Iftar of the day: The Ivy, Dubai

The Ivy’s laid back, classic setting is a relaxing place to enjoy an iftar experience with a twist. Billed as “taste of iftar’, the restaurant aims for “an elegant iftar”, where the traditional buffet is replaced by a share-at-your-table four-course set menu.

Four starters, four main courses and a shared selection of desserts are brought to your table (where crisp white tablecloths reign) by the ever-attentive staff. This allows you to taste a full range of dishes, without having to choose!

“We planned a stylish buffet, where we still want you to experience the sharing concept,” Mirzo Hafizov, General Manager of the Ivy explained.

Head Chef Ben Tobitt has designed the dishes with a strong local emphasis. Starters include a very hearty warm harrisa with feta and chickpeas; complemented by fresh tabouleh, hummus and fattoush starters.

The presentation is very good, with a sense of occasion as the table fills up with plate after plate.

The main course highlight is a delicate and aromatic pan-fried Sultan Ibrahim with seafood machboos served on Arabic rice – simply wonderful. The dish includes baby octopus, calamari and prawns alongside the light and flaky locally-caught fish.

There’s chicken shish taouk and sumac, a spiced lamb chop with stuffed marrow and vine leaves. The options for the lamb dish are “pink” or “well done” and while many opt for the latter option, we went for pink in place of our preference for medium rare. This resulted in a rather “rare” option that took from the overall delight of the dish.

The desserts, however, are a treat: baklava, Turkish delight, mahalabiya, hazelnut icecream and a very refreshing fruit platter topped with passion fruit juices. The sticky toffee and date pudding is a decadent dish where tradition abounds – offering a delicious warm pudding for those with a sweet tooth.

Desserts have proved popular here for many who are breaking fast – about half of the diners are opting for the ‘taste of iftar’ while the a-la-carte menu remains a popular choice. One for the list!

Where; The Ivy, The Boulevard, Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Call 04-3198767.
Timing: 7pm-11pm
Price: Dh190 per person.