Post Category - EatEat - Post Category - Eating OutEating OutSeveral of my friends have been raving about La Serre, the French Restaurant at the VIDA Downtown Hotel. They’ve been oo-ing and aa-ing so much about the food, ambiance and cool factor that it got to the point where I got sick of hearing about it and had to see if for myself.
My date for the night (and for the past 15 years) had booked us in for a late dinner at 9.30pm. The place was buzzing when we walked through the doors and found ourselves fortunate enough to get the last spot at the bar. Mama, excited about being out and about and in her heels for the first time in forever (yes that IS indeed one of the songs from the movie Frozen –get out of my head- it’s date night!) decided to start out in style with a glass of bubbly. Having spent summer holidays in France, I have to say I was a bit disappointed about the fact that the glass was only filled half way (but then again, you really shouldn’t have to cup your hands around the top of a glass to keep the liquid in)! My husband decided on a classic G&T and for all you gin lovers out there, yes, they do serve Hendrick’s!
Once we had finished our drinks, we were escorted to our table and eager for some serious French chow. While we were going through the menu, we were given a complimentary mini pizza with an onion and cream topping, which helped keep us patient while going through the menu and making our choices. For a French restaurant, I have to say the menu was surprisingly extensive, but for those who know their escargot from their foie gras that shouldn’t be a problem.
Choosing a starter however was a problem, so we naturally ordered three of them; the Burrata with tomatoes, the warm green bean salad with foie gras and a beef tartar. I’m so happy we did bulked up our order, because all three dishes were delicious: the Burrata dreamy and creamy on the inside, the beef tartar perfectly flavoured and not too finely chopped and the foie gras combined with the green beans was smooth and lovely!
For our main, we decided to share the Dover sole meunière which was a good call. Not just because it was pan fried to perfection (not too much butter but a crispy surface), but it was definitely big enough for sharing. You get two decent sized fillets on each side of the fish. Yum!
Although I like to think of myself as a highly capable diner, I am embarrassed to admit we simply did not have room for dessert. But I can tell you this; you won’t be disappointed. The table next to us had a Salted Caramel Tart and a Crème Brûlée, which looked divine. Should you however find yourselves experiencing a similar set back as us, they do put out clementines on the table after dinner if you’re just looking for a small something. We love it!
La Serre- oh yes mamas, we’re coming back and next time, there will be no shying away from dessert.
La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie
Vida Downtown Hotel
Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard
Downtown Dubai, UAE
Tel: (+971) (0)4 428 6969
www.laserre.ae
