Nothing fishy about M's Seafood Bistro — it's very nice indeed

The brand new M's Seafood Bistro isn't actually that new: it's the old Cafe Chic with a new fishy focus. And it's very nice indeed.

It's not that much different — the food is cooked to the same high quality, with a very French finesse and focus on top-notch ingredients. So you can expect the bread to be incredible (this was the only time I threw out my usual rule about not making the amateurish mistake of filling up on bread), as is the butter and the large bottle of emerald green, flavourful olive oil at each table. That sounds like a strange thing to mention, perhaps, but I believe a restaurant experience is also about getting the little things done right. First impressions count — and bread is usually the first thing that lands on your table at a restaurant.

But beyond the bread and butter (did I mention the pretzel rolls? Dreamy.) there's plenty of fish in this light and airy restaurant, which has not been redecorated, although a few marine items have been added to the walls. The reworked menu has classic fish and seafood starters (there's no meat on the menu here but there is at the adjoining M's Beef Bistro) such as French fish soup, smoked salmon and oysters, as well as sharing platters called mezze.

Plump oysters

We went for a couple of plump fines de claire oysters from France (you can buy them by the piece, Dh25 each, which is good for nervous bivalve eaters) to slurp down with our aperitifs, before a plate of smoked salmon, Dh62. My gripe here is that the portion felt a little small, with a few slices carefully covering the plate like a carpaccio.

The best starter option was one of the extensive ceviche offering — seafood "cooked" in acidic juice paired with punchy condiments (Dh60). You can choose from fresh prawns, baby octopus, tuna, hammour or salmon, and then your choice of ceviche, from classic Peruvian to Caribbean (coconut milk, ginger, lime juice), Japanese (soy, wasabi, lime juice), Mexican (coriander, lime and chipotle chilli), and Thai (fish sauce, lime juice, garlic). I had Peruvian tuna.

It's delicious. The chunks of tuna are lightly cooked on the exterior but firm and meaty inside, a mouthful bursting with tangy orange and lime juice, onion, fresh coriander and cucumber. It's where chaat meets salsa by the sea.

Fish of the day

Our mains were far more classic French. Options included a whole salt baked seabass, or the fish of the day cooked meuniere style (fried in butter with capers). The fish of the day was a 1 kilogram turbot — a beautiful flat fish but a rather substantial portion that couldn't be done for one — so I chose the sea bream (Dh85), another wonderful eating fish. Two fillets, pan-fried with crisp, golden skin, came over anchovy-spiked crushed potatoes and with an olive-caper sauce freshened with diced tomato. It's like a sunny day at Cannes on a plate — perfect Mediterranean.

Over on the other side of the table, my dining partner had the John Dory (Dh172), a chunkier white fish that was also pan-fried and served with a smooth lobster sauce. The fish was moist, sweet and flaky, but I think the sauce could have had a little more punch.

Very little to be faulted here, though. It came with a couple of fondant potatoes and spinach — hungrier types may want to order a starchy side (or more bread!).

Chocolate souffle

Desserts remain the French classics the Cafe Chic was known for — yes, the chocolate souffle is still there. Many dishes are cooked tableside, demonstrating the skill of the wait staff, who are almost chefs in their own right (ours cooked the crepes suzette, Dh50, with some scary flambe dexterity).

There are many ice cream sundaes on offer, the "coupes" including peach melba and the pear-and-chocolate dame blanche. We chose vacherin (Dh38) — vanilla ice cream, crushed meringues, raspberry sorbet and fresh raspberries. It was a cut above the average sundae and ice cream lovers will be very happy.

Want to taste it on a budget? There's a three-course lunch menu for Dh99 (excluding drinks) for local fish, and Dh150 with imported fish.

Where: M's Seafood Bistro, Le Meridien Dubai (near the airport)

Call:04-2170000

Decor: Sunny at sea

Atmosphere: Relaxed, yet serious about fish

Must-haves: Ceviche, sea bream