Pride of place for the Folly boys
The British expats are expanding their range by taking over the management of The Black Lion at the H Hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road
In parallel with the rise of over-the-top Michelin-brushed experiences across the UAE and eye-watering menu prices, it’s a relief to see focused, smaller restaurants opening up, where the focus is on approachable, accessible fare that doesn’t leave holes in your pocket.
Dubai restaurateurs seem to have finally got the message that not everything needs to be overthe-top. Independents such as Cuisinero Uno and Bait Maryam have shown there is a market, and the likes of Pierre Gagnaire, who recently turned his focus from destination fine-dining to bistro-style comfort food, have followed suit.
For over a year now, Nick Alvis and Scott Price have shown that unusual fare can be reasonably priced, with two people easily able to drink and dine at Folly, their Madinat Jumeirah hotspot, for under Dh750. The British expats are now expanding their range by taking over the management of The Black Lion at the H Hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road.
Now called The Lion, the redecorated venue has been recast as a traditional British pub — with food and football to match. “Growing up in the UK the pub was a nice place to go with our parents,” Price tells tabloid! “So pub food always has a special place in our hearts.”
Expect roasts, curries, sausage rolls, Scotch eggs, and of course, fish and chips with mushy peas — which may be a far cry from the sort of food you’d get at Folly (monkfish cheeks or venison tartare), but that’s the point. “These are classic dishes, we don’t want to be pigeonholed as a gastropub. We don’t want people coming in here expecting fireworks. We’re a regular pub, with classic dishes done to high standards but at reasonable prices.”
The Match Day Roast, for example, on Saturdays and Sundays, typically features roast beef and a pint for Dh110. Curry night on Tuesdays offers unlimited chicken or paneer curry with biryani for Dh125.
BUILDING AN IDENTITY
Staff from Folly will oversee the transition, but many of the original Black Lion staff remain, so regulars should be reassured. “We felt the place lacked a bit of identity, so we’ve built that in, with a great ambience and some very classic British music — obviously there’ll be a bit of Britpop, but also all the classic acts.”
If the posters on the wall are any indication, expect Bowie, Jagger, Elton John and Dire Straits.
Are they really ready to oversee two ventures at opposite ends of the city, then? Price says it’s about timing and prospects, explaining how their partner investors, Gates Hospitality, wanted a change at the venue.
“You’ve got to take the opportunities where they come. You have to be ready and evaluate if they’re worth doing.”
He expects the business tower and hotel to provide some footfall, with the rest from the area around — and perhaps from the exhibition halls opposite.
I ask if the legendary traffic at that very roundabout at the top of Shaikh Zayed Road might put people off. “On a Friday, we’re 15 minutes from the Marina, and we’re already seeing a good crowd on weekends,” Price says. “But we can’t complain about the location, it’s our job to create reasons for people to come here.”
We’re going over this evening; hopefully it’ll be a place where everyone knows our name.