MARINA SOCIAL

Marina Social is Jason Atherton’s first Dubai outpost. Lots of praise when it opened, has it lived up to the hype 

Marina Social opened in Dubai in September 2015 to much hype and praise. We let the dust settle and visited in March 2016 to see if it’s still a shining star in Dubai’s ever burgeoning restaurant scene.

Celebrity chef Jason Atherton has 14 restaurants around the world. He has committed to come to the Dubai branch 4 times a year, next time being from 27th to 30th of April 2016.

Tristan Farmer is the head chef on the scene here in Dubai.

Where is Marina Social located in Dubai

Marina Social is located in the newish Inter Continental hotel in the Marina, almost across from the Address Dubai Marina hotel.

Food at Marina Social 

You can choose to order a la carte or select from one of their 3 set menus : Munchies AED 450, Hungry AED 550 or Famished AED 650. We chose a la carte and were hungry but came out very full! We were entertaining clients that evening, one of whom was vegetarian so it was very helpful to have a separate vegetarian menu.  Not sure if this the case in the London branches. Will report back after the summer break.

So for 4 diners, one vegetarian, we chose the following to start with:

• Goats’s Cheese Churros
• Snow peas salad
• Italian tomato with burrata
• Garlic flat bread with feta and a
• “Social Dog” duck and foie gras sausage

I’d order all of the above again apart from the Social Dog.

and to follow:

• Garden pea potato gnocchi
• The Halibut
• Victoria Lamb

all excellent, and I was surprised at how good the gnocchi was, not stodgy or thick at all. The halibut was my favourite.

For dessert:

• Rhubarb and Custard Souflee
• Caramelised Tarte Tatin (for 2)

I LOVED both these desserts and would happily order again without any hesitation.

Ambience at Marina Social

We visited on the day of the torrential rain in Dubai (9th March 2016) and expected the restaurant to be very quiet. It wasn’t! The bar area was very quiet, but the restaurant was more than half full. The tables on the terrace overlooking the Marina are really special and still fine for our evenings for another few weeks I think.

I don’t know what the “proper” way is to receive a gin and tonic but I prefer to add my own ice and tonic, and at a place like this would have expected some tiny snack. Great that they have a variety of gins and even better that they have Fever Tree light tonic, but please don’t mix my drink next time!

Deals at Marina Social 

There is a Ladies Night deal on a Tuesday evening starting from 9pm that comprises of 3 complimentary cocktails. As well as a Brunch that happens on a Friday and Saturday, a new post coming after we’ve tried that in a couple of weeks. It’s not open for lunch during the week, only dinner.

Competition Coming from Marina Social Dubai 

Brunch for 2 on 29th of April with Jason Atherton is one of our April competition prizes so do stay subscribed for this generous and special prize for DoinDubai subscribers.

 Still time to enter these competitions for complementary meals

Dinner for 2 at Al Dawaar 

Brunch for 2 at Intersect by Lexus DIFC 

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Thanks Monica.