Al Muntaha

Sitting in Al Muntaha the city twinkles 200 metres below as like your own miniature personal playground 5 Reviews

Meal Deal

Friday brunch

An international buffet selection that changes each week, usually including pasta, sushi and foie gras stations. Dhs550 (food only) Timings: 10am-3.30pm (Friday)

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© ITP Images

 

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Sitting in Al Muntaha the city twinkles 200 metres below as like your own miniature personal playground. But take your eyes off the view and you’ll wonder why the Burj’s interior designer – presumably no rank amateur and armed with an unlimited budget – saw fit to decorate the place in the style of a 1950’s sci-fi series?

The entrance, rather than offering a grand welcome to one of the city’s most opulent eateries, looks like the inside of a Casio calculator, while the ceiling is a mishmash of coloured blocks that wouldn’t look out of place in the Early Learning Centre. Thankfully everything else in Al Muntaha takes your breath away for the right reasons. Start with the hot fluffy florentine soufflé a perfect teaming together of spinach, pancetta and an exquisitely cooked duck egg; the yolk runs through a forkful of feathery sponge and slender bacon. It is possible, though not advisable, to eat variations of the fluffy stuff, for starter, main and dessert.

If you skip the florentine soufflé starter, try the version with pumpkin seeds, tapenade and Parmesan crackers. While missing the moisture of the egg, the supreme airiness of the dish wins through and the accompaniments interact nicely with the main attraction. Sample the divine dover sole, which arrives skinned, partially filleted and artfully presented. Set on a bed of champagne risotto, the dish is sublimely fresh-tasting with a subtle, deep-seated sweetness and fine, delicate texture.

Between courses enjoy morsels of wagyu beef and palate-sprucing sorbets. Round off a thoroughly satisfying meal with a delicately light lemon soufflé that will leave just enough space for the complimentary plate of petite fours.

Al Muntaha is a fine dining experience to equal any in the world, but while the food and the views are there, we can only hope that somebody calls in the decorators.

By Time Out Dubai

• Previous reviews
  • 24 March,2011- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 04 April,2010- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 17 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 11 January,2009- reviewed by Daisy Carrington
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
  • 04 April,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 16 January,2006- reviewed by Matthew Lee
  • 01 September,2002- reviewed by Carolyn Robb
  • 01 May,2002- reviewed by Carolyn Robb

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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.

User reviews:

Posted by: Siddharth on 10 Jan ' 12 at 12:46

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

Posted by: archie on 31 Jul ' 11 at 11:57

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

Wanted to visit the Burj whilst in Dubai, so decided to take the family to the Al Muntaha, we have children and this resturant is not for kids, they moan at you if the kids are a little excited which obviously they will be, food is all hyped up with lots of sauce splashed around plate to make it look good and attractive, and standard of service lacks too, would not go again

Posted by: David Howells on 11 Oct ' 09 at 19:22

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

I took my girlfriend here on 22nd September 2009 for the experience of eating at the Burj Al Arab. We have dined in many michelin starred restaurants together around the world and appreciate good food. The service at Al Muntaha is second to none and you are made to feel very special. The ambience is also wonderful. However, while the food was quite good, it was certainly not anywhere near the standard you would expect at a 7 star hotel. Our bill came to 2450 dhs, for two of us having three courses and two glasses of wine each, you expect a premium on price at an establishment such as this but it did not represent good value.

Posted by: hahu on 08 May ' 09 at 17:11

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

bad...bad....bad

Posted by: Jill Higham on 12 Jan ' 09 at 12:22

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

I have been to this restaurant many times as we take family and friends there when they are out here on holiday. Everytime i have gone the price has gone up and the quality of food has gone down! Very expensive but have to do it once for the view.