Palm Grill in Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, Deira, Dubai - Restaurant Reviews

Palm Grill

We were big fans of Mystizo and felt somewhat aggrieved when we heard it was being replaced by the Palm Grill steakhouse Discuss this article

Meal Deal

007 Night

Two for one Martinis all night. Over 40 types of Martinis to choose from. Licensed to thrill, pianist Scotty Wright performs live from 7.30pm (Thursday)

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We were big fans of Mystizo and felt somewhat aggrieved when we heard it was being replaced by the Palm Grill steakhouse. Biting back our distress, we paid a visit to the carnivorous new boy and were happy to find it yet better than its predecessor. Gone are the crazy green uniforms and deep purple couches, replaced by a super-sleek New York style eatery with a roaring fire and a crooning jazz pianist. The ante-restaurant bar is still in position, but it’s not serving tapas any more, and Mystizo’s band of pre-club tipplers have moved on to new boozing grounds.

The Palm service is slightly tentative: having been seated we were offered drinks by four separate people: perhaps we just looked exceptionally thirsty. Having ordered, we got our first sign of great things to come: a dollop of fabulous liver pâté apiece, perfect for scooping up on a twist of tandooried bread. Barely a couple of soul classics from the pianoman later we were tucking into starters. An oversized plate layered with Tasmanian beef carpaccio, rocket and aged parmesan was a well-executed classic, a skyrocketing blend of textures crammed full of bloody flavour. We couldn’t get enough of the smoked duck breast, a spread of rosé cuts, tanged up with apple radish and replete with freewheeling gaminess.

You could choose to go prawnish, ducky or salmonesque for mains, but that would miss the point of the Palm entirely. Keen to prove we understood the restaurant premise, we ordered a flambéd chateaubriand for two. The flambéing was somewhat half-hearted, effected tableside by an unshowmanlike waiter, but the results were superb. A great hank of screamingly tender meat arrived, flanked by a brown-topped, tender-leaved gratin and a baked potato still wrapped in foil. A quintet of sauces, from creamy mushroom to poky pepper, sealed the deal, leaving us madly in love with the place. Outstanding cuts of meat, perfectly cooked: you can’t go wrong.

Those hard-core foodies who manage to wade through such a hefty helping of steak would do well to direct themselves towards a bud-stroking seven layer fudge cake with a decent whack of bourbon ice-cream. It’s the perfect end to a classic meaty meal – while not as epically adventurous as Mystizo, Palm Grill more than makes up in terms of sheer quality and setting.

By Rob Orchard