TABLE 9 HILTON DUBAI CREEK

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2015

Table 9 is now closed but Darren Velvick in now head chef at The Croft in the Dubai Marina Harbour hotel. Review coming soon.

WIN a Fabulous Dinner for 2 at Table 9 (Competition now closed) 

Wow!  Thank You Table 9 at Hilton Dubai Creek for offering a 3 course meal for 2 as a prize to one of our lucky subscribers!

An EASY competition for you, details at the end of the review. Competition closes 23rd December.

 The Food at Table 9

Our food at Table 9 was some of the tastiest we have tried in Dubai this year. We opted for the 4 course tasting menu, one of 3 menus on offer. I loved the fact that the menu wasn’t too big, so choosing was easy.

The Mackeral tartare with lime and avocado was fresh, light and innovative without being pretentious. Delicious; I would choose this again. The fish was locally caught too. Equally the soft shell crab with red pepper and mango tasted of real crab and was well cooked. I would have preferred a little more chilli as this is definitely an Asian favourite. For mains we chose poached cod and sesame crusted sea bream. Both were good but I preferred the slightly more solid texture of the seabream.

Darren Velvick is a Michelin starred chef

and runs an excellent and assured  kitchen.

The Service at Table 9

The Service was exceptional. This only added to the enjoyment of our meal. The Maitre D’ – Yanne from Macedonia went to extraordinary lengths to make all diners very comfortable. We were impressed by his knowledge of wine and the food on offer. In fact we took his suggestions for food and beverages and were glad we did. We even made notes of his wine and Prosecco ideas. Waiting staff were pleasant and efficient, smiling and very sensitive to diners needs.

The Location of Table 9

Table 9 is located on the first floor of the Hilton Dubai Creek on Baniyas Road in Deira. So it’s in old Dubai and the hotel décor reflects the fact that it has been established many years. We are now so spoilt in Dubai with brand new, often state of the art hotels that we have come to expect a high standard so often there is nothing wrong with a venue except that it is outdated.

 The Ambience of Table 9

As stated earlier, while service was excellent, the ambience of Table 9  is somewhat let down by the structure of the room (large shiny pillars are out of place) and the outdated décor. However the lighting, candles and furniture are all fine and I believe some plans are in progress to make improvements. But don’t let the ambience put you off trying the food there.

DoinDubai has been to many places were the ambience is perfect and the food is such a let down! We can’t eat the ambience!

What’s different about Table 9 ?

The white and brown butter with your bread basket was a nice touch. The brown butter is just normal butter caramelized with a hint of lime, it worked very well.

I loved the Octopus that came with my poached cod, apparently the secret to this perfectly cooked, almost crispy texture is the very long marinade and slow simmer before finishing.

The restaurant lets you choose a dish from a different menu if you really want to try something that’s not on your chosen menu. That was very helpful and added to the enjoyment of our meal.

The clearly visible video screen provides an eye on the kitchen activity. Often you can see your dishes being finished before being brought to your table. We went inside and chatted to one of the chefs on duty and saw our food before it came out. This is a really special thing to do and it was also very reassuring to see such a clean, well-organized kitchen. It’s difficult to retain staff in Dubai but the chef we spoke to had been with the restaurant for 7  years and had worked with Gordon Ramsey when he was in charge.  Have a look inside the kitchen at Table 9.  (Remember subtitles in YouTube are only visible if you enable your settings to subtitles on not off) 

  Should you try it?

Most definitely yes, the food and service is very good. But you really need to be aware that the ambience of this restaurant is not why you are here. Ideally speaking this restaurant should be at a much nicer venue than this outdated space. But until that happens I think the food and service will dilute the décor so much you’ll forget where you are!

  WIN DINNER FOR 2 AT TABLE 9 (Hilton Dubai Creek)

This opportunity is only open to Subscribers. Not a subscriber yet? Its easy just add your email address to the Subscribers box below.

Win this fabulous opportunity to eat at Table 9 by leaving the answer to this question in the comment box below. Either in the Facebook comment box or the DoinDubai comment box at the very end of the page.

Who were the two chefs in charge of Table 9 after

Gordon Ramsey but  before Darren Velvick  ?

Winners will be chosen using the Random Number Generator on the 23rd of December. So enter your answers in the comment box below now!

You may need to watch the video for your answer!

When you visit Table 9 , do tell them you came on a recommendation from Monica at DoinDubai.

www.table9dubai.com

Tel +9714 212 7551

Hilton Dubai Creek

MONICA