Finz in Ibn Battuta Mall, The Gardens, Dubai - Restaurant Reviews

Finz

South Africans, it can safely be said, are not famed for their fussiness. They can rarely be accused of being pernickety, pretentious, punctilious or poncey 7 Reviews

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South Africans, it can safely be said, are not famed for their fussiness. They can rarely be accused of being pernickety, pretentious, punctilious or poncey. In fact, they couldn’t give a Springbok’s pronk for all that malarkey. So, it’s with this in mind that Finz – a relaxed and unpresumptuous restaurant in the bustling Ibn Battuta Mall – begins to make perfect sense. And very nearly perfect food.

Ever since the chef and most of the staff at a Cape Town restaurant upped sticks and moved to Dubai nearly three years ago, Finz’s incredibly good value Mediterranean menu has continued to delight shoppers and foodies alike. And while an open-plan restaurant in a mall will always struggle to create atmosphere, Finz’s bright, stylish and understated décor offers a soothing retreat from the ravages of retail.

From a comfortable corner, our view extended across the predictably contrived China Court, but the food that followed was as wonderful as it was when we first reviewed Finz last summer. My seafood bisque was a stupefyingly creamy broth, redolent of a rich ocean haul and finished with a drizzle of tangy pesto, not to mention a big, fat, juicy king prawn. My friend’s lobster ravioli gushed with burly crustacean chunks, delicate hints of garlic, slivers of spring onion, and an enlivening yet subtle burst of capers, all moistened in a satisfyingly spicy sauce. Our rapturous response was to banish all notions of etiquette and furtively mop our plates with hunks of soft, buttery bread so that no microscopic trace went to waste.

We were still basking in a post-seafood haze when the mains arrived with a flourish. The rack of lamb was invitingly rather than fastidiously presented, with succulent ribs jutting skywards like the petals of a protea flower, and a hunk of creamy and crumbling mash as impressive as Table Mountain. A delicate medley of crisp baby corn, carrot and aubergine superbly topped off my friend’s achingly tender yellow fin tuna with Cajun spices.

Although by this time we were quite satiated, the gum-shrivellingly sweet chocolate fondant – which crumbled open to melt the nut-imbedded pistachio ice cream with its wonderfully mellifluous centre – was as close to culinary perfection as you’re ever going to get in a shopping mall. Which just goes to prove that, while the Finz dining experience is refreshingly down-to-earth, the food really is out of this world.

The bill (for two)
Lobster ravioli Dhs34
Seafood bisque Dhs21
Yellow fin tuna Dhs58
Rack of lamb Dhs54
Chocolate fondant Dhs18
Strawberry liquada Dhs21
Banana colada Dhs18
Mineral water Dhs7
Total (excluding service) Dhs231