Flooka

Nautical foodstuff in the Marine Beach Restort 4 Reviews

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From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2008

You’ll find yourself in a classic nautical environment with a modernist twist – all pine decking, rope adornments and windows that wouldn’t look out of place on a luxury yacht.

Sit down, settle in and get stuck into a creamy hummus drizzled in olive oil and a green, and wonderfully zesty, tabbouleh to go with the amazingly light and crispy flatbread. The bread is in a class of its own – perfect to mop up lime-dashed samke nayeh, or raw fish carpaccio. Get down and dirty with the baby octopus in black ink, which is full of rich, smoky flavours and as tender and dark as the night.

Moules marinière tend to be tiny, shrivelled and gritty here, but the pleasantly creamy sauce bolsters the paunchy mushrooms, chunks of garlic and soft onion.

The prawns, on the other hand, are as big as Hulk Hogan’s biceps and infinitely more pleasant on the palate. You may want to skip desserts – the flookiyet ichef, a Lebanese sweet of clotted cream dusted with cracked pistachio, almonds and sugar, proved to be a feeble offering – but you’ll probably still want to hang around, soaking up the atmosphere, decor and eclectic background music.

By Jeremy Lawrence

• Previous reviews
  • 30 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 14 November,2007- reviewed by Matthew Lee
  • 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 12 July,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai

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

Posted by: Ms Muller on 03 Dec ' 09 at 19:15

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

My first time to this Restaurant this evening with the surrounding awsome setting I assumed our meal would be the same, unfortunately we ordered a Grilled Calamari starter that arrived water-based, ungrilled, tough, tasteless it was like eating white rubber! Then we ordered Seafood Paella where I was trying to find the seafood, I could only find a base of white tasteless fish, 3 small prawns around the mould of Paella where the entire dish was tasteless, hardly any salt and definately without flavour. It was a total let down, the restaurant was totally empty barring 3 occupied tables where our neighbour restaurant had a totally packed outside seating area by the pool, lovely atmosphere and this was a let down. I dont know how much the bill was but my guess close or more than 400dhs for 2 of us.
Here I reccommended this to a friend who came all the way from Abu Dhabi where he did not complain, however I could sense he was disappointed so this restaurant should really review their presented food because I do better than this at home. It was a total waste of his money. Definately I would not reccommend this restaurant to anyone.

Posted by: Kosta on 08 Oct ' 09 at 14:17

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Contrary to the above reviews I have a different opinion....

Number 1.

When you dine at a Lebanese restaurant or a Greek restaurant you do not order Main courses!

Meze or starters for the English tongue is the way to go...and Flooka...is the most impressive place in town in terms of the right setting, outstanding quality food...prices are very fair in terms of quality!

Number 2.

The service is very Dubaish..which as usual, is inadequately trained staff, rude Lebanese Managers (if you are not Lebanese)...but I have been back for the food and will conitnue to go back on many occasions because there is nothing that tastes as good in Dubai when it comes to the plethora of Meze dishes they have!


Reccomendation: Book in advance so that you can have a nice table outside - and get an arab speaker to make the booking for you (it will help). And go - forget the main courses and order just about everything in their starter menu, with wine/beer...great late afternoon meditaranean feel about the place...all that its missing is Greek music in the background!

Posted by: Dean and Kate Biskupovich on 29 Apr ' 09 at 07:07

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

We visited the restaurant on Saturday evening. Upon making reservations over the phone (8:30 PM), we were told no outdoor seating was available. However, after arriving later (restaurant was informed) at 9:00 PM, the place was half empty. We were seated at the wall between outdoor seating an dindoor seating. It was our first vist to this restaurant as well. First impression, the decor made the place look cheap and gawdy. The fresh fish display at the entrance was large but half empty and weak. The menu had a number of selections for starters but not much choice for main course. The starters were decent sized portions, nice (calamari and shrimp provencale, muttabal, hummous, and salad) and served with warm, freshly baked arabic bread (although we needed to ask for more and finished our starters before they could provide more!). As for the main course, it was all down hill. Mains: 1) Machbous was dry and pieces of seafood were difficult to find 2) Grilled Fish: tiny piece of grilled fish was hidden under a mountain of brown rice (dry, as well) 3) My sparse portion of seafood goulash was decent but served with a mountain of chips (!-maybe with fish & chips, not this dish) 4)Grilled seafood dish was dry and sparce.
The price: Four starters, four main courses, one bottle of wine (house white), one sparkling water and one still water. Approx 650 AED.
A bit on the high side considering the quality of food was average.
The service was not exceptionally fantastic either.
Overall: we will not be returning to this restaurant and will not recommend it to anyone.

Posted by: Dave on 26 Apr ' 09 at 07:28

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Everything at Flooka is about wrongs being countered by rights. Let me explain:
The food was good though not spectacular. The idea of constantly providing hot, spiced arabic bread throughout the meal made up for a disapointing fried calamari starter. The main courses lacked style and presentation, but the freshness of the fish salvaged what might otherwise have been a rather disappointing Harry Ramsden-like experience.
Whilst service was good without being heroic, the overall atmosphere was excellent probably due to the gorgeous temperature this time of the year. I would probably go back, but not if it means having to sit inside as the decor is, to be frank, a bit tired and soul-less.
Price wise, the bill came to Dhs 1,120 for 5 adults, 1 child, and 2 bottles of standard Pinot - not too bad considering this is Dubai, not Grimsby.

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