Having already frequented the recently opened Pacha, I had great expectations of going again on a date night. The last excursion was for my reformed-Ibiza-clubber husband’s birthday, when we dined with a small group on the heavenly rooftop terrace, staring out over the turrets of the Madinat with the Burj Al Arab winking at us just out of reach. The food then was a tapas selection, simply delicious and belying the clubs notoriety as more of a watering hole than a gastronomic delight.
Pacha Dubai comprises three floors of decadence: the rooftop being the third with its chic white lighting, shisha lounge and chilled vibes. The nightclub is then spread over the second and ground floor, which is also home to a restaurant/club where you can dine whilst watching a ‘live show’. The latter was the setting for our date night. Now a night at Pacha might not sound to some like the ideal romantic setting, but hold onto your high heels mamas this gem of a ‘restaurant’ is the place to take your other half for a really hot night. It combines the perfect dosage of glamour, ambience, talented live performances, a hint of risque and a whole menu of flavour-filled Asian-fusion cuisine.
Arriving at the entrance to Pacha, just right of the entrance to Souk Madinat, immediately piques the party girl’s interest with its mysterious air, lush velvet curtains and subdued lighting. We were quickly seated very close to the rather small looking stage for our dinner a deux, and I had a sudden fear that our evening might involve rather more than the usual house maintenance and how are the kids doing chat.
Deciding to take the night as it came, we kicked off with some delicious cocktails – from what I can remember mine featured lychee and martini, but after a couple more I forgot some key ingredients. My other half had his usual Caipirinha and proceeded to talk about his former clubbing days with gusto. Dining in Pacha feels like an extremely decadent and more grown up way of reliving the Ibiza dream. Well, that’s until the show starts and then even the most weary and drained mama can’t resist from getting a little hot under the apron.
As we perused the menu, guided by our very hospitable host and part-time actor, we were impressed with the range and ingenuity of the dishes. It included Truffle Organic Chicken Satay and Sweet Soy or Tom-Ka-Kai Organic Chicken with Lemongrass and Coriander, Smoked Japanese Scallops and Red Curry or the mouth-watering Bo Luc Lac Wagyu Fillet with Vietnamese Black Pepper and much more besides. Opting for some sharing dishes we sat back to wait for the fun to begin.
Now if you’re not familiar with the live show style of dining, let me explain, it basically involves performers coming on stage every 20-30 minutes and performing some daring, flamboyant and yet entertaining feats while you wine and dine. We were treated throughout our delicious meal to incredible dancers, acrobats, jugglers and contortionists, who at various points were whizzing round our heads on trapezes or pumping our heart rates with some seriously cool dancing. The great thing is your meal never feels interrupted, if anything you’re waiting for things to kick off on stage so much that you could miss the potency of the yummy food. By the end of the main course I was ready to hit the nightclub, but there was still more to come: a delicious desert of ice cream, sorbet and pear called something snappy, which I can’t remember as the scenes on stage were beginning to get steamy!
The last act of the night was a fabulous rendition of Prince’s ‘Kiss’ by the dance troupe who had been performing all night. They were clearly out to get the party started and everyone from the DJ to the diners was willing them on! The table of ladies next to us were jumping out of their seats with excitement and by the end of the song they had all been whisked onto the dancefloor to carry on the night… A great end to a great night.
Pacha certainly isn’t going to be your quietest date night of the year. However mamas if, like me, you’re a closet diva desperate to shake off the bonjella and baby wipes, then this is certainly a date night worth not going to bed for. You won’t be disappointed and neither will your other half.
Pacha, Al Sufouh 1, Dubai, (+971) (0)4 567 0000, www.pacha.ae