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.

Prime 68 Dubai – menu 1
V = Vegetarian
A = Alcohol
Amuse Bouche

Prime 68 Dubai – menu 2
- Duck rilettes, confit onion – crispy bread toast

Prime 68 Dubai – amuse bouche and charcuterie
“Go chase yourself!” – Charcuterie selection

Prime 68 Dubai – menu 3
- Beef Truffle Salami
- Cecina De Leon
- Goose Speck
- Mini Salametti
Assorted organic mustards, marinated olives, cornichons, homemade pickles

Prime 68 Dubai – charcuterie
“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.

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