The very trendy Novikov Dubai restaurant has arrived OFFICIALLY OPEN from 29th SEP 2015
London’s newest import to Dubai, from Russia via Peking, the uber stylish Novikov Dubai restaurant will be ideal for a special night out. Read on to find out…
The Location of Novikov Dubai
Novikov Dubai is located right next to the Sheraton Grand Hotel on Sheikh Zayed road. It has it’s own valet parking. You enter from the ground floor but the restaurant is reached via an elevator taking you to a higher floor. You will be expected to have made a booking!
The Food at Novikov Dubai
Food at Novikov Dubai is mainly pan Asian cuisine (unlike it’s London counterpart that also has a Mediterranean menu) but ingredients are sourced from all over the world. From Brazilian coconuts to Portuguese shrimp and Japanese Hamachi fish (yellowtail) Signature dishes include the now legendary Black Cod Miso.
Have a look at the taster video I made from pictures of what we ate there, all made on the imovie application of my Imac!
What should you try at Novikov Dubai?
I recommend you try the Hamachi carpaccio with truffles. We also loved the spicy tuna rolls, razor clams and crab and avocado salad. It was impossible to try all we wanted at to at one session; so we’ll be returning for the duck.
There is a duck salad on the menu that is definitely worth a try (but the portion looked large) as well as the option of having classic Peking Duck with pancakes.
The razor clams from Spain were cooked with garlic and butter but you can choose your style of preparation. The baby squids chiperones were the best I have eaten outside of Spain.
If you have a sweet tooth then I recommend the gorgeously creamy macha caramel with the side of guava sorbet, not icy or watery but a perfectly tart accompaniment to the smooth caramel. The caramel isn’t eggy at all, it’s more like a mousse. The chocolate lattice (I think) on the side made this one of my top Dubai desserts.
The Ambience at Novikov Dubai
There is a definite red and black type colour scheme running through the restaurant and spherical red lanterns with cut out shades are clustered on the ceiling for lights. A large trough of orchids (fresh I think) act as a partial room divider and you will see plenty of driftwood pieces decorating the entrance lobby and hallway to the Novikov Dubai.
It’s fairly dark as opposed to light and bright but we were able to read the menus without asking for a torch! You can opt to sit in the bar lounge area or the restaurant proper, but there is not as yet a non smoking section in the lounge bar.
Unlike Tre at Robertos further down Sheikh Zayed road which sits on 3 floors, Novikov is on one level. We were told that the guests so far were mainy locals from GCC countries, Moroccans and of course Russians! We visited on a Sunday evening and the restaurant was almost full!
Please note that there are no starched white linen table cloths or silver cutlery on the tables. The look is more clubby, contemporary.
The Prices at Novikov Dubai
The prices at Novikov reflect it’s high end food offerings and the very successful international branding it is has built up. But it’s not the most expensive restaurant in Dubai whilst the excellent spicy tuna maki rolls are priced at Dhs 80 for 5 pieces.
There are also some house wines available at Dhs 50 a glass. That said the black cod miso is Dhs 220 which is around the same price as it is in London. I thought at Dhs 125 the hamachi carpaccio was well worth it. That said I haven’t as yet tried the home grown brand of Sea Fu at the Four Seasons hotel whose menu also has some incredible seafood items on it.
Areas where Improvement may be taken on board at Novikov Dubai
Give diners the option of having a quarter or half duck with pancakes please! At Dhs 250 for 8 to 10 pancakes or nothing, it would be difficult to try many other dishes if we selected the duck.
Slightly larger tables for 2 please! With wine glasses, water glasses, 2 to 3 food items and chopsticks can mean there is a serious risk of something flying off the table!
Good to know about Novikov Dubai
At the time of writing the review (20th September 2015) Novikov had still not officially opened although it’s perfectly possible for you book a table and dine there. It’s supposed to officially open at the end of September 2015.
We were informed that they were currently waiting for 15 more Japanese kitchen staff to deal with the unprecedented demand! A great situation for a Dubai restaurant to be in. Definitely a contender for any special occasion in our family. Not yet open for lunch.
There is a large Market Place section that has a lot of fresh food on display that includes vegetables and fruit as well as fresh fish. Apparently some people do their grocery shopping from here!
If you liked this review and found it helpful then please share it, like DoinDubai on Facebook and tell me where you would choose for a special occasion meal in Dubai? Sea Fu at the Four Seasons Dubai review coming soon.
Read More : Sea Food Restaurants
Thanks Monica
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