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.

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Prime 68 Dubai – menu 1

 

V = Vegetarian
A = Alcohol

Amuse Bouche

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Prime 68 Dubai – menu 2

 

  • Duck rilettes, confit onion – crispy bread toast
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Prime 68 Dubai – amuse bouche and charcuterie

 

“Go chase yourself!” – Charcuterie selection

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Prime 68 Dubai – menu 3

 

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

Assorted organic mustards, marinated olives, cornichons, homemade pickles

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Prime 68 Dubai – charcuterie

 

“Rag-a-muffin”

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  • 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
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“Prime 68’s Ritz”

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

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  • Prime 68 Ahi tuna tartar – mango gazpacho, grapefruit, Ponz dressing
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“Putting on the Ritz”

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  • 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
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Foie Gras degustation

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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

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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
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“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.

Prime 68 Dubai - Folio Invoice

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