Restaurant Awards 2012

From the booking through to the bill, have to say the best service and restaurant experience I have had. Menu,food and wine list was excellent. Great experience and definitely recommended for romantic and special occasions.

Sorry you seemed to have missed my ACTUAL REVIEW!!!

For me the décor, the atmosphere, the ambience, the service, are all important facets for any restaurant that I visit, however and to state the obvious without the food everything else is circumspect, which leads me nicely onto Rhodes Mezzanine. I have seen some mixed reviews which from the outset surprised me however the old adage ‘one man’s meat’ etc. led myself and my date to the hallowed doors of Mezzanine. On arrival I was pleased with the warm welcome and the layout of the restaurant washed over me as opposed to in some cases either getting in my way or just making me feel uneasy. The table for two was well positioned and simply yet beautifully laid out, the service was attentive without being overly obtrusive, now the formalities over, what about the food!. We both started off with the prawn and scallop salad served with Quails eggs which we both found to be fairly tasteless however the peas were abundant with flavor but led down by the unexciting scallops and the rather texture less prawns. In between the service we were treated to various tasters which were pleasant however the menu orders were the most prevalent regarding our opinions. For the mains we both chose the same as each other again, this time being the pork belly, why you may ask? Well simply because the choice surprisingly was not that great unless you chose instead from the tasting menu. The main was I am afraid as disappointing as the starter as the pork was rather dry and the crackling was to say the least inedible perhaps it was just for display purposes I am not sure in addition the formed potato was greasy and reminded me of the oven ready ones you get from the supermarket. From this point onwards we were both starting to feel rather deflated and even the complimentary scones with clotted cream did not sway us from just wanting to pay and leave what was a rather underwhelming experience. On our way out I noticed Gary’s book on the reception desk, perhaps on the night reading about the food would have been better than actually consuming it. Gary! Let me know when you are next in the kitchen and I might pop back!

Quite simply put, the best restaurant I have ever been to. The service is remarkable. The food is a revelation. There's nothing better and this is after dining in London, New York, Paris etc...

The only downside is I cannot eat here every day.

I went there yesterday and I honestly can't believe the negative comments I'm reading. Yes the ambiance is an acquired taste but it's far from "clinical" and "pretentious" - it's a twist of classic and modern. The food is far from tasteless! Every dish we were served was so artistic in the way the flavors blended, I was astonished how from the same bite I got 3 different flavors teasing my taste buds one at a time, that's a master's work! The meats were extraordinarily tender, the staff was incredibly polite (through some of them seemed a bit shy), and the price...well people need to remember you're not going to a regular hotel restaurant, it's fine dining and for that quality the price is very reasonable. As for the portions, well again, it's fine dining! You can't expect to get a steak the size of a Big Mac in places like that. Don't be discouraged by the negative comments here. I've been going to loads of different restaurants in the UAE for the past 20 years and Rhodes Mezzanine is definitely one of the best. Great staff, great cooking, bit pricy but definitely worth it!

Ive read through all the review and of course I worry when I read the negative ones, however, I took the chance and brought my date here and we were both impressed with the experience. What we though would be only a couple hours max experience turned into a almost 4 hr date with champagne, and many complimentary amuse bouche dishes. We ordered only the two main courses (the Salmon and the Sea Bass) but received many more courses than just the entrees. And after, we received a complimentary dessert which was nice as well....(note***with the desert there is something served that looks like a scoop of vanilla ice cream, its butter. My date took a big bite of it and was a bit surprised) We also has a nice bottle of white wine with our entrees. the total for champagne, two entrees and the bottle of wine came to about 1200aed. Pricey, but because me date and enjoyed it I felt it is worth spending a little extra for a fancy night out.

Celebrated my birthday here with my date. We were greeted politely and was treated professionally. You could choose the colour of your napkin with options black or white. One of my most unforgettable experience would be the customized menu they have handed me - the first page was a message from my date with my photo under it which I find really sweet. I liked the ambience as well as it was quiet and not too bright making the night really special. The White Tomato Soup was given as a complimentary and it was for the win! My appetizer - scallops, melted in my mouth. My main course (I forgot what it was) had just the right portion (enough to fill your stomach). The dessert was of course my birthday cake which was given to me by surprise (did not notice the waiter behind me) and aside from all the food I've mentioned we had more because of the other complimentary food they had offered us which were all good. The bill is quite expensive but I guess that's what makes the place private and special.

Good stuff!

Wasn't a good experience at all, main courses were served cold!
I don't think u even wanna hear more that's more than enough!

