Fifty Shades of Food

Our impression of McGettigan's has been clouded with the idea that is is the watering hole for tourists and upper scale Dubai residents. Positioned in the mind as a pub one would not expect the food to be one of the stronger suites of this Irish offering. Indeed the setting of McGettigan's along the canal of Madinat Jumeirah creates a unique ambience that alone is a footfall driver. A very friendly staff, and the vibe of a happening place standout.  The welcome was warm and friendly, and our request to be seated outside was quickly complied with after a short time inside. There is no doubt this Irish offering stands out with the quick service and the friendly staff. The drinks menu while not exhaustive is well thought out even catering to the one non-drinker in our midst. The food menu while not wide in selections certainly gave the impression this was more than pub grub on offer.  The Spinach Tagliatelle was perfectly cooked and a ideal choice for a vegetarian. The fish and c...

 When a close friend invited us to Mizu at Downtown in Dubai, we were not too sure if we were up for a night of sashimi and sushi. Within minutes of arriving we realised this was not your typical Japanese restaurant; this is something very special. Once you figure out the parking, (use Boulevard Parking 2 and take the lift up) you walk into a very down to earth decor of Mizu. The staff are very polite, the place is vibrant and every table was occupied. We decided to have a medley of starters and found there was nothing wanting in the almost two hour procession of food.  Mizu is a gem of a place and the food is its mainstay. Each dish was an explosion of taste, and you could feel there was considerable thought and effort in the offering that this restaurant presented. Starting from the Yellowtail Carpaccio till the final course of the Mochi Ice Cream there was not a single dish that was below par. There were adequate options for the veggie lovers and vegans amongst us. We enjoy...

Simon Rimmer's restaurant, The Scene at Pier 7 appears on the Dubai social media platforms with accolades and high recommendations. A celebrated British chef the menu he conjures up for The Scene is exciting and promising tempting us to venture out on a Saturday for dinner. Occupying the entire 4th floor of Pier 7 the restaurant is expansive with an outdoor terrace, which overlooks the Dubai Marina, envelopes the restaurant. The welcome was polite with the decor minimalistic and one could not help but notice a couple of buckets on the floor designed to catch the dripping condensation from the air conditioning vents.   As stated the menu is well thought out and the various themed nights with dedicated menus caught our attention. For Saturday the themed roast caught our attention and we opted for the braised leg of lamb with a nice medley of vegetables and roast potatoes. The meat had been deboned and came in the form of a patty supposed to be resting on red cabbage and a Yorksh...

<a href="https://www.zomato.com/dubai/ranches-restaurant-arabian-ranches" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Ranches Restaurant, Arabian Ranches and other Restaurants in Dubai" target="_blank"><img alt="Ranches Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/205788/biglogo" style="border:none;width:104px;height:34px;padding:0px;" /></a>  Long term residents look upon the Ranches Restaurant, located within the Golf Club, the go to place for a relaxed meal and local week end eat place for the family. The restaurant has survived over 20 years with a combination of tenacity and resident loyalty, braving the cyclical nature of its standing from amazing, to mediocre. One can only look at the Ranches Restaurant much like a long term relationship which usually has awesome days and then once in a while the odd bad day creeps in.  The food choices ar...

<a href="https://www.zomato.com/dubai/hqs-459-jumeirah-1" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about HQ'S 459, Jumeirah 1 and other Restaurants in Dubai" target="_blank"><img alt="HQ&#039;S 459 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18594341/minilink"  style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px;padding:0px;" /></a> Looking for affordable and delicious food then head on over to HQ's 459 at the Le Mer in Dubai. Once the challenge of finding a parking spot was over come (we opted for valet parking) finding the restaurant was easy. The welcome was cordial and the seating outside over looks the beach separated with a pathway for pedestrians. Le Mer is a busy place and if one can take the crowd walking past the outside seating the rest is all wonderful. In addition to the palm trees with their twinkling lights, its  good place to people watch a...

<a href="https://www.zomato.com/dubai/d-a-dhow-anchor-jumeirah-beach-hotel-umm-suqeim" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about D&A - Dhow & Anchor - Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Umm Suqeim and other Restaurants in Dubai" target="_blank" ><img alt="D&amp;A - Dhow &amp; Anchor - Jumeirah Beach Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/200167/biglink" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px;padding:0;" /></a> Visiting a restaurant a decade after the last visit gives one an excellent perspective on the changes. The Dhow & Anchor was a popular watering hole back then and one would not necessarily have gone there for a meal. The pub previously, was very dark and dingy.  Glad to see all that has changed with an openness and loads of light and a new feel. More of a pub bistro feel it has the advantage of outside seating with excellent ...

 We went to Maiden Shanghai, a much touted Chinese restaurant at the Five on the Palm in Dubai with much expectations. The Five is a busy location with a vibe that is difficult to define so getting through the busy entrance was a small achievement. The restaurant is over three floors with the first offering outdoor seating and the third with an outdoor terrace. We opted for the first floor though a narrow reception begged the question how would they handle a party of more than four arriving together? The welcome greeting was a bit cold and distant, though the girl who ushered us to the table was very helpful in finding a nice table. Our waitress Shama, was helpful and knew the menu well.  The menu was a bit confusing and one needed the waitress to explain the offerings.The spring rolls were amazing, fresh and crunchy, though would like a little more sauce. The dim sum platter was mixed, with the mushroom, beef and shrimp dumplings being exceptional, the turnip dimpling was a f...