JW’s Steakhouse

Such is the convivial charm of this dimly-lit steakhouse, from the enormous comfy armchairs to the whiskey bottles lined up behind the huge mahogany bar, that returning frequently would feel pleasantly like being a member of some Wodehousian gentleman’s club 11 Reviews

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Such is the convivial charm of this dimly-lit steakhouse, from the enormous comfy armchairs to the whiskey bottles lined up behind the huge mahogany bar, that returning frequently would feel pleasantly like being a member of some Wodehousian gentleman’s club. Indeed, there’s many a Dubaian with their name engraved on a small metal plaque here, adhered to their favourite table.

Starters are comforting, but hardly stellar. Served with two light pastry slivers, the snail and mushroom ragout boasts soft escargots doused in a rather bland creamy sauce. More fun can be had from the prawn cocktail, but that’s largely due to the presentation – it arrives in a preposterously huge ice-filled wineglass the size of a baby’s head. The five king prawns are nicely brawny but garnished with only standard-issue ketchup and mayonnaise. Nonetheless, JW is restlessly inventive with meat, turning out complex main dishes that regulars rave about. The steaks cut like butter, and you’ll savour the filet mignon complete with a beautiful béarnaise sauce, one of the finest couples since Fred first twirled Ginger.

Dessert wise, a doughy bread-and-sultana pudding, flambéed with brandy and with a streak of butterscotch sauce, is squidgily enjoyable, if a little dry. The solid, dark chocolate mousse delivers a concentrated sugar rush that would leave a buffalo bouncing off the walls. Ultimately, we question some of the premium prices, but JW’s delivers comforting food in a cosy environment, and we’ve always got time for that.

By Time Out Dubai

• Previous reviews
  • 10 April,2013- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 21 March,2012- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 03 November,2011- reviewed by Oliver Robinson
  • 28 March,2011- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 23 March,2011- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 24 March,2010- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 30 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 31 March,2008- reviewed by Becky Lucas
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 31 January,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 01 February,2004- reviewed by Rob Orchard
  • 01 July,2002- reviewed by Carolyn Robb
  • 01 March,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: Margret Papajewski on 11 Mar ' 13 at 11:16

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Since more than 5 years we love to dine at the JW´s Steakhouse. The food is excellent, the staff extremely friendly but still discreet. They always make you feel "Welcome home!" and though we have tried some other steakhouses, there is none like the JW´s!

Posted by: Amanullah Nuristani on 29 Mar ' 12 at 19:10

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

Ok, the whole story behind what made us go to JW is long one, so I will not bore you with it. All I will say is that my Boss said it was "Epic" and he is an American who knows a thing or two about steak.

Posted by: Dr. Raji Mathew on 25 Aug ' 11 at 07:27

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

Decided to take the Wall of Fame challenge last night. Offered every Wednesday, it entails a 25oz. of tenderloin and a bottle of Merlot. Bread and butter were served which I was advised to have to build up an appetite and which probably helped. This was followed by prawn salad as compliments from the Chef.
It was a Goliath size block of meat cooked medium rare that came with caramelized onion, tomato and 4 types of sauces. Sitting ensconced in the high back green leather chair, there was no escape. I perused the Béarnaise and peppercorn and did away with the Dijon and grainy mustard. Again, no hint of juiciness of the steak as in my last visit. Midway through, got the meat redone as the centre was raw and it had also got cold.
Ended the night taking pictures with the Kitchen and waiting staff. They were all very supportive. The staff also took pictures with their Polaroid and gave me one and kept the other for their guest’s comment book. My name will be put up just outside the entrance on the right side.

Posted by: Dr. Raji Mathew on 12 Jun ' 11 at 15:35

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

Came on 30th May. Felt like we were in an exclusive club. Seated on one of the green leather armchair however this time the table wasn't reserved with our name on it.
Had caesar's salad which was shared by the two of us. Enjoyed fresh warm bread served in its earthen vessel. For the mains, it was the corn-fed chicken and steamed vegetables for my wife while I had a 10oz. beef fillet. The chicken was full of flavour and more than enough to satisfy the hungry. The vegetables were plain tasteless. The fillet had been prepared medium rare but disappointingly dry. No juices flowing here. We had the pinacolada and a draught beer to go with our order.
The total came to AED 495.

Posted by: Dr. Raji Mathew on 08 Feb ' 11 at 16:00

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

Finally, a proper steakhouse. A dignified atmosphere once you step into this warm place. I was escorted to my table which had a board with my name on it and a silver bull's head atop the board. A bottle of Evian and some freshly in house baked bread with herb butter were promptly delivered. The bull's head a is a recurring leitmotif.

The menu board was brought. This was no menu card but a solid wooden board about 2 feet long with one side dealing with food and the other the wine list.

