Dubai St. Tropez is a picturesque seaside resort town on the French Riviera known to attract tourists who look for that ‘Provençal’ authenticity and hope to sight that occasional celebrity. You can kind of sense both at this tastefully designed restaurant next to the Kempinski Hotel in the Mall of the Emirates as you make your way past giant posters of some of the most enduring faces in Hollywood.
Sitting not far from where Carey Grant and Angelina Jolie look over your shoulder in their distinctly dapper styles, I order a cup of coffee while sifting through some of the French specialities the bistro promises. To begin with, I order a fresh baked Vanilla Brioche (Dh30), a typical French toast soaked in delicious maple syrup and an Eggs Benedict (Dh45), where the egg is soft-poached with spinach on a soft English muffin and topped with crumpet made of veal and of course plenty of hollandaise sauce.
The first real delicacy to arrive on the table though was their Escargot (Dh65) which is a starter of six Burgundy snails most deliciously baked with parsley butter. You eat a bread stick dipped in that butter and pop a small portion in the mouth for a real gustatory delight.
A raw wagyu steak tartare (Dh75 for a starter, Dh110 for a main portion) arrived next, served with some warm garlic toast. The wagyu - of premium quality - and minced with capers, mixed herbs, onions, tabasco and garlic was yet another fabulous item of the day. I also tried their rack of lamb (Dh145), medium done (in my case) and served with dauphinoise potatoes, caramelised onions, fresh beans and a foie gras jus. What made the platter so amazing were the rich potatoes baked in crème fraîche and cheese and the lump of delicious caramelised onions that also dressed up their St. Tropez gourmet burger (Dh65, Dh105 with foie gras) nicely. With a giant beefburger patty and skinny fries with real parsley essence, the experience couldn’t have been more fashionably tasteful and complete.
Details:
Meal for two: Dh300-400
Location: Mall of Emirates, West End, near Ski Dubai
Timings: 8am-midnight
Reservation: 04-341 3415
We recommend: Eggs benedict, escargot, wagyu tartare, Rack of lamb, St. Tropez gourmet burger
