Prime 68 Dubai brunch review – a sky high superb steakhouse

Prime 68 Dubai : Introduction

Prime 68 Dubai is a premium steakhouse, situated on the 68th floor of the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai (the tallest hotel in the world). During a recent stay (review here), to make the most of my Marriott Rewards earning, I decided to try their Friday Prohibition Brunch.

I was a little reticent about visiting though, due to ‘Second Brunch Syndrome' last time I visited Prime 68. Whilst my first visit was exceptional – easily one of my best 3 meals ever in Dubai – the second visit/return was distinctly underwhelming. This seems to happen a lot in Dubai, as brunches struggle with consistency – and it's usually when you've brought a few mates following your wonderful first time there.

Anyhow, keeping positive I decided it's better to think along the lines of ‘third time lucky' – but was it a hit or miss?

What did I eat?

The Prime 68 Brunch is a serve-at-the-table set menu of the favourite courses from the main menu. It has a Prohibition theme – cocktails in teacups, fancy names of the dishes etc. – and some diners get in the ‘swing of things' with Flapper-era fancy dress.

 

V = Vegetarian
A = Alcohol

Amuse Bouche

 

• Duck rilettes, confit onion – crispy bread toast

 

“Go chase yourself!” – Charcuterie selection

 

• Beef Truffle Salami
• Cecina De Leon
• Goose Speck
• Mini Salametti

Assorted organic mustards, marinated olives, cornichons, homemade pickles

 

“Rag-a-muffin”

 

• Waldorf salad (V) – celery, soft grapes, toasted caramelized walnuts
• Heirloom tomato & buffalo mozzarella (V) – slow cooked tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red onion dressing
• Wedge salad – Avocado Goddess sauce, Blue cheese

 

 

 

 

 

“Prime 68’s Ritz”

 

• Hot smoked ‘Bourbon” marinated Loch Duart salmon (A) – Rye chips, pickles, honey mustard glaze

 

Intermetied

 

• Prime 68 Ahi tuna tartar – mango gazpacho, grapefruit, Ponz dressing

 

“Putting on the Ritz”

 

• Boardwalk style crab cake – New Orleans Remoulade
• Sweetcorn soup – Manchego Croquette, popcorn
• Muffin – caramelised onion, beef pancetta, Gorgonzola cheese
• Wagyu meatballs – slow cooked tomatoes, Parmesan, basil

 

Foie Gras degustation

 

Note – I'm sadly not a fan of Foie Gras, so didn't indulge – but it looked great!

• Foie Gras Parfait (A) – Port wine jelly, confit red onion
• Foie Gras-Duck Terrine (A) – Trumpet mushrooms, sweet wine jelly
• Pan Seared Foie Gras – seasonal fruit condiment, toasted brioche

“The Bees Knees” – The Carvery

• Josper grilled Australian beef Tenderloin – with butter and thyme
• Whole Australian Ribeye – cooked with garlic and herbs
• US Prime Short Ribs (A) – braised with Guinness beer

“The Fishmonger”

• Pan seared fillet of Sea Bass – lemon butter sauce
• Marinated shrimp – garlic ginger sauce

“Hotsy-totsy”

• Sauteed green beans
• Creamy spinach
• Steakhouse fries with BBQ sauce
• Buttery sour cream chive mashed potato
• White asparagus Mac and Cheese

• Chimchurri, Peppercorn, Bearnaise

Desserts

 

Note – by this stage, I was totally stuffed – so I asked the waiter to take photos of the dessert service.

• Apple crumble in Ramequin
• Chocolate cup, caramel-banana, vanilla cream
• Brownie
• Blueberry mouse Financier
• Mango tart
• Sacher
• Pannacota in Glass Bubble
• Key Lime tart

 

 

 

“Now you’re on the trolley”

• Selection of cheese from the cart – cranberry bread, grapes, fruit chutney, strawberries, fruit jam

What was good?

• Service – from the Restaurant Manager personally introducing himself, through to all the wait staff, service was exceptional.
• Portion size – every dish was lovely, with ‘just big enough' portions to enjoy without being too excessive.
• Cocktails – great range (one or even two for each ‘course' adds to the fun!).
• Quality – whilst the focus is on meats – and the Braised Ribs are always amazing – quality, preparation and presentation were top-notch.
• Brunch theme – it's nice to have a theme, without feeling left out if you're not partying. Two piece band were particularly good, playing nice background music and moving onto poppier tunes once the cocktails kicked in.
• Class – it was nice to be served the main carving of Ribeye by the Chef Du Cuisine, Simon Wipf, who spent time with all diners to ensure they were having a great time.
• Pacing is important here – the range of foods is a challenge, so don't ‘peak too soon' on the starters and preceding courses.
• Most of all, delighted to report that it was indeed ‘third time lucky'. A delightful meal, with tremendous service and exceptional ambience.

What was not so good?

• The meats are so good, you want more – but you're nearly full to bursting.
• The atmosphere is good, but not many get into the ‘Prohibition Theme' – maybe time for a rebrand? Apparently they're considering a James Bond 007 theme – which fits in with the sleek, sexy shiny skyscraper and cocktails!

Prime 68 Dubai – One sentence summary

Classy, quality food in a relaxed pleasant venue with stunning views but not sky-high prices.

Details

• Date visited – August 2016
• Location – 68th Floor, South Tower, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, Business Bay
• Metro – Business Bay (12 mins/950m walk)
• Cost – 325 AED (soft drinks only). House drinks, spirits, cocktails and champagne on premium packages.
• Brunch food items served from 12:30 to 15:30
• Last beverage order at 15:30
• Chef De Cuisine – Simon Wipe

Disclosure: All of our reviews are visited anonymously, and we pay for all charges ourselves.We feel no freebies, no bias, no PR or marketing involvement makes for a fairer, objective and better review for you.