Reem Al Bawadi: Good food, great vibes

Dubai: If you have out-of-town guests – and who doesn’t – and you have just one shot to treat them to a top notch Arabic dining experience, picking the perfect restaurant can be quite challenging.

You need to not only ensure the place is going to deliver knockout food, you have to be absolutely certain it will leave your guests truly awed.

One chain of restaurants you can’t possibly go wrong with is Reem A Bawadi. Ever since they made their Dubai debut with a humongous outlet on Jumeirah Beach Road, Reem Al Bawadi has assumed a cult status among tourists and residents alike.

Their fourth and newest outlet at Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Boulevard offers the same great taste and ambience, but has a much trendier feel.

As you step inside, more familiar sights abound. Loud Arabic decor, low hanging chandeliers, waiters taking orders on PDA devices wearing Sinbad-inspired costumes and, in the faraway section, a haze of sheesha smoke hanging in the air like fumes from the exhaust of a vintage Plymouth.

As fascinating as all these may appear, the main attraction at Al Bawadi is and always will be the food.

Their menu features almost all Arabic staples and a bunch of continental dishes, but we decided to go for a mixed grill platter (Dh80) because grilled food is the mainstay of the Lebanese eatery. We weren’t disappointed. The assortment of lamb cubes, kebab halabi, skewered chicken, lamb chops and kebab izmerli was divine. I particularly liked kebab izmerli. The meat was cooked to perfection and left a lingering taste, though the same can’t be said for some of the lamb cubes, as they were a bit too raw for my liking. Another dish that I truly relished was the goat cheese salad (Dh40). Served warm with rocca leaves, dry fruits and lemon thyme honey dressing, it worked brilliantly as a starter. As did the traditional lentil soup (Dh22) which is served with Lebanese bread.

Also highly recommended is the Reem Al Bawadi mocktail (Dh35). I took childish delight slurping chunks of fresh fruits floating in the rich tropical juice topped with fresh ashta cream, crushed pistachio and honey.

We rounded the meal with the restaurant’s signature ice-cream (Dh45) – essentially a hollowed pineapple basket filled with fresh fruit salad, ice cream, whipped cream and nuts.

Overall Reem Al Bawadi is a great spot. The food is brilliant and the service outstanding.

The joint has both outdoor and indoor dining areas, but now that summer is relaxing its tenacious grip on Dubai and al fresco dining is makes a triumphant return, we suggest you sit outdoors.

Make sure you make a reservation as you could be in for a long wait. On a hungry stomach, that could be quite discomforting.

Details

Meal for two: Around Dh250

Location: Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Boulevard near The Dubai Mall

Contact: 04-443 9690

Parking top tip: Drive into the underground parking No 3 and look for pillar No 24. The elevator next to it takes you directly to the restaurant entrance.

We recommend: Mixed grill, goat cheese salad, Reem Al Bawadi mocktail