JEKYLL & HYDE

Can this authentic British pub bring something fresh to the DIFC?

id they decorate this place by raiding my mum’s living room?” That’s the way our dining partner summed up the quirky interior of Jekyll & Hyde, a new British pub that’s just opened in DIFC.

Brought to you by the same team behind Dubai Marina’s The Scene, it’s almost guaranteed to make visiting Brits feel like they’re at home, from the furniture to the retro ornaments and art prints. The theme continues with the menu, which is overflowing with Britishisms, promising “proper chips”, “bottles of plonk” and a ladies’ night called “totties on the town”. OK, guys. We get it.

With a vibe that’s more casual than the rest of the neighbourhood, it’s nice to be able to go for a chilled bite to eat

Din DIFC wearing jeans and trainers. The menu could warm any homesick Brit’s heart, with classic pub dishes and authentic touches like piccalilli and HP sauce for garnish. For starters, the stilton welsh rarebit (Dhs45) was a winning combo of crisp toast and gooey cheese, complemented by the tangy sweetness of onion jam – perfect comfort food. We also commended the chef for the perfectly soft-boiled yolk of the veal scotch egg with HP sauce (Dhs45). For mains, the winning dish was the grass-fed sirloin steak (Dhs199) – well cooked and served with chunky chips, roasted mushrooms and a classic béarnaise sauce. We didn’t love the chicken kiev (Dhs129), though: the meat, while tender, lacked flavour, and the warm coleslaw just felt wrong. The buttery onion mash just about saved it. Butter was a recurring theme; the buttered baby carrots were swimming in the stuff, so much so that we could barely pick them up with a fork.

Things picked up with pudding, thanks to the tooth-achingly sweet sticky toffee and date pudding (Dhs49) and the creamy but tart cherry bakewell cheesecake (Dhs49). Unfortunately, the service had dropped by the end of the night, with the desserts arriving at different times, but we’ll put that down to the teething problems of opening week. Once these have been ironed out, Jekyll & Hyde has all the ingredients to become a popular spot.

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