With the plethora of upmarket steakhouse and grills in the region, it can be a hard task to separate the front-runners from the young (or sometimes even more established) pretenders when deciding where to satisfy your urban carnivorous cravings. But while today’s celebrity chef band wagon has given rise to a number of irritatingly smug personas and television shows, Britain’s famed kitchen kingpin Marco Pierre White’s establishments can usually be counted on for their gastronomic offerings, particularly in the red-meat department.
Fortunately, the winter menu at the Marco Pierre White Grill at the Conrad Dubai doesn’t disappoint in this regard, serving up a solid, sophisticated menu with an added emphasis towards the ‘fine meat’ selection prepared on the beech oven grill.
Having decided not to plump for the 28oz Tomahawk Steak for two option (the pragmatic need for a bit of variety concluded what was truthfully an agonising deliberation), we sampled the tenderloin, rib-eye and strip loin selection from all four of the Australian dominated MPW cuts. While you can’t go wrong with the Kimberley red or 1855 slabs, the 100-day grain finished Condabri beef proved to be our pick of the evening, a medal-winning piece of meat and one of the more economical food choices, at only Dhs230 for the 10oz tenderloin. Conversely, any Wagyu beef aficionados in the mood to push the boat out should opt for the Rump Cap 12oz beauty, commanding a not-to be-sniffed at Dhs450 price tag, but a beautiful cut all the same.
If you don’t fancy steak however, fret not. Other highlights from the mains menu include the flavoursome Buffalo Mozzarella Stuffed Ravioli , or the particularly decent venison wellington, a fairly uncommon take on the classic English dish that is served with mixed success in these parts, but delivered superbly here. As an aside…about the sides, while the triple cooked chip is now a bona fide mainstay in all restaurants of this ilk, if every establishment served them up as well as the MPW Grill, they’d find themselves on our dinner plate considerably more often. Partner these or the aged cheddar gratin with the creamed spinach and you’re on to a winner.
The restaurant’s decor, much like the menu, is relatively simple – with wooden flooring and exposed brickwork, improved with modern aesthetic touches such as the sea of lightbulbs floating down from the ceiling and a large open kitchen, showcasing the dancing flames of the grills as the chefs diligently prepare your dish of choice.
While the Marco Pierre White Grill may not have quite enough meat magic in its locker to tempt away serious steak fanboys from the likes of Gaucho in the long-term, some fantastic steak cuts alongside a well-executed menu, offered in the attractive surroundings of one of the best hotels in the city, mean you can put this down as another winner under the tempestuous British chef’s belt.
conraddubai.com/en/dining-and-entertainment/marco-pierre-white-grill