Surf's up at new Dubai cafe

The newly opened Surf Café offers a fresh take on healthy dining.

YOU'VE JUST FINISHED a round of sunset yoga or a paddleboard session at Jumeirah's Surf House and you're hungry. You're not just hungry, you're in the mood to strike fear in the heart of every 'all-you-can-eat' buffet proprietor out there, reasoning no matter what price they charge you're still going to be quids-in with the amount you're going to pack away.
However (and this is a big however), you've just done a truckload of exercise. You're being "good" after an Eid blowout. The heady haze begins to lift and you begin to doubt whether eating your body weight in chips washed down with treacle is such a good idea. So, you're resolute.wholesome food it is. Though, you're at the Burj Al Arab end of Jumeirah Beach road in Umm Suqeim. The only eateries along that strip usually serve meals alongside free refillable soda and a plastic toy gift when you've finished. There's hardly a plethora of restaurants looking out for your health. Until now.
The Surf Café is a cool dining hangout situated right next door to the Surf House. It predominantly serves fresh seafood, most of which is kept in tanks in one corner of the establishment, although you can order a range of dishes.
Most meals are either grilled or steamed so all that hard work exercising doesn't go to waste, but above all else, the recipes are delicious.
Launched by long-time Dubai residents Claudio and Nicoletta, it is their personal touches that make the Surf Café so unique.
The laid back atmosphere is perfect, but don't go thinking this is a shack on the beach type of place. The dining room is highly appointed with chic comfortable furniture and local art on the walls. The glass elevator from the entrance right up into the centre of the action is also a fine feature.
Now, onto the food. Starting with a fresh carrot juice - nothing signifies "health" quite like a glass of pulped vegetables - we put our faith in the owners' recommendations. Although we forwent the shellfish milling about their tanks, we did hop over to the fish bar where I picked out a sea bass to be grilled with sauce Choron and to be accompanied by sweet potato fries and steamed vegetables. It was best to declare an interest in that first so it could be prepared while enjoying entrees which included ceviche del patron and beef tartare. Both were excellent, but the ceviche won out, its tangy citrus flavour hitting the spot a treat.
The sea bass then arrived as well as a chicken and mango salad. The sea bass is worth heading to the restaurant for in itself. It is very well done and the sweet potato fries are magic. The chicken and mango salad added a taste of the exotic and was a decent combination overall.
Then came the, admittedly not 100 per cent healthy, desserts. A cheeky home baked cheesecake and chocolate bunyols (Spanish doughnuts) were an indulgence, but if you have calories to spare, they are an absolute must.
Visit: www.thesurfcafedubai.com

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