Restaurant reviews: Le Veyron Café, Bombay Brasserie, La Cantine du Faubourg and Il Borro Tuscan Bistro

Le Veyron Café

Located within the newly opened Gevora Hotel, officially the world’s tallest hotel, it’s a stone’s throw away from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). With a valet service available at the front and the café located on the ground floor itself, it’s easy to access for a quick coffee meet-and-greet pitstop in the middle of the day.

The velvet chairs, gold-rimmed tables and artsy chandeliers keep the ambience classy, while the no-fuss menu focuses on infused teas and signature coffees. Being peak summer, we opted for an Iced Spanish Latte that was perfectly finished with just the right amount of condensed milk to prevent it from being an overly-sugary drink. If you’re big on presentation, there’s always the Rose Latte topped with edible flowers.

Feeling peckish without wanting to commit to an entire meal? Order the pastries, croissants or sandwiches which are also available at the cafe. If you get there before 11am, you can take the staircase
at one end of the café and head up to the Gevora Kitchen – the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant – located on the mezzanine level for a buffet breakfast.

Keep an eye out for the real-life Batmobile parked at the entrance to the hotel and visible from the cafe. It’s the second-best thing to an actual Veyron.

Le Veyron Café, Gevora Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre Area, Dubai. 8am-10pm. Tel: (04) 5240 000.

Bombay Brasserie

The licensed Indian restaurant in the Taj is located within the Business Bay area – easily accessible for those working in the surrounding downtown area and nearby financial districts.

If you drop by in the afternoon, there’s always the Thali business set lunch menu which means you spend less time poring over the menu and more time interacting with your guest. Drop by in the evening, as we did, and you can take your time to go through the a la carte menu. The raw papaya marmalade and ginger rhubarb brought to the table once you arrive ignite your taste buds while you wait for your starters to arrive.

We ordered the chef ’s tasting plate which included succulent chicken tikkas, fist-sized prawns, fish and lamb. For the mains, the Jhinga Aleppy Curry (a nod to the southern Indian state of Kerala) is an excellent choice with prawn in a green mango curry and slices of raw mango within it too, while the Tari Wala Murg has the distinctive taste
of ginger that comes through the well- marinated spices in the chicken curry. For desserts, you can’t go wrong with the anjeer (fig) halwa or the quinoa kheer which is served here with a refreshing twist of orange in it.

If you’re entertaining a slightly larger delegation and need seclusion, there’s a dining area tucked away at the back of the restaurant with eight lounge-style chairs around an elongated dining table and closed off by wooden panels for extra privacy. Bombay Brasserie, Taj Dubai, Burj Khalifa Street, Business Bay, Dubai. 12.30pm-3pm and 6pm-midnight. Tel: (04) 4383 222.

La Cantine du Faubourg

Located at the iconic Jumeirah Emirates Towers, this is not only a French restaurant, is a prime networking space for the numerous international executives in the area. One of the keys for its success is the flexibility and multiple options to spend some quality time either inside or at the terrace. Customers can just have a drink at the bar, share some caviar, oysters or a king crab leg at the restaurant, or have a great business lunch for a very reasonable Dhs130 on weekdays.

The menu is full of options and although it keeps a French bistro essence, it can get very cosmopolitan – with regard to both the menu and the customers. On Thursday afternoons, La Cantine becomes a great opportunity to mingle with Richemont executives and head out to start the weekend.

La Cantine du Faubourg, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Trade Center Area, Dubai. Tel. (04) 3527 105.

Il Borro Tuscan Bistro

This multi award winning Italian has become a classic of Dubai’s fine dining scene. The combination of prime quality ingredients, most of them coming from their own farms in Tuscany, the excellent service, a gorgeous beverage list for all budgets and perhaps some of the best profiteroles on Earth, confirms the prestigious status of Il Borro.

There’s no way to go wrong there, but the Burrata de Andria, possibly the best in town and the Carpaccio di Salmone affumicato make a great bundle for a fresh start against the summer heat, followed by Gnocchi ai quattro formaggi with truffle or Linguini all’astice (with lobster) and some amazing Ossobuco alla maniera del Borro with a pizza Margherita. Finally, Selezione di bigne’, homemade profiteroles (six of them), that easily compete for the best dessert in town.

Il Borro Tuscan Bistro, Jumeirah Al Naseem, Medinat Jumeirah, Dubai. 12pm to 3pm, and 7pm to 1am. Tel. (04) 5597 869.