Don’t have Dh455,000 to spare? No worries, Dh406 (plus taxes) is fine. Afraid of the water and get seasick? No problem, this is all on dry land.
Okay, okay, before you lose your patience… in the year that Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Oscar (that’s got no connection to the story, but we had to throw it in here!), and 104 years after it was first served, you can tuck into a 10-course menu from the Titanic here in Abu Dhabi.
Bord Eau, the posh French restaurant at the Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri in the capital, will be transformed into the Titanic’s first-class cabin this April 14. Executive Chef Mansour Memarian is working to recreate the flavours of the original 10-course menu in an attempt to take diners back in time to the Edwardian era of haute cuisine.
To keep with the programme, diners are encouraged to dress elegantly – and they will be entertained by jazz favourites across the decades.
Squab and cress
On April 14, 1912, the cost of the opulent 10-course feast in the Titanic’s first-class private dining room set diners back $124,000 (Dh455,000). It included oysters, cream of barley soup, filet mignon, roast duck in apple sauce, lamb in mint sauce, roast squab and cress, paté de foie gras, Waldorf pudding and chocolate éclairs. For many, including Leo’s character Jack, it would be their last meal: the ill-fated ship hit its notorious iceberg barely hours later.
The gastronomic experience was recreated for James Cameron's epic 1997 film.
“The last dinner on the Titanic epitomises the finest gastronomic journey worth telling, where guests’ experiences are not limited by their imagination,” Thomas Guss, the hotel’s general manager, said in a statement. “The savoir faire, sumptuous food and lively entertainment – coupled with a touch of history – are elegantly intertwined to give an unparalleled dining experience.”
The menu actually being served in Abu Dhabi was not available at the time of going to press. For reservations and enquiries, contact restaurantreservations.slad@shangri-la.com.
Drive slowly on the way back. You don't want to end up like Jack.
