If you love opulence and grandeur…you’re probably already a big fan of the Burj Al Arab. I mean what’s not to like about staying in a room which comes complete with a gold iPad, eating in a restaurant that doubles up as an aquarium or drinking at a bar that has gold walls, gold in the name and indeed gold leaf in the cocktails (yes you, Gold On 27).

What more could you ask from a 7-star hotel that already commands it’s own manmade island?. How about a little extension? And by little we mean the utterly huge ‘Terrace’ big enough to accommodate a freshwater pool, a saltwater pool, a beach, cabanas and fusion restaurant ‘Scape’. 

And it’s Scape that we were there to get a taste of, selling itself as a mixture of Californian cuisine with a Mediterranean and Asian mix (that’s a lot of my favourite food words in one sentence). 

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Are all those tastes as good in action as they sound on paper…or is it an erm, recipe for disaster? Ever the willing guinea pigs when it comes to eating free food at world class hotels, we thought we’d give it a whirl.

The setting is breathtaking…

Just when you thought you’d seen everything, along comes The Terrace. A giant extension at the foot of the Burj Al Arab, with a huge freshwater pool, a saltwater infinity pool, numerous jacuzzi pools, the best service around and of course the aforementioned restaurant. All in white and beautiful blue hues that carry through to the interior of Scape itself. The minimalist interior continues into the outdoor seating area, so wherever you sit – you’ll be able to chill out and concentrate on your food…and drink.

Indulge in not just starters but some cheeky pre-starters too…

Even before you get to the starters there’s a ‘While You Decide’ section on the menu – a sure sign this was a menu for us! Choose from fried or steamed Edamame in chilli sauce (AED 25) or the Padron Peppers in chorizo sauce (AED 35), then sit back and enjoy them while you choose your first course…with the added delight of the delicious, complimentary brioche style bread and butter. 

When it came to starters we chose from the ‘Sea-Raw’ section and opted for the super fresh and tasty Mahi Mahi Ceviche which comes with a delicate sauce (and actually pretty large and very filling) mango, red chilli, capsicum, red onion and papaya salad (AED 80). We also gave the Scallop Tiradito a go. The scallops are melt in the mouth soft and come with a mild but tasty tiger milk, red radish, apple and salmon roe accompaniment  (AED 95).

Be prepared to want every single main on the menu…

The mains are split into four sections: ‘from the oven’, ‘salads’, ‘sea-cooked’ and ‘land’…and we can promise you’ll want something from each! Luckily we were halfway full from our starters and pre-starters so decided to just stick to one main each (who are we kidding…we were keeping room for dessert).

First up was the Grilled Poussin (AED 165) from the ‘land’ section, the succulent chicken was subtle in taste and perfectly cooked, we chose the Pave Potato (AED 35) as a side, which was a creamy potato gratin with a crusty tomato and herb topping, and deliciously indulgent. We also ordered the Baja Style Fish Tacos (AED 75), ordered ‘from the oven’. Three lightly battered fish fingers, served on delicately soft tacos with pico de gallo, sour cream and everyone’s favourite green stuff, avocado.

The desserts are almost too pretty to eat…almost

The list of sweets is as difficult to choose from as the mains so we asked our lovely waitress Akeela to do the honours…and she didn’t disappoint. First, was the Salted-Caramel Sundae (AED 65), everything about this pile of candy popcorn, chocolate brownie and caramel ice cream screamed EAT ME NOW! Sweet but moorish, we made it to the bottom of the bowl pretty quickly. In contrast to this messy heap of goodness was the Mascarpone Cheesecake (AED 65), a beautiful and tidy little package sitting next to a seasonal compote. It wasn’t just pretty it was the surprise winner of our ‘best dish award’. Shaped like a donut, once you cut in and take a bite the taste is fresh and light but still creamy and full of flavour…it’s a must try if you visit.

The details…

Overall Scape was an extremely pleasant experience, the best thing is that it’s pretty reasonably priced…especially considering that it’s the Burj Al Arab, with bottles of wine starting at around AED 350. The staff are beyond friendly and helpful and the setting makes you feel like you’re on a mini break.

Scape Restaurant & Bar is open for lunch from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, dinner from 6pm to 11pm and Shisha from 12pm. Bookings are essential, do so by e-mailing: BAARestaurants@jumeirah.com or call +971 4 301 7600

For more details visit the website here.

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