is equivalent to verbally announcing it, others believe a divorce must be documented by writing and can only be applied when there is intention and when it is read aloud."

Al-Haddad said he believed an Islamic judge or "mufti" is able judge a divorce case filed via a mobile phone SMS, based on any of the two opinions by choosing what is most applicable to the couple's circumstances.

"Divorce through this modern way is not different from using a pen and a paper," he said.

In Islam, if a husband seriously and verbally tells his wife "you are divorced", they should be separated even without a formal certification of divorce

Time Out Restaurant Awards 2007