Hack job
Our newshound, James Fryer, finds a watering hole for Dubai’s media drudgers and darlings.
Whether it’s a visit to a dark, smoky London pub serving real ale or a minimalist bar in Manhattan for a dry martini, media types are infamous for their penchant for a tipple. They will always converge on a favourite bar to gossip about who’s seeing who and who’s, ahem, screwing over who. So, as Dubai’s Media City grows into a thriving global hub of news and entertainment, the thirst of its thousands of inhabitants has increased too. DMC’s only hotel is the Radisson SAS and its subtly titled Media Lounge is clear about the clients it hopes to attract.
We arrived to a quiet haunt (in terms of numbers) on our evening visit. The only other punter was a trendy twenty-something glued to his iBook. We sat under a series of liquorice-allsorts-inspired canvases. Meanwhile, metal lattice provided a shield from the outside world and a partition wall made from rows of diamanté-style glass beads created a twinkling division inside. A modest-sized bar displayed a classic line-up of spirits and a row of tall and uncomfy-looking silver stools sat against a backdrop of red with a glittery pebbledash. Angular leather-look sofas and chairs were positioned to create relaxing areas around low tables and a bookshelf stocked with architectural choices including Hollywood Houses and National Geographic’s Greatest was on hand to tempt loungers. The eclectic mix proved successful in creating a chilled ambience.
We would have happily relaxed with a classic cocktail – a bloody mary, mojito or pina colada, all priced at Dhs32 – but it was laptops out and an evening of not-so-glam working – and a spot of emailing thanks to the free wireless connection. But the mocktails helped compensate. My study-buddy’s apricot cocktail (Dhs25) – a mix of apricot nectar, banana and fat-free vanilla yoghurt – made for a creamy smoothie. And my feminine-looking virgin daiquiri (Dhs25) was equally well received – apricot, lemon juice and sugar syrup over crushed ice – a sweet, icy sorbet-style drink that would give you a headache if you gulped it down too fast. Which I did.
A whole 10 minutes of slogging away made us hungry. A scan of the lunchtime-feel menu and 15 minutes later arrived a chef’s salad of roquette, balsamic caramelised shallots, goat’s cheese, grilled courgette and garlic marinated chicken (Dhs45). It looked delicious, but it was drowned in the oily dressing. Meanwhile the BLT (Dhs35 with pork or veal bacon) was more like a club sandwich than greasy pub grub, but was a staple success. My jacket potato (Dhs35) with sautéed mushrooms and goats’ cheese was soft, filling and, pleasingly, not the typical microwaved disappointment.
Sting’s Greatest Hits broke my concentration again, competing with the chatter coming downstairs from the louder Icon bar. But it did provide an excuse to stop work and order dessert. We were soon fighting over the fantastically bizarre cheesecake with a chocolate-rice-crispy base, thick cream and juicy blueberries (Dhs30).
The Media Lounge is not yet the place to be seen trumping each others’ business cards. But Dubai’s aspiring Max Cliffords and Rupert Murdochs might slurp their mojitos in the mish-mash venue before long.
Media Lounge, Radisson SAS, Dubai Media City. Tel: (04) 3669111.
WHAT’S ON VERDICT
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 3/5
Value: 3/5