Celebrities at One & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai

We're not sure on the name, but this eatery's cuisine is famously good

OKAY, SO THE name above the door may remind you of some novelty Madame Tussauds knock-off where you dine amongst a million beehives' worth of wax crudely sculpted into your favourite star. Or worse a place where, propping up the bar, are out of work actors who in the dim lighting look a bit like Michael Douglas or George Clooney from behind. However, what do they say about books and covers and all that?
Get past the possibly misleading Celebrities moniker and this The Palace, One & Only Royal Mirage restaurant is one to savour. Exquisitely appointed in one of Dubai's firm favourite hotels, the eatery is an extremely sophisticated location in which to while away the hours enjoying traditional fine-dining European cuisine.

Comparable in décor to a grand Parisian or Austro-Hungarian banqueting hall, Celebrities also houses a private dining section, which for once we found ourselves enjoying. While the regular room would have been splendidly comfortable, bedecked with chandeliers and fine satin cushions, the gargantuan solid table, which easily sat 12, each on a leather throne, was magnificent.
As we were cocooned in our own special area, we were also treated to an off-piste menu. Regular specialities include crab salad and confit tomatoes with baby vegetables, home smoked and confit salmon with caviar and scallops cooked in the shell with artichokes and purple potato chips. Our evening's menu, though, consisted of scallops out of the shell with caviar, sea bass and gnocchi and, for dessert, a lemon tart with lemon sorbet. The dishes' titles may not have sounded particularly haute-cuisine, but there we are judging things by their name again. Every course was five- star. The scallops were cooked to perfect and went very well with just a smidge of caviar. The sea bass was some of the best tasted in this city - its skin crisped up a treat. The gnocchi also added some girth to the ensemble, which is always welcome alongside a fish course. That's not to say fillet wasn't a generous portion, but when you're hungry sometimes fish alone doesn't quite cut it.
Arguably the greatest triumph was dessert. Not possessing a sweet tooth, this is rare. Yet, the lemon sorbet accompanying the main pastry of the tart, which came adorned with forest fruits, was a wonderful palette cleanser and was a delicate way in which to finish off the meal.
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david@khaleejtimes.com