I wish I had read these reviews before taking my husband to this restaurant last night! While we can't complain too much about the food as it was well prepared and presented, the experience lacked warmth and excitement so we left feeling a bit disappointed. It's hard to know what caused this but I think it's a combination of the good but uninventive dishes, the lack of atmosphere in the room, the professional but sterile service and the feeling that we were being slightly overcharged. Next time I feel like a bit of luxury, I will head upstairs to the champagne bar and enjoy the view.

I celebrated my birthday here on Friday with three friends and had a wonderfull time. We were well looked after by the staff from start to finnish, who brought us a little suprise rum baba at the end. The food was fantastic especially the little taster portions. The restaurant was full, every table was taken, which created a good ambiance. All in a great experience!

Went last night for double birthday celebration with friends. I have been many times before and was looking forward to it, but unfortunately it was very disappointing. For 4 people we were placed conspicously in the centre of the room at a table that was big enough for 8. We had to shout at each other to have a conversation that clearly everyone else could then hear. The overall service has declined. The food was quite frankly - bland. The canapes were probably the best thing. My scallops were tasteless with accompaniment of sauce that barely covered the crispy tasteless decoration on the plate. No palate cleanser, and mains appeared really quickly. John Dory - nicely cooked but tasteless. Small cheese selection that looked like it had better days. Jam Roly Poly - normally fantastic - dry and tasteless. Wine selection OK with range of prices. No scones afterwards - have they stopped doing this? As a birthday treat they brought us each a huge plate with Happy Birthday written in chocolate (how 80's tacky) with a miniscule little cake on it, which was dry and tasteless. At the end we were the last people in restaurant and the staff were clearly desperate for us to leave, started clearing up around us despite the fact we had just been served our coffees. The staff - bland! Polite but totally not engaged with the guests. Like little clockwork people. We tried to engage the waiter in conversation regarding the cheese, but he had clearly learned the names of the cheeses but did not know what they actualy were. As previous posts have pointed out, they serve perfectly in an army-like way. I have also been to Rhodes 2010 which was so bad I could write a boook - they gave us a completely free meal. Gary - watch out mate, Dubai is fickle!

Firstly, this restaurant is the best one I have ever been to.

The service and the food were both remarkable. I can't understand the negative comments on this page, but I guess if you had a really bad experience you are probably more inclined to review than if it was good?

We'll be back soon.

yes, service was perfect! but food was nothing close to perfection!
I've alwasy wanted to dine in one of Gray's rsts! but unfortunately my first try wasn't great at all!
for starters: mushroom macaroni - mushrooms flavor was really stronge, couldn't eat half of it, crab lasagna had some small annoying pieces of crab shell! was horrible!
main course wasn't bad - lamb platter
dessert was two thumbs down! - chocolate fondant cake - was over cooked, chocolate-less!!

Went there on our wedding anniversary 07.10.10 and the pre drinks were fine and from thereon once seated at our table it was all downhill. Food was terrible, starters a bad mixture of pate duck & eel with piccalilli ( tasted strong and a sickly mix - my mistake and not to my taste , but how can you get main course tasteless lamb or maybe that’s why you are overwhelmed by sauces !) , or some arty farty tasteless complimentary concoctions.
Service started okay then I had to serve my own champagne, staff not very attentive.

Jam rolly polly for the finish, and like I told the MD , I had tasted better off the shelves or in the cake section in Spinney’s .

We wanted out and quick , we would not go again. Save your money and get better value elsewhere. Sorry Mr Rhodes you need to don a disguise and check it out and eat there. Signature restaurant .....the signature is quite simply ............a forgery!

I took my visiting Mother here for a treat Birthday dinner and am afraid I was very disappointed. The decor was fabulous and the lounge and martini while we waited for our table was great, the 3 little tasters from the chef were fantastic!!!! However once we were sat at the table I had crab lasagna to start and it was a mish mash of flavours that didn't go together, it had an over powering taste of parsnip from the puree and as a shellfish lover you couldn't taste the crab at all, you only got the texture of it. Overall the starter was unpleasant, my mum has the lobster omelet which thankfully was better. Then I had the John Dory for main and the mushroom puree sauce and little mushrooms that came with it was so strong and salty I couldn't eat it all, again too many flavours and couldn't taste the fish. My mum had the lamb which again was better than mine but not outstanding. Also I'm all for friendly staff but I found the waiting staff here a bit nosey and intrusive. They would come over and ask about your life story and all you wanted to do was have a peaceful dinner. Then pudding we opted for the English platter, which had the famous jam Roley poly, sticky toffee pudding and bread and butter pudding. The Bread and butter pud was gorgeous, but the jam Roley poly was rock hard an jam sauce unpleasant and sticky toffee wasn't great. Overall a disappointing experience and I really wanted to like the place. Sadly wouldn't recommend

We visited the Rhodes Mezzanine to celebrate our 2nd Wedding Anniversary having searched for a romantic location to spend our anniversary. We certainly weren't disappointed with the whole evening, which started with complentary champagne and nibbles provided by the chef.
The setting was very relaxing and the staff were extremely attentive. The selection on the menu was quite restricted but the food when it arrived was absolutely an experience you will only have to try yourself to believe. Although we only ordered 3 courses during the evening we ate around 7 as we were constantly served with complimentry courses including the famous white tomato soup, scones with strawberry jam and cream amongst others.
whilst this is certainly not the cheapest restaurant in town it is certainly the best restaurant we have been to in town and were already looking forward to returning in the near future.

