C-Bar

Late-night haunt doubles up as a contemporary Asian food outlet Discuss this article

From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2007

Tucked away at the side of the Al Murooj Rotana, C-Bar is a popular late night haunt, which also doubles up as a contemporary Asian food outlet. Eating here is a somewhat unpleasant experience, partly because of the ever-pacing, gold-medallion clad waiters but mainly because of the terrible food.

On a small, four-deep starter menu, avoid the duck pancakes at all cost. Excellently cooked and garnished by a rich plum sauce, they should have guests salivating in delight. Instead you might be left picking the hideously fatty slivers of duck out. A much better bet is to head for the expensive, but safe option of sushi that at least has the temerity to be fresh. The mains, meanwhile, can be selected from just four choices. A brave decision in theory, but perhaps not in practice as sometimes as few as two of the selections are available. We would advise you to stay clear of the roasted-on-the-outside, stone cold-on-the-inside sea bass, while the less said about the pyrotechnically cooked steak which resembles a carbonated crisp by the time it eventually reaches the table, the better.

Dessert is the one area we can heartily recommend, however. The strawberry soup, with interlaced balsamic vinegar and mascarpone cheese, has a vital depth and intrigue. You will find it is far too little, too late though. Set to a moribund house soundtrack and with less atmosphere than a pub in space, C-Bar has gone from hero to zero.

• Previous reviews
  • 30 April,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai
  • 25 December,2005- reviewed by Matthew Lee

Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.