Bastakiah Nights
You could be forgiven for thinking that Bastakiah Nights is a little out of place in downtown Bur Dubai 2 Reviews
You could be forgiven for thinking that Bastakiah Nights is a little out of place in downtown Bur Dubai. The flickering torches and grand, heavy wooden doors intricately carved and studded with vast iron nails immediately transport the unsuspecting guest into old world Arabia — a far cry from the neon jungle just metres beyond its walls. This is no theme park façade, however; the food is as authentic as the surroundings. Demurring from the intimacy of the private rooms adjoining the central courtyard where a glimmering giant teapot casts its light from a square of lush, closely cropped grass, you can take to the rooftop and bask in the juxtaposing sights and sounds of old and new Dubai. You can go either a la carte or with a set menu, but you should start with the cream of barley soup, which is silken, delicate and delicious, alongside baskets of freshly baked, unleavened, sesame-studded bread. Try a whorl of smoky, spot-on mutabbal peppered with pomegranate seeds and small, fresh and hot kibbeh. The cheese sambousik, meanwhile, are of the lightest yellow colour and melt winningly in the mouth, while the mixed grill, comprised of tender spits of beef, lamb and chicken marinated in lemon and saffron comes with fluffy basmati rice. Other highlights include a creamy, cheesy and thoroughly homemade-tasting spinach dish, a paprika-laced bean and lamb stew, and the delicate roundels of crème caramel that draw meals to their close. Bastakiah Nights is not simply another tourist trap — it’s an authentic and exceptionally enjoyable dining experience in every (unlicensed) way you could imagine.
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Dhs 1-50
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