My wife and I were in Dubai to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Prior to going I checked Time Out reviews to decide which restaurant we would celebrate this occasion in. Reading between the lines we decided on this one. Perfect choice. I reserved a table via e-mail, highlighting the occasion. I received a reply within minutes and was requested to e-mail a photograph?
Without going into too much detail, which I could and probably bore you, the restaurant and staff were superb. How previous reviewers can complain is beyond me. From first entering the establishment to leaving we were treated with courteous respect without being patronising. The food was beautiful, from the Amuse Bouche to the main courses. The choice of wine, that was selected by the waiter, for each course was spot on. After our meal we spoke to the Duty Manager, a female whose name escapes me (French?) who appreciated our feedback. The price.......cheap compared to the quality and general restaurant prices in Dubai (it was cheaper than two steaks, two sides and a bottle of wine in a certain restaurant in the Atlantis The Palm) Would I use this restaurant again..... a resounding YES. Oh yes, the photograph. This was presented within a sugar sculpture created by the chef. Nice touch.

A slightly clinical all-white décor is more than made up for by the best service I have received in a restaurant. The service is appropriately attentive to all the diner’s needs without being intrusive or overbearing.

The wholesome food is good and whilst the amuse bouche are tasty, they are a little on the foamy side and leave you yearning for something a little more meaty.

A reasonable wine list and mid-level prices are surprising for a celebrity restaurant. You won’t be disappointed.

It was amazing.......I came for my birthday, my fiancee organize this dinner for age, we really were looking for this, and he was one of my best restuarant ... We will for sure come back.

From A to Z the experience was FABULOUS.

The food was amazing ( presenatation, taste and price:)), the staff was all well trained, friendly and amazing.
I will definetly come back next visit in Dubai and make sure this time I will bring more of my friends to share this fantastic experience.

I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all of them, Natissa and her teams:)

The Emperors' new clothes.

My wife and I dined here after looking forward to experiencing both Gary Rhodes and Dubai fine dining for the first time, our expectations were understandably high.

Not overly critical foodies but neither happy with the mediocre, we arrived open-minded and ready to be impressed. But that didn't happen.

Decor: I felt like we were in a pretentious fashion boutique in the mid-eighties. The ghost chair thing is so so tired! The table arrangement was strange too. Although we were pushed in a corner away from the heart of the action, the neighboring tables were too close and we kept falling in and out of either sides' conversations making our own chat somewhat awkward.

Service: Like military clockwork but so robotic. You could almost see tracks on the floor where the waiting staff had been told to walk. Swooping like beginner ballet dancers to deliver courses. Standing with backs glued to walls, eyes darting sideways waiting for their next instruction. It was embarrassing.

Food: A flat menu that offered no inspiration, predictable presentation, tasteless meats, offensively small portions. Way, way, way off mark.

Ambience: Uptight, pretentious and formal. Too constructed and systematic to feel authentic. Far too self-conscious to really impress.

Value: No value here. Nothing has remained with me from the experience. Not one flavour, gesture, image or moment. Oh wait, two things did hang in the air for an hour or two after the meal; the bitter taste of the insolent bill and the empty feeling that turned to resentment in the cab on the way home. Never again.

And how can Time Out be so wildly off mark too?! This place just can not be a winning entry... I declare the Emperor is not wearing anything! Wake up!

Having eaten at Gary Rhodes's establishments in London I was interested to see how it might all translate into Dubai. Observations are as follows:-

1. We had dinner.
2. On arrival, 10 minutes late, the member of staff greating us made an unfortunate comment along the lines of 'you are lucky we kept your table'.
3. The room is facinating and appealing.
4. Tables are well spaced and set.
5. The wine list is well chosen, not cheap, but is any wine list cheap at the top end in Dubai?
6. The menu reads well.
7. Cooking was exceptional; well judged flavours. Amuse bouche normally bore me but these were good.
8. Overall, not a cheap night out but, and here is the but, this is very high quality cooking and therefore fair value for money. The restaurant was busy all evening and the other customers looked content too.

