Gordon doesn't shine in Dubai (Verre by Gordon Ramsay)

Member Name: sarajackson

Product:	Verre by Gordon Ramsay
Date:	15/05/03 (4379 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fashionable Venue, Famous Chef, Some good items

Disadvantages: Overbearing Service, Large portions, Overcooked items

When we visited Dubai, we were determined to try Verre by Gordon Ramsay, being well aware of the Chef?s reputation for fine dining, and never having managed to visit his London restaurants. Verre is situated in the Dubai Creek Hilton, a newly opened modern hotel on the Deira side of the creek. In fact the hotel is so understated that we walked straight past it in the morning before our visit, looking out for it, and didn?t even spot it! We arrived at the hotel later that evening, taking in the quiet and stylish lobby with definite minimalist influences, up to the restaurant on the first floor. Due to the traffic we had arrived slightly late, and were shown straight to our table. The restaurant is actually smaller than I imagined, and the décor is very modern and unfussy. In a review I read before our visit, it is described as being like a ?goldfish bowl? but certainly when we visited you did not feel on display, as the expanse of glass partitions had light voile blinds.

When we were seated we were asked if we would like a glass of champagne. I was a little dubious that this may be like signing a blank cheque and was anticipating a classic cocktail anyway instead. I asked if they had a cocktail menu, and this was greeted with a blank expression. We just ordered a bottle of mineral water while we perused the wine list. We were quickly brought some fresh bread, shortly followed by a small pre-appetiser, compliments of the chef. This consisted of langoustine and was actually very tasty and a great start to the evening. Very quickly we were pounced upon to order by one of the three people who were constantly hovering around our table. We were unfortunate enough to be seated right next to the waiter?s station, and so private conversation was very difficult.

I ordered the sea scallops with celeriac puree for starter, my husband deciding upon the signature dish of lobster ravioli. For main course, I chose the poached poulet de bresse with f

oie gras sauce, and my husband opting for the local fish hammour. We also ordered a bottle of chardonnay We had read before our visit that assistance by the sommelier could not be avoided, but he just loitered and we were pleased that he obviously detected we did not want his help.

Shortly afterwards the starters arrived, accompanied by detailed descriptions by the waiting staff. The scallops were perfectly cooked, just translucent in the middle. The accompanying sauce was pleasant but slightly bland. It didn?t overpower the scallops, but didn?t particularly compliment them either. The size was fairly large for a starter, and by the last couple of scallops I felt the edge had been taken off my appetite a little too much. Similarly my husband stated that he thought his tortelloni was a little hefty, and he was somewhat disappointed by the quality of the pasta that that was rather soggy. By the end of our starters we both felt fuller than we would have liked. We had a slight respite before the main courses arrived, and we were both dubious as to the richness of these as the starters had been rather overpowering in this respect.

The main courses duly arrived, again accompanied by lengthy descriptions, which seemed never ending. The main courses were actually a pleasant surprise. My chicken with foie gras sauce was surprisingly simple and I had wished that the starter had been so classically simple. It possibly proves how rich the starter was, that a foie gras sauce is seen as a lighter element! The appearance of it was quite suspect, the poached chicken in thin slices looked quite unappetising and the strangely fashionable trend of what I can only describe as froth, all over the dish was quite unappealing. The various vegetables that complimented the dish were a little overcooked and this oversight was somewhat surprising.

My husband?s hammour was again quite a large portion, and unusually he found it very difficult t
o fin
ish. The constant hovering of the waiting staff by this time was getting slightly annoying. If my husband put down his knife and fork for a moment, to let his food settle, a waiter or waitress descended upon us, asking if everything was alright. When he left to visit the bathroom, I thought the waiter was going to send out a search party, and they nearly fell over themselves when he returned to the table. This was all stark contrast to the review I had read, where the service was highly commended and it was stated that the service was very low key. I had not experienced service so overbearing before, and I longed for the atmosphere of a Rick Stein or Marco Pierre White restaurant, where you are barely aware of the staff around you.

When we had both had admitted defeat with our main courses, the plates were taken away. The Waitress asked if everything had been alright, as ?the chef would want to know why we hadn?t finished?. If this hadn?t been so shocking, it would have been laughable. It took me back to my childhood, where I was constantly embaressed and ashamed of my
inability to finish anything. It is the first time we had practically been chastised for not devouring every morsel on the plate.

We were both rather dubious about ordering a dessert, or at least one each, fearing the portions would be huge again. Quickly a pre-dessert was brought, which was very pleasant and refreshing. It was funny how the different courses were so different in style. We then decided to share a pannacotta.

The dessert quickly arrived, and the portion was by contrast quite small, and we then wished we had ordered one each. The pannacotta was one of the best I have tasted ? I wouldn?t go as far as to say the best. The food had been a series of contrasts, but we were glad that at least the final course had lived up to expectations. Hot on the heels of dessert we were brought some petit fours to try to find room for. The same re
view I rea
d had stated that the portions were quite small, and that you didn?t leave feeling full. Quite to the contrary, I felt full after the starter! I realise portions in Dubai are large by European and North American good restaurant standards, but even so, the dishes were quite hefty. Combine this with the richness of the cuisine, and you have a stodgy combination

I wouldn?t say we were disappointed by Verre, but you are led to believe that Gordon Ramsay restaurants put great emphasis on quality and precision, and the various overcooked items as well as the large portion sizes and dubious presentation, did not reflect this. Also something else that you expect is perfect service, and this was far from the case. In my opinion overbearing service is never acceptable, in what should after all be a pleasant sociable experience. You got the impression dining at Verre was something to put yourself through, and something that you should do to prove you can appreciate fine food, and from listening to the loud spoken ex-pats on tables surrounding us, I wondered if this restaurant just served a purpose of reminding them of home, and of their success. I think and sincerely hope that in the London restaurant the standards would not be tolerated. I also think that on a basic level, this style of cuisine is not particularly suited to the climate in Dubai.

Verre seems to be trying to be a copy of the successful Gordon Ramsay formula without taking into account the environment. Just because there is the cash in the area, in the form of wealthy ex-pats, to patronise the establishment, doesn?t mean it is ideal to replicate the Gordon Ramsay style here. I would have loved to have been able to wholeheartedly praise this restaurant, but it just made me realise just how good other top-end restaurants are and appreciate their combination of good service and good food.

Our total bill came to 531 dirhams including tip, approximatley £90, and
so was surpris
ingly good value for a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. To be honest if the service had been better, we may have spent more, and particularly if the cocktails had tempted us. If we had felt more relaxed we may have had a post dinner drink or gambled on a dessert each, with no fear of chastisement if we didn?t finish it!

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