Licence to grill

It should never take long to work out if a restaurant possesses that most irresistible of qualities: exclusivity. And a venue that evokes a seductive hint of ‘James Bond’ before you’ve even stepped through its doors sky rockets its exclusivity rating to a whole new level. Case in point: the World Trade Club.

Cars aren’t allowed up to the front entrance here (possibly because the Stock Exchange is in the same building), armed police patrol the premises and access to the lifts demands you are security screened first. They’ve even gone as far as to hide the valet parking. But despite their best efforts, we outfox them. It’s a surreal start to the evening.

This members-only club is located on the 33rd floor of Dubai’s iconic World Trade Centre. It’s not the prettiest of the skyscrapers that line Sheikh Zayed Road but as the outpost of the city in the 1970s, it does make history by effectively marking the border between old and new Dubai, and serves as a reminder of the economic drive that continues to this day.

The views from the venue are stunning. To the east of the tower (beyond the restaurant) lie the twinkling lights of Bur Dubai, and to the West (beyond the bar), lies the perpetual neon thoroughfare of the E11 highway. It would make an impressive venue to take a new-comer to the city, with the added advantage of having to all the key landmarks in its sights.

You can imagine that in the daytime the World Trade Club is a welcome venue for the busy executive from the economic bustle below. On a Thursday evening however, it is a different matter. The restaurant has a hushed atmosphere (thanks largely to the absence of patrons) and, dare I say it, an undertone of snootiness. Upon arrival the staff discreetly usher us through to the bar area for drinks.

‘Would you like to see the menu and pre-order your food while you enjoy your drinks?’ enquires one. This is a nice touch, as are the old-fashioned (but charming) male and female menus – the latter of which politely omits the prices.

Once the drinks have been dispensed, we move into the dining room. We are the only people there, which is a shame because it’s a gorgeous dining space.

Each table is impeccably set with gleaming cutlery and crisp white linens, crowned by orchid flower arrangements. An intimate mood is created by low-level lighting and accented by impressively beautiful artistic fittings.

First to our table comes the most sculptured of bread baskets. An individual selection of miniature rolls arrives in a glass cube with narrow breadsticks sprouting from the selection. But that’s not all: cue freshly baked loaf from the oven. It’s marginal overkill.

Unsure of the depth of my appetite, I pass on the starter in favour of a sweet indulgence to finish with but my partner does the honours. The calamari, I am reliably informed, is tasty but a little overcooked.

The main course makes up for it. My lamb noisettes are (as seems to be the signature style) artfully presented; delicate rolls of lamb are balanced on potato disks with a tiny carrot perched atop. It perfectly meets my ‘rare’ request and happily indulges my bloodthirsty craving. The oven roasted monkfish is perfectly cooked and served with black olive ratatouille (although this looks remarkably similar to the broad bean, artichoke, sun-blushed tomato, tangerine and thyme casserole that comes with the lamb).

Eager to finally indulge my sweet tooth I order the chocolate pudding and my partner, unable to resist temptation, succumbs to the charms of the apple crumble.

Both desserts are attractively presented with a selection of fresh berries and flourishes. The chocolate pudding is delicious, but even more impressive is the apple-based pudding.

A dedicated sous-chef must have carved out the centre of each apple, created the filling, refilled the shell, topped it with pale crumble and then baked the perfect package. An utterly delicious finish.

The impeccable service at the World Trade Club is impossible to fault, but with so few customers to look after, the serving staff tend to loiter uncomfortably.

The finesse is there but the people aren’t. It seems that at the moment the venue’s exclusivity is its downfall.

If they can entice in more customers, the World Trade Club certainly has potential to establish itself as one of the finest venues on Dubai’s delectable dining scene. But at present, potential is still the key word.

Seven Sands restaurant, World Trade Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Open: Saturday-Thursday, 12.30pm-2.45pm, 7.30pm-10.45pm. Dress Code: Smart and sophisticated. Tel: +971 4 309 7979