What a joke!! Not the best restaurant in Dubai for sure, expensive, service was not bad, but they think as they now everything. Food, what to say british wanabe "modern" food.

I really dont understand the buzz round this place. Yes I love the decor and the ambience and the service, but the food (the reason why i went there in the first place) is really really terrible!! Not to mention toooo expensive..
I dont mind paying more in a restaurant, I really dont mind, but when i pay for a chicken dish 5 times more than the average restaurant, i want to see something 5 times more special or extraordinary, but as a matter of fact it was extra ordinary!!
Other than the white tomatoe soup, there isnt anything worth the extremely hight prices.

We found the food very disappointing unforunately. It lacked ooph and my favourite pudding roly poly pudding was very disappointing... stogy and not proper english custard! Call me uncultured if you like but as far a proper bristish cuisine it was dissapointing. I would much prefer Rivington Grill any day. An excellent wine collection though and impecible service.

one of the best restaurants in Dubai for quality of food, attention to detail, impeccable service, and perfect atmosphere to enjoy the dishes you're eating and the drinks you are drinking and not smelling like smoke and listening to other people's conversations. overall if you are a FOODIE it's the place for you. If you are just a trendy diner, go elsewhere, you won't appreciate it.

This was a restaurant my wife had booked for my Birthday which I was really looking forward to, and my parents had flown over specially for the evening.
However I got that feeling as soon as I walked in I wasn’t going to like it... the decor certainly not my taste, very clinical ...good if you like hospitals and lacked ambience. Once seated we were given the food & wine menu's, now I enjoy eating out at fine dining restaurants and you expect to pay more for the food, however I instantly baulked at the price .. Anyway so as not to offend my wife I continued on and chose a starter and main.. combined price on this alone was over 400aed each so i was expecting to at least be satisfied. To my surprise and dismay I rcvd my starter ... 3 very small bits of prawn on some green veggie base... tasted good but definitely not worth 50odd dihrams a chew..same applied for the other starters ordered. Then main course came.. I went for the Lamb which sounded fantastic, however on arrival the 240aed for 4 very small slices of meat on a biscuit I had enough, and the salmon my mother had...or should I say fish finger was again another rip-off! So I called over the manager.. explained the situation and in short left ... Totally disappointed and dissatisfied...frankly feel there is a limit to what a restaurant can charge for food without being a full on con. ..

I stayed at the grosvenorhouse hotel last july and had a meal in the rhodes mezzanine restaurant it was absoulately first class,infact it left the burj restaurants looking like 3star food outlets.Yes i would go back the food was amazing well presented and the staff could not have made us more welcome .The decor wasfantastic and the glass room for private occasions complemented the restaurant

An amazing experience from start to finish - this place is a stand out because it manages to shine in amongst all the glitz of Dubai. It is in a hotel so doesn't offer views of the ocean or any romantic thing but if you are a seasoned diner looking for a thrill, this could very well be it. Appetizers and mid-course suprises throughout (starting with the white tomato soup - how do they do that!?) and impeccible service as well as some groovy interior design makes it a very unique place and well work a splurge.

Smart frefined dining with great ingredients put together in the most appetizing way possible. Service is disciplined. Wine choice is impeccable.

There might be traffic jams outside, but it's ambrosia inside Rhodes.

I found this restaurant to be good value considering all the accompaniments and freebies given but then again value is relative and at the end of the day and I guess it just comes down to quality which this place has in bucketloads. The staff are amazing and the food top notch. I would recomend to anyone!

This is my favourite restaurant in Dubai and the quality of food is better than Verre. The service is excellent and the standard and quality of food is great. It is expensive, but seeing as most restaurants here serve overpriced food and drink, I don't mind paying extra for a good quality meal. I look forward to going back again soon.

I would totally agree that the atmosphere is superb but the price is absolutely absurd. And on the people should be a little more flexible. still can say that the place was fab.

This experience was totally disappointing. We really were looking forward having dinner at this place which is very famous and is said to be one of the places where you have to go. Once we arrived - I have to admit that we were late 15 minutes due to a traffic jam - we were told that we have to wait for another hour until we can be seated at our table. The reasons were not really clear but we accepted as we know that there's a fabulous bar in the same place. So one hour later we came back to the restaurant and were seated at our table. I don't want to discuss the interior design or ambience as it's really a personal taste but the food ... I don't find proper words to describe the food ... If I would have been served this quality and style of food in any casual, cheap eatery I would have been totally satisfied and fine ... But in such an expensive and highly praised place it was totally inacceptable and frustrating. To cut a long story short: absolutely no fancy dinner and totally over-priced. The value for money is really poor. I also would never expect a place of this category to ask me to come back in one hour for running late by 15 minutes - especially if the whole restaurant is empty.