What makes the 2 Michelin Star Dubai Restaurant Row on 45 unmissable? Read on to find out.
The renownedly exacting food writer Elizabeth David famously proclaimed that good food is trouble, and preparing it is a labour of love. Forty-five floors above the Dubai skyline, Jason Atherton and his team are busy creating a culinary kingdom where love and labour are clear in every exacting dish, and a charming front of house team are making sure nothing is any trouble for their customers. For just twenty-two diners a night, the team at Row on 45 deliver an ambitious multi-course tasting experience; recently, the restaurant was awarded 2 Michelin stars for its stellar efforts.
Taking place across three spaces, the evening begins in a cocktail lounge, a funky punky room, its Vivienne Westwood-does-British-manor-house interior contrasting with an expansive view of Dubai’s Palm. Flattering lighting highlights the astonishingly intricate canapés, artful mouthfuls of towering precision with tiny flora elegantly adorning the fauna — on this night a tartlet of bluefin date maguro; caviar and oyster meringue; and a takoyaki of Norwegian king crab. Adorned with dots of gels and miniature ornate wafers, they are as much a statement of intent as a match for a cold glass of champagne.
At this Michelin Star Dubai Restaurant, the dining room is smartly configured towards the open kitchen, a mesmerisingly serene space of brass, gold and wood, with a brigade who are clearly comfortable executing sophisticated dishes under watchful eyes. Waiting on the crisp white linens is a personalised sealed envelope containing the full menu, a slightly bewildering list of impeccably sourced ingredients that reveal little about the triumphant upcoming dishes, many of which are finished tableside by a team member, including executive chef Daniel Birk.
Courses at Row on 45 are frequently precursed with a presentation of the main ingredient, be it a box of immaculate bafun uni or a display of amaou strawberries, and every subsequent plate is as petite, flavour-packed and as beautiful as its canapé counterparts. Whilst the experience will change across the year, there are dishes that will inevitably become stars — the burnished brioche, its insides as buttery and flaky as a Proustian croissant; the brine & lemon flavours of puréed Noirmoutier potato topped with caviar a silky mouthful. The optional wine pairing features original pairings and unexpected delights, including a clever mead made with honey from Dubai’s famous Hatta bees.
The night ends on a high in the library, where the copper-mirrored ceiling reflects a joyous petit-four cart, its drawers opening to reveal a jewel-like selection of chocolates and jellies, accompanied by some dazzling tea-making that’s on a par with the best cocktail theatrics. It’s an exuberant end to a majestic restaurant experience; indeed, Row on 45 is unlike any other in the Middle East.
