When Waldorf Astoria decides to open up in DIFC, they do it with class - the hotel is breathtaking! A bit of a quirky solution in which the lobby is located on the 18th floor, but once there, you get the full-on Waldorf feeling throughout! Sadly though, not a lot of people have found their way to their bars and restaurants, and even though the lack of people could suggest a soft opening, that is not the case. At Bull & Bear, inspired by the original restaurant once located in Waldorf Astoria in New York, the cocktail backbone is aperitifs and digestifs. The bartenders though, has a higher ambition than so, and it is probably a question of when, not if, this place either gets the attention it deserves, or the competence end up elsewhere.
If you are hard to please regarding the interior - this is the place for you: The whole restaurant has been carefully designed by LW design group. If you also want a nice chat with a well-versed bartender, find Mantas from Lithuania and have a seat.
Atmosphere: 4/8
The place is literally deserted, but the interior more than makes up for the lack of buzz. And given the reputation of Waldorf Astoria, it’s just a question of time before this place is booming with people - believe my words.
Cocktails: 5/8
Decent cocktails with a firm focus on aperitifs and digestifs.
Bartender: 6/8
Ambitions set high with a few extra twists in order to keep impressing - just a few short straws away from something great.
Ice: 6/8
They have so many rights - big ice cubes, ice stamp - but where is the clear ice?