Al Muntaha in Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah, Dubai - Restaurant Reviews

Al Muntaha

Al Muntaha’s location, at the peak of the world’s tallest hotel, with sweeping views of manmade archipelagos and skyscraping towers, certainly deserved that extra smear of shoe polish 3 Reviews

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We polished our shoes. We fastened the top buttons on our freshly ironed shirts and tied our ties. We scanned our suits for those pesky bits of magnetic white fluff that cling to fabric like leeches. We even attempted to brush our hair. No five-star hotel possesses quite as many stars as the Burj Al Arab, so we went the extra yard. We wanted to look the part at arguably the UAE’s most prized possession, after oil.

Al Muntaha’s location, at the peak of the world’s tallest hotel, with sweeping views of manmade archipelagos and skyscraping towers, certainly deserved that extra smear of shoe polish. But the food was so average we would’ve had few qualms about scoffing it in our dressing gowns. Not Burj Al Arab dressing gowns, mind you – those beauties fetch the big bucks on Ebay.

Serious cash is needed to buy Burj soup. At around US$40 for a tiny portion, you’d expect the supernaturally tasty meat of an endangered species, not a white bean and celeriac broth of preternatural plainness. The other starter, a terrine of pressed roma tomatoes in a spicy balsamic dressing was perky and piquant, and came with a spoonful of goat’s cheese, but was straightforward and made with inexpensive ingredients.

The line-caught sea bass, which was cooked to tender, juicy perfection, was the meal’s undisputed highlight. The skin added a savoury crunch, and an infusion of sundried tomatoes, garlic peas and saffron in a light sauce was delicious, unlike the grilled wagyu fillet, which was a major disappointment. Our waiter didn’t ask us how we wanted the meat prepared at the time of ordering and it arrived well done and nearly ruined, lacking tenderness, juiciness and flavour. At the next table, a customer, who (unfortunately for the staff) also happened to be a chef, was complaining to the manager about the quality of his meal. We’d witnessed our hosts commit one of the most serious culinary crimes in the book; one glance at the spongy steak and we could share his pain.

A wonderfully ethereal passion fruit soufflé and a trio of sweets made with Grand Cru chocolate were too little too late and the words ‘tourist’ and ‘trap’ tickled our grumbling larynxes. We’d polished, preened and prepped for an emperor who wasn’t wearing any clothes, and after spending over Dhs1,000 on such average food we felt like the whole world – which floated on the ocean below us like misshaped biscuits – was laughing not at the naked emperor, but at us for being such suckers. And the less said about Muntaha’s Tron-inspired interior design the better…

The bill (for two)
Lunch set menu Dhs525
Lunch set menu Dhs595
Mineral water Dhs50
Total (including service) Dhs1,170