To start proceedings, I opted for the pan fried foie gras and a glass of red house wine recommended by the waitress. It came with small diced sweet tasting carrots, watercress and on one side of the plate, black streaks of balsamic vinegar and on the other few flecks of coffee meant to enhance the taste of foie gras. I couldn't appreciate much of either vinegar or the coffee. The foie gras had a hint of bitter taste to it. On the inside, it had the consistency softer than that of pudding. It would break up once you cut it with a knife. It was warm, soft and wonderful to have. Wow.

For the mains, I ordered from the JW's steakhouse signature grill, the JW's Trio which included a 4 oz. angus steak, 4 oz. wagyyu fillet and a 4 oz. veal fillet. It was ordered medium done and came with some cabbage and tomatoes. Bernaise sauce, pepper sauce, 2 sealed bottles of mustard, grain and Dijon, were placed on hand. Before the plate of steaks were brought, a plate holding board with a bull head figuring on either side was placed on the table. The plate of steak was placed in the centre of this. An initial bite of all 3 tasted equally great and didn't reveal superiority of any one but as things progressed I could appreciate the chewyness of the angus. The wagyu was very fine but at the finish line, it was the veal with it's neck just in front.

I did away with the desserts. 2 dark chocolates were brought which was hard and crunchy on the outside with a softer chocolate filling within. The toothpick holder reminded me of the cigarette holder where wooden bird would pick the cigarette in its beak. Only here, it was a man in steel.

Small bottle of Evian: AED 14

A glass of wine: AED 55

Pan fried foie gras: AED 98

JW's Trio: AED 295

Total: AED 462

You can get your name put on the table surface for good if you dine there at least 24 times in 6months. I had dined here last August and the steak has been bettered only by the one I subsequently had at MJ Steakhouse soon after. Of all the steakhouses I have been to, this, although expensive, was the best overall experience.

Posted by: Cameljockey on 10 Jan ' 11 at 13:50

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Listen JW Steakhouse - there are too many other great places to eat in Dubai to put up with your excessive nonchalance when faced with genuine food-related complaints on more than one occasion in 2010. So long; our relationship was good for the first 5-6 years, but to serve crushed ice in two peoples' drinks that obviously had solidified over several days (or weeks) into icebergs that would sink the Titanic is poor, with not even a complimentary drink as apology. Then on another occasion to say that your Porterhouse steaks one night are slightly smaller than advertised, but then to serve up meat that was around 30-40 percent gristle (I am not kidding, and I ate that cut there often before with no problems) is absolutely not good enough. Also, in general, if you are going to have a tank in your window with live lobsters in it, one alone (and that at the start of the evening) looks rather sad, and means that my wife is told by your waiter that she is four minutes too late to order her regular and favourite dish after another diner snaps it up. It was cheap of you to blame your supplier, these things don't die overnight, you can keep a stock. Smiling and saing sorry just isn't enough after such continued poor performance. We have never been offered so much as a complimentary drink, let alone a meal. My loyalty card expired last month and will never be renewed now.

Posted by: Mahaba on 21 Nov ' 10 at 10:00

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

Best steakes you could ever have, excellent service, amazing Ceasar salad! I have been 4 times to this restaurant and i was equally satisified every time with the food the hgih quality wine, the delicious fresh bread and ohhh the dessert! very good restaurant!

Posted by: Ali Malek on 27 Jul ' 10 at 20:46

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

not bad, nice envoroment, good service, average food

Posted by: Glenn on 05 Feb ' 10 at 20:52

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Have not been back to JW's for a long time (mainly because I've only started to travel to Dubai again recently after being away for 3 years). But it has genuine character, the steak is excellent, and I remember the wonderful Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine they recommended to us and we enjoyed two bottles of - a great, heavy wine to go with the big steaks.

Posted by: Glenn on 05 Feb ' 10 at 20:41

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Have not been back to JW's for a long time (mainly because I've only started to travel to Dubai again recently after being away for 3 years). But it has genuine character, the steak is excellent, and I remember the wonderful Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine they recommended to us and we enjoyed two bottles of - a great, heavy wine to go with the big steaks.

Posted by: C N on 03 Feb ' 10 at 05:20

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Last night we had dinner at JW's Steakhouse. When we arrived my partners name was on the table, so we felt welcome immediately. Our waitress Irene, was very professional and friendly. The food, the food - absolutely fantastic. We had foie gras and crab cake for starters. Foie melted in my mouth - very very sensational. Crab was great. I had the duck for main and my partner steak. Both equally delicious. The duck was a perfect pink. The dessert, New York cheese cake and Creme Brulee rounded of the dinner perfectly. My only complaint would be that the dessert portions are very big. We choose the wine by flight (i think that is the name) to accompany our dinner. This means you have six different types of wine at the same time to test. Three white, three red and dessert wine. I would go back to this restaurant again on a special occassion since you do pay for what you get, but it is wort it. Thank you for hte experience.