OLIVES Another celebrity chef-backed restaurant opens in the capital
he latest outlet to open at the Venetian Village sees American chef Todd English bring his brand to Abu Dhabi. With branches already in Las Vegas, Mexico and the Bahamas, the Mediterranean concept offers relaxed dining along the waterfront in a smart, sophisticated setting.
The restaurant, which was originally
Tplanned as a retail space, features a maze-like interior with several distinct areas, each with a distinct vibe. The masculine green room is filled with heavy, suede olive-coloured booths, dark woodpanelled ceilings and metal studded leather chairs. It’s moody and romantic. However, upon our visit, it is totally devoid of diners.
The orange room, on the other hand, feels brighter and more energetic. White walls, burnt orange leather chairs and an open kitchen add some much needed movement to the venue.
While the décor certainly impresses, what of the food? The menu, while small, is varied and features a selection of Mediterranean flavours, from a selection of pastas made in-house, Spanish sweet potato bravas to herbcrusted lamb chops.
To start, the crispy carpetbaggers, fried oysters sandwiched between slices of beef carpaccio and truffle mash potatoes, were excellent. Dissolving the minute they hit the tongue, they were decadent and flavourful. The Bronx Bomber, a beef pepperoni pizza, was also surprisingly moreish due to the kicky garlic and tomato sauce.
The entrées also were of a high standard. The bone-in-rib eye was served with a smoked tomato jam for a sweet contrast to the rich meat. While the diver scallops, presented atop a chunky eggplant caponatta, were pleasant, the textures did not mesh. The scallops were slightly chewy and the eggplant too firm for our liking.
For dessert be sure to try the airy lemon panna cotta but skip the overly sugary banana crème brulee.
While still in its soft opening, Olives certainly is worth a repeat visit (or two). The food is good, portions are large and the atmosphere is luxe. We can only imagine the restaurant will get better as it comes into its own.
Venetian Village, Al Maqta, Abu Dhabi, daily 6.30pm to 11pm. Tel: (02) 4041941. Taxi: next to Ritz-Carlton. facebook.com/OlivesAbuDhabi