African Queen opened on the shores of the French Riviera 55 years ago and can count Naomi Campbell, Bono and Sylvester Stallone among its customers. The renowned restaurant has now brought its blend of Mediterranean, African and continental flavours to Dubai's with the opening of an outlet at J1 Beach.
The original dining venue takes its name from an Oscar-winning 1950s film that also inspired its bold, maximalist interior design. The J1 Beach outpost showcases contemporary elegance in a colourful yet chic space suited to both intimate dinners and lively celebrations.
It has quickly become a busy midweek venue. My dining partner and I visit on a Tuesday night to find out if this is due to its reputation as a celebrity hangout spot in the Cote d'Azur or its new kid-on-the-block status.
Where to sit and what to expect
We're greeted by a zealous front-of-house team as we walk into the dimly lit, green-tiled entrance. The enclave opens up to a spacious open-air dining area, and we're shown to our seats a few steps shy of the pool. This way, we can soak in the bold interior design while also taking in the golden-hour glow reflected in the water.
Meanwhile, the music (think funk tunes and soul remixes) from our seats is at an ideal volume for an early evening meal, keeping the energy high and conversation flowing without vocal strain.
The menu
The menu is an eclectic mix of cuisines, with pages of both fresh, healthy options and indulgent comfort foods, from Riviera salad to truffle pizza. Fluffy flat bread served with olive tapenade is placed on our table to start our meal. It's delicious and is a modest portion as we don't want to fill ourselves up too early.
For starters, we order calamari (Dh85), tomato tatin (Dh95) and the old-fashioned artichoke and truffle salad (Dh135), which is our favourite. Served in a hollowed artichoke with shavings of ingredients within, it's a flavour-packed start to our meal.
For mains, we chose grilled tenderloin in Bearnaise sauce (Dh285) served with a side of truffle mash (Dh70) for my meat eating partner and, as a vegan, a simple orecchiette pasta served with fresh arrabiata sauce for myself. It's a stripped-down version of the orecchiette with octopus ragu, which ordinarily costs Dh125, made vegan-friendly just for me.
For dessert, there's a selection of delicacies, from pastries to cakes. Yet the golden chocolate bar is the one that stands out, oozing mousse, passion fruit, caramel and biscuit bites. So indulgent, my guest only makes it through half, taking the rest home for her four-year-old son, who later offers his testimonial by crowning it the “best cake ever”.
Standout dish
Our server tells us that the wood-fired truffle pizza (Dh180) is one of most popular dishes. Then, there's the African curry made with chicken, served with mango chutney and basmati rice (Dh135); the Nicoise salad complete with tuna ventresca (Dh135) prepared tableside; and the fanciful royal sea bass with baked potato and sour cream (Dh480).
We sample just a sliver of this comprehensive menu. While our selections span both decadent dishes and comfort foods, there's a surprising one that stands out for both of us: the old-fashioned artichoke and truffle salad. The ingredients are minimal, yet a full-bodied blend of flavours. It's an optical treat, too, and becomes a dish easy to associate with African Queen's playful personality. All the food is delicious, but this is memorable as well.
Contact information
African Queen is located at J1 Beach in Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 570 55 46.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
