Someone once said, ‘you can’t buy happiness, but you can buy tea and that’s kind of the same thing.’ True! And well, when you buy it, seated by the gorgeous French windows of a plush lounge, privileged to the view of the majestic Burj Khalifa, Dubai, you’ve probably bought some unforgettable moments too.
With high ceilings, plenty of empty space between seating clusters and an abundance of soft sunlight streaming in, the lounge spells elegance and refinement, almost quite effortlessly. If you think about it, the lounge also lends itself to a variety of occasions, – a business meeting, a casual tete-a-tete with friends or a romantic rendezvous.
In my case, I was immersing myself in tea drinking and conversations with a friend whom I was meeting after very long. As we lost ourselves in catching up, the elegant tea Charlie was laid out at our table. While our preferences for our blend of tea or kind of coffee were all attended to, it was all done discreetly and non-intrusively; in perfect harmony with the character of the lounge.
The small bites presented had several hidden surprises. The Smoked Duck and Foie Gras was a hit. I believe, you can love foie gras or hate it but you can hardly ever ignore it. In this case, we loved it! What stood out as the hero for me though, was, the deceivingly simple looking Burrata Mousse and Tomato Caviar Choux Buns. The pastry was light, crispy and airy and the burrata itself jam packed with flavour; a simple dish enhanced by brilliant execution. In contrast, the Maine Lobster Remoulade, Vernice Caviar, Charcoal Bread made for a pretty picture; squid-ink painted buns sandwiched with coral lobster. However, the dish missed the mark on flavour entirely. The freshly baked warm scones with clotted cream and preserves made up for the miss though.
Speaking about the selection of teas, there’s a pretty extensive variety to choose from. The Moroccan Mint blend is my eternal favourite and was just as fabulous as I always know it to be. However, what really bowled me over was the ‘Red Tea’; an infusion of several berries into a beautiful tea blend. Its intense aroma enticed us both as it was brought to the table and for that one afternoon converted my coffee loyalist friend into a tea drinker.
Time flies faster than the food at the table when you’re sitting cocooned in the understated luxury of this beautiful lounge. The stellar food and beverage is no surprise, but walking away, the memory that lingers is the personality and vibe of the lounge and how seamlessly it lends itself to conversation. After all high-tea is as much about conversation as it is about brews and blends.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 4.5 | Ambiance: 5 | Service: 4.5 | Overall: 4.5
Meal for Two without Alcohol: AED 170 per person and AED300 per couple for the Afternoon tea spread (Non Alcoholic) and AED250/450 with one glass of Sparkling Rose wine per person | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes|
Timing: 1500 hrs till 1800 hrs | Wheelchair Access: Yes
Address: Lobby Level,Burj Khalifa,Burj Khalifa Area, Downtown Dubai – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Telephone: +971 4 888 3888
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgement and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind
