Rising above Dubai Marina like a stage raised for an intimate performance, the 17-course haute cuisine menu at Row on 45, a two Michelin star restaurant by Chef Jason Atherton, progresses through three distinct rooms, each part of a culinary story.
Culinary highlights
The evening at Row on 45 opens in a moody art-deco lounge, where premium bubbly is poured alongside small, precise bites taking you on a sensory journey around Hokkaido. The first bite, Kari Buto – a reimagined Welsh Rarebit meets Takoyaki – is a warm, cheese-laden mouthful that tastes both familiar and new. The Akkeshi oyster, a delicate tower of nori meringue crowned with caviar and a cheese bubble, offers beautiful, contrasting textures before the briny caviar settles. Ankimo follows, a lush monkfish liver sharpened by a streak of Cumberland-style sauce, encased between beetroot crisps and dressed with hibiscus jelly and shimmering gold leaf. The finale here is the textured tart of A5 Saroma wagyu, packed with an unagi emulsion and topped with umeboshi jelly diced into geometric precision.
Act two takes diners from lounge to the marble-ringed Chef’s Kitchen, where chefs work quietly, as if in a laboratory, plating dishes with pared-back seriousness. The soundtrack, however, is unexpectedly playful – The Beatles, Rod Stewart, Busted and other nostalgic hits. I love a venue that isn’t afraid to show its personality – the kind with music you can sing, and maybe even dance along to, while savouring every bite. Hokkaido Bafun uni is treated with reverence, served straight from its box atop a dashi-rich langoustine custard and finished with freshly grated zest.
Amaebi follows, a silky, sweet prawn course, before the amalgamation of the next few courses. Personalised chopsticks arrive at the table while, just beyond, chefs work the buckwheat dough by hand, creating soba noodles before our eyes. Paired with sweet Norwegian king crab, it’s served two ways. First, in a delicate cold crab broth, with some reserved for the crisp tempura crab that follows. Never have I fallen in love with a potato. Kutchan, a 540-day-aged potato from Hokkaido, served only here outside Japan, is adorned with Otoro bluefin and a generous spoonful of N25 caviar. The natural sweetness of the potato, the fat of the tuna, the snap of the caviar – an exquisite Interplay of textures and flavours that will live in memory until next time.
The courses build quietly. Aka Amadal deep-fried with its scaled crust intact, precedes a tender Anjou squab from Brittany. aged seven days and paired with pickled elderberries, fig leaf oil, black garlic and a delectable fig purée that anchors the dish in the flavours of late autumnn. A playful cheese course is up next, the Shropshire Blue, followed by sweet and palate-cleansing Shine Muscat grapes.
We were whisked away into the Victorian- style Chef’s Library, where I could cosy up with a good read. Selecting an aromatic tea, we’re treated to a hearty chocolate tart to be eaten in one bite. As you relax and recall your favourites from the exquisite dining experience, the dessert trolley rolls by, an almost mischievous final temptation. We departed with a box of petit fours featuring banoffee and cep fudge, an After Eight bonbon, pumpkin-spice saikyo miso macaron, and rhubarb-custard pâte de fruit, reserved for the following day.
There’s also a thoughtful vegetarian tasting menu, and impeccable pairings. The zero-proof pairing in particular surprises with expressions of varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chablis.
Book now
AED1,345 per person. Visit rowon45dubal.com or contact +97156 832 4545 to make a reservation.
