Ah steak, the way to a man’s heart and the daily lunch dish of Anna Wintour (bloody, no chips).
The Exchange Grill has fast gained a rep as the best steak house in town, but does this upmarket grill make the EW cut?
AMBIENCE
A relaxed venue that manages to remain relatively unpretentious despite the haute cuisine it serves.
Always busy, this popular eatery had not one spare chair thanks to a crowd mixed with groups of after-workers, friends and foodies.
FOOD
A carnivores dream, this meat laden menu lived up to our high expectations.
First up in our feast was the Warm Short Rib Salad, the meet was cooked to a perfect crisp and swimming in tangy butternut squash, topped with truffle and parmesan hollandaise, this is a well-thought out dish sure to be a hit with all.
Next we tried the Blue Crab Cakes infused with shallot scented mango butter, we found them wonderfully fresh and full of flavour.
Before moving on to our mains, we were treated to palette-cleansing lemon sorbet.
And thank goodness we did because what arrived next can only be described as a meat-lovers dream, the 12oz Wagyu Rib-Eye (Dhs475) was presented with a smooth mushroom sauce on the side. The beef was tender, one touch to the fork melted the dish to reveal the succulent juices.
There’s an extensive list of side dishes, we say try the Steamed Asparagus and Broccoli Gratin – after all that meaty sin you’ll need some veggies!
To complete our opulent feast, we finished with the creamy Chocolate Platter.
The Crab Cakes
Wagyu Rib-Eye
An amazing selection of dips
The Chocolate Platter
DÉCOR
The interior is understated chic with an emphasis on comfort – no overly trendy cushion-less chairs here.
Instead, the super-soft leather chairs in neutral shades are set against tables, which, we might add, are large enough to encourage over ordering– our kinda place!
WHY BOTHER?
The staff are smiley, efficient and extremely knowledgeable on the dishes they serve; it really does make the world of difference to not be met with a blank look when enquiring about menus.
GO FOR
Impeccable service, haute cuisine and a good time.
The delicious food is complemented but the relaxed environment.
Make sure you go with an appetite, as chances are, you won’t be able to resist the majority of this meaty menu.
WEAR
Get dressed up for the occasion; pull out your best dress with heels and some jewels.
We wore:
Dress Dhs119 Topshop here | Earrings Dhs2,046 Oscar de la Renta here | Bag Dhs Miu Miu here | Shoes Dhs2,715 Charlotte Olympia here
THE DETAILS
Open for dinner from 7:00 pm to Midnight, daily
To male a reservation or for more information, call (04) 3118316 or email here
The Fairmont hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road
