Chic by name

French cuisine is renowned for being big on quality but minimalist on quantity. However, no one could accuse Café Chic of skimping on either. The gourmet eatery in the heart of Le Meridien Dubai's maze of restaurants is nothing if not divinely decadent in its abundance.

Spa-like

Richly decorated with red velvet armchairs, deep pile carpets and candles floating among rose petals in a font at the entrance, the setting creates a calming atmosphere from the moment you enter. Ambient chill-out tunes softly playing in the background add to the spa-like tranquillity, which is further enhanced by elegant floral arrangements here and there.

We take our comfortable seats, tucked away in one of the offshoots of this unusually-shaped restaurant on split levels.
Already the stresses of the day begin to fade.

Innovative

The waiters are dressed in sombre black suits and speak in hushed tones. They inform us of the specials before leaving us with the menus to peruse. The virgin pages reveal a fine selection of innovative cuisine on offer. While there are such
ingredients as frogs' legs and foie gras for the adventurous, I select a more traditional catch from the sea for my starter
and main course.

No prices

I notice there are no prices to be seen but my companion informs me it is a privilege for the male diner only. How
thoughtful.

Had I looked, I may not have been so extravagant in my selection but I soon discover there is something quite liberating about eating without knowing the financial consequence.

Appetisers

As we choose, we are treated to tiny appetisers presented on a glass stand decorated with an orchid. And before our first
order arrives, there is more to whet our appetites in the form of a port glass of carrot and ginger soup with smoked hammour tartare on the side. That, together with repeated offerings of warm rolls, from parmesan and olive focaccia to walnut bread, ensure our taste buds are fully alert by the time our starters arrive.

When they do, the immaculate presentation is a sight to be savoured. My tiger prawns are perched on a bed of the thinnest slivers of asparagus carpaccio either side of a "mousseline" of tomato confit and pink grapefruit. Meanwhile, my partner's pan-fried Dieppe scallops sit perfectly in a line alongside neat rows of accompanying vegetables. Diving in with irreverence, the food thankfully tastes as good as it looks.

Flavour

My prawns are beautifully cooked and the raw asparagus is bursting with flavour often lost in the pan.

It is while I am devouring the starter that a chef arrives to show me my next course in its original form: lobster in its
shell surrounded by a plume of steam inside a clay tagine.

It later returns under a gleaming silver dome minus the armour but for the head and tail for decorative purposes. It is
joined on an oval white plate by a stuffed artichoke. Even a tiny cherry tomato has been deftly filled with ragout Niçoise.
One bite of the succulent lobster, complemented by a smoky juice of Oriental spices, and I realise the samples I have
experienced before have been woefully under par. It is a revelation of the "eureka" kind.

My companion's Australian Black Angus beef tenderloin with braised white asparagus and poached bone marrow is equally delicious, I'm told.

Exquisite

Dessert, but of course, comes after a pre-dessert surprise of a refreshing red fruit soup with a warm biscuit on the side.
How I have room for my bitter chocolate cannelloni, caramelised, with custard ice cream and Guanaja chocolate sauce, I don't know.

Still, the exquisite masterpiece soon disappears and I wipe the corners of my mouth and sit back with a sigh of complete and utter satisfaction.

Outstanding

No need then for the petit fours that accompanied the espresso.

While the seemingly relentless complimentary nibbles between dishes justify the steep prices — our main courses, I later learn, were Dh240 each — by the end I was vowing not to eat for the rest of the week.

As well as the outstanding cuisine, the service was impeccable and almost as mesmerising as watching synchronised swimming.

Hard to fault, the experience was delightfully indulgent from start to finish.

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