A lot of international restaurants use Dubai as their first hub outside of the mothership - Marea, Indochine, Zuma and Cipriani all have their original big brother elsewhere in the world, and Verde is no different, with Paris and St. Tropez as the first two siblings, before Dubai was launched a few weeks ago. As is the case with a lot of high profile openings, the place is bustling with the social media elite, and a few of us mortals - add to that an interior that someone’s splashed some serious money on, and you’ve got yourself a good start. The bar still has some steps to take, but with time, things will surely progress.
Enjoy the excellent French food, stay late on a Thursday night for the live show and go strictly by the menu on cocktails to avoid disappointment.
Atmosphere: 6/8
While it’s leaning towards the nightclub end of the spectrum, it’s still a nice atmosphere; dark without going gloomy, modern but still welcoming, and music that allows conversations to be had.
Cocktails: 4/8
Regular cocktails that unfortunately miss a few of the standard ingredients - but as a whole, decent enough.
Bartenders: 5/8
While being forthcoming and jovial, the bartender also served the Sazerac without Absinthe, and the Hemingway Daiquiri without Maraschino - honesty will always trump eagerness to please - “no” is a perfectly good answer, if you don’t have all the ingredients.
Ice: 4/8
Having invested so much in interior, it’s a shame that there’s no funding left other than for small ice cubes.
Four Seasons Resort Dubai
Jumeirah Beach
Jumeirah 2