Restaurant review: Flair No 5

Top Stories

Restaurant review: Flair No 5

Simple grub gets a posh twist at this restaurant located in The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC. On offer: an unassuming menu that caters to end-of-day cravings, and a lively ambience

by

Sushmita Bose

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Thu 7 Feb 2019, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Fri 8 Feb 2019, 1:00 AM

In Dubai, this is the time of year when eating out - and I mean eating out - is the most tomtommed flavour of the season. Flair No 5 (that obviously reminded me of Chanel No 5, talk about flair!) is proving its mettle: this open-air, garden terrace-style lounge-cum-watering hole (it's closed during summer months - that's how seriously they take the great outdoors) is packed to the gills with enthusiastic folks who want to make a night out of it. My friend and I sit inside one of the wooden gazebos, with sofa seating, and check out the spectacular DIFC skyline. The lighting is low, a lot of candlelight here and there; I'm happy I can loosen my inhibitions and let my hair down.
My evening out at Flair No 5 gives me a foodie talking point: I've now "discovered" my fave cheese; I get to pop the Tete De Moine - which is carefully scraped with a knife to produce thin shavings - into my mouth and feel I am in fromage heaven. There's also Moliterno, Berger Bleu and Morbier on the board, served with a truffle-walnut-honey spread and cereal bread. Unbelievably good! (I went back to Flair No 5 a few days later just to have the Cheese Board.)
The eatables section is short and sweet, but covers all aspects of "comfort food": from flatbreads and burgers and grills to flavoured fries and croquettes. Just the kind of stuff you want to dig into when you want to enjoy cosy-chic without being irritatingly conscious.
Taste: The Cheese Board - with its nuanced selection of cheeses - and its truffle-walnut-honey spread were winners. The Heirloom Tomato & Burrata salad was fresh and flavourful. I was a little disappointed with the Fish & Chips; too bland for a watering hole. Great Truffle Flatbread though!
Ambience: Ambience rules! The entire area is al fresco, done up garden-style, complete with wooden gazebos. The feel is informal loungy, there's a DJ belting out popular numbers, and an enormous amount of vibrancy. This is where you let your hair down - even as you feel posh.
Service: Flair No 5 is very busy, so the service tends to get a little delayed - but no one really minds because you're usually here for the long haul. Our friendly server Collins indulged in some light banter, and spread good cheer, while the rest of the staff were quite helpful.
Presentation: The presentation takes comfort food a notch higher to make it live up to the restaurant's name. The Cheese Board and the Heirloom Tomato & Burrata in particular were standouts: made you want to dive right in without compromising on the haute factor.
Value for money: Prices are fairly competitive; the snacks, all priced around Dh45, are quite a steal, given the generous portions. I thought the salads - at Dh75 - should have been priced similarly. But overall, good bang for the buck; factor in ambience, it's quite a night out!
Fact file
Flair No 5, The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, Dubai
Reservations: 04-3722323
Cost for 2: Dh400 (excl beverages)
Rating: 4.5/5
sushmita@khaleejtimes.com


More news from