Bateaux Dubai
At last: an elegant lunch cruise on the Creek, an idea that should have taken off many years ago. Bateaux Dubai certainly has the vessel for the job – the boat’s big glass windows offer fantastic opportunities to closely inspect the skyscrapers of Deira and windtowers of Bur Dubai by daylight 14 Reviews
Bateaux Dubai’s dinner cruise
Try a four-course dinner on board this high-end floating restaurant, which cruises down Dubai Creek. Dhs350 (food only), Dhs470 (selected beverages) Timings: 7.45pm-11pm (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
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At last: an elegant lunch cruise on the Creek, an idea that should have taken off many years ago. Bateaux Dubai certainly has the vessel for the job – the boat’s big glass windows offer fantastic opportunities to closely inspect the skyscrapers of Deira and windtowers of Bur Dubai by daylight.
Although our welcome was red carpeted we weren’t immediately treated like VIPs, being directed to a table boasting some of the most obstructed views on a near-empty boat, although our protests resulted in an instant upgrade. Indeed, after the awkward seating issue was resolved, service was polite and attentive without ever being overly fussy.
Our starters arrived as we drifted slowly past the reflective flank of the National Bank building. My buttered asparagus, perfectly cooked to retain the crunch, sat on a bed of chunkily creamy potato salad, while my cruising mate’s tiger prawns were delicately spicy and arranged on a crisscross board next to a spicy avocado puree. A brief sojourn on the deck, spent marvelling at the structures of the Park Hyatt and the Dubai Creek Golf Club, ended when we were sent back to the table for our main courses.
A satisfying sea bream in a tangy lemongrass sauce certainly fitted the bill, but the New Zealand lamb shank wrapped in filo was a little too dry and a bit too fatty, although the accompanying garlic labneh countered the dryness with some much-needed Middle Eastern creaminess. By the time we reached desserts – a wickedly gooey chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream and a crème brûlée of barely detectable rosemary flavour – the boat had completed its rather-too-short journey.
The food never came close to wowing but it didn’t disappoint either. The Creek views – every bit as gorgeous soaked in sun as glimmering under a night sky – are the star of the show, and a lunch trip on the Bateaux is a perfect choice for tourists looking for a gentle introduction to the city.
- Previous reviews
- 22 March,2012- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
- 23 March,2011- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
- 10 January,2011- reviewed by Oliver Robinson
- 05 April,2010- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
- 02 November,2009- reviewed by Daisy Carrington
- 19 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
- 01 December,2008- reviewed by Daisy Carrington
- 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
- 03 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
- 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
- 30 April,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai
- 01 December,2003- reviewed by Rob Orchard
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