Hide and seek
James Fryer sets his stopwatch for an evening of time-consuming fun and games at Al Qasr.
The waft of gas fumes from Beach Road was enough to make us run (well, almost) to get inside Dubai Marine Beach Resort. That was until a security guard stopped us in our tracks to search for cameras – was Orlando Bloom making another controversial appearance at nearby Boudoir? It didn’t appear so – we couldn’t find him anywhere, nor the recently revamped Al Qasr for that matter. But after a bit of kerfuffle we found the entrance to the restaurant (back at the front of the resort) and kept our fingers crossed it would be worth the effort.
Up and around the spiral stairs lay a reception without a receptionist, followed by an expansive and uninteresting restaurant area without any waiters. Wandering through the redecorated interior to the new terrace area, someone finally noticed us – arriving at 7.30pm on a Monday evening was clearly too early – and we realised there wasn’t another guest in sight.
A glass of not-too-bad house wine, a bottle of beer (no draught was available) and 40 minutes later, I was left rubbernecking for a good 15 minutes after deciding (out of principle) not to go on the hunt for staff. Once the menu did arrive and our orders were decided, yet another grab-the-waiter challenge arose, only this time it was a case of trying to find one who was actually willing and able to take an order. Temptation to give up was interrupted by a basket of fresh, wafer thin Arabic bread – perfect for scooping up the unusual yet moreish hummus with mincemeat. The second starter, a fatayer dish, wasn’t as impressive – stodgy and bland pastry parcels stuffed with spinach, mince and cheese that failed to do anything for the taste buds. By the time our mains were added to the table, the terrace area was full and tables indoors were also being allocated in haste. A modestly portioned mixed grill worked its way through the diners, boasting good quality cuts of tender chicken and lamb. My kebab Al Qasr saw perfectly cooked potatoes, flavoursome tomatoes, well sautéed onions and lean kofta piled high on a dish where the basic ingredients couldn’t have been better matched. Presentation was a touch careless but the overall quality of the house special more than made up for it.
Being ignored because the restaurant was near-empty couldn’t be forgiven, and neither could being ignored because it was packed to the rafters. It took more than 20 minutes before our table was finally cleared, time to sit back and try to straighten our backs after having to lean forward and eat from the, at first, comfortable and well-cushioned low chairs. Optimistically deciding to interact with the staff once again, we opted to finish with seasonal fruits and a couple of Arabic coffees (no filter coffee was available), and in the same style as the huge garden salad that initially adorned our table, out came a feast of a fruit platter, laden with fresh melon, strawberries, grapes and the other usual suspects.
We left feeling as lost and confused as when we’d arrived. The food was good, if slightly overpriced at more than Dhs300 for two, with drinks, but the service was inconsistent. I wished we’d kept looking for Orlando rather than pay a visit to Al Qasr, but I get the feeling if you arrived later for the live music (which kicks off around 10.30pm) and looked like you were going to spend some big bucks (this seemed to be the only way to get service as the tables of tourists splashed out), this revised eatery might not be too bad.
Al Qasr, Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3461111.