Most of you will know Atelier M in Pier 7, Dubai Marina, for its Marina Views, secret rooftop bar and stellar stellar Tuesday Ladies Night. It’s long established itself as the ‘classy’ joint in the Pier 7 Tower, and if I had a Dirham for every first Bumble date invitation I’ve had there, the 4 complimentary drinks on Ladies Night there would probably be redundant.
But how many of you, I ask, know it for its food? Not many, I’ll bet, and FOOLS indeed. I say that with the full disclosure that up until last week, I was amongst you. I don’t think I’d even stepped a foot on the restaurant level, which sits below its Mezzanine Bar. However, this all changed last week when I was invited to review its Ladies Night set menu, and I sauntered on down to check it out.
I dined on its outside terrace which is decked out romantically with candles, blankets and spectacular views of the Marina. The inside is pretty glitzy too – it beams Great Gatsby art deco splendour with woven gold metal screens, feathers and ambient lighting.
The set menu is a steal; 190 Dirham (40 GBP) for 3 courses and 2 drinks. There are multiple choices for each course and the genre is modern European, with a the odd Asian flip working its way in there. I cajoled my friend into ordering different dishes to me, and together, glass of vino in hand, we worked our way through the menu.
Things kicked off with Roasted Artichoke Tortellini with beetroot puree, ricotta and soy emulsion. This was a treat of wafer thin, eggy pasta and unctuous, deep artichoke. The creamy emulsion brought me oodles of umami and I could happily have dived right in to this all night long. It set an impressive tone for the food standard, which was quickly confirmed by the Tuna Tartare with avocado and truffle jus. I love the combination of tuna with truffle and soy, so this was a treat, set off with the rich, chill avocado and crispy little cones of bread for texture. Plating was elegant and I was a happy diner.
For mains, I tried their Paella de Conejo; slow cooked crispy rabbit with paella and chorizo. It was nice, without totally blowing my mind. Their Soy Honey Glazed Salmon with celeriac and sesame puree, cauliflower salad and yuzi froth was more special. The salmon was well cooked – not overdone and with the right texture – the salad was fresh and zingy, set off by smooth, earthy celeriac and a touch of honey sweetness. Very, very nice.
Matcha Milk Cake with chantilly cream and ‘matcha caviar’, and a dish of House Sorbets, gave me the sweet hit I needed to close the evening.
I left Atelier M with a wildly different impression than I entered with. I’d expected the food to be mediocre at best, and was surprised to find it….really very good indeed! I now mentally log Atelier M as not only an awesome place to drink (with or without aforementioned Bumble date), but also a great dinner spot. Check it out.
The Ladies Day set menu is served Tuesdays and Fridays, 190 AED pp for 3 courses including 2 drinks.
hone: +971 4 450 7766 Email: info@atelierm.ae Web: www.atelierm.ae
