It is exactly two years since the second phase of City Walk opened and offered a totally new and unique dining, shopping and leisure destination that has very quickly become a popular and lively place to visit any day of the week. Within the hustle and bustle of City Walk is The Square, home to three fine dining restaurants. One of these is Galvin Dubai, the second venture in Dubai of award winning British chef brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin.
Galvin Dubai is spread over two levels with the elegant restaurant on the ground floor and a relaxed lounge bar upstairs. There is also a well-spaced outdoor terrace for those looking to enjoy al fresco dining. The menu has a distinctive Mediterranean flavour to it, with a leaning towards French cuisine, and, under the direction of Executive Chef Luigi Vespero, who spent 5 years working with Galvin in London, a regional twist has been added to some dishes. Our starters consisted of an escabèche of yellow fin tuna, beautifully accompanied by a herb salad and a perfectly spiced aubergine puree, and a signature dish of a lasagne of Devon crab, three layers of pasta stuffed with crab meat and served with a creamy bisque. The portions were both just perfect for a starter. The yellow fin tuna was a very refreshing option to start the meal and the lasagne was so full of crab meat you got a great taste in every mouthful.
For the mains we opted for the nicely cooked beef tenderloin accompanied with carmelised shallots, and a dish with a Middle Eastern twist, the tagine of lamb. Both were well presented and looked as delicious as they tasted. The lamb tagine was accompanied with a beautiful couscous and the subtle sweet taste of dates wrapped in crispy filo pastry. After tasty starters and main courses, it can be difficult to go for a third course, but with tempting deserts on the menu it was impossible to resist, and our eyes took us to the Baba au Rhum and the Apple Tarte Tatin. A sweet way to end a fantastic meal.
With great food and knowledgeable and attentive staff, an evening at Galvin Dubai offers another reason to visit City Walk. For a 3 course meal, excluding drinks, expect to pay around Dhs 350 per person. For reservation call 04-5905444.