We headed to The Croft at the Marriott in Dubai Marina to celebrate my 30th birthday as being a Brit got the better of me and I wanted to celebrate in true British style…with some Fish and Chips! The Croft had good reviews and being practically next door to where we live sounded like the perfect option.
What’s the story?
The Croft is run by Darren Velvick who previously worked at Petrus (Gordon Ramsay’s French fine dining restaurant in London) and more recently Table 9 in the Hilton Dubai Creek. It’s a more casual offer to these though, and is all about homegrown and local produce and is based on Darren’s childhood upbringing back in the UK. The focus is very much on British classics often with a twist.
Location
The Croft is hidden away on the 5th floor of the Marriott. Straight away there’s some lovely touches and you’re greeted with a traditional welcome mat and some wellies (I felt like I was back home already). Inside the restaurant there’s a small bar area and then a large open plan kitchen which dominates the room so you really do feel part of the kitchen. There’s tables around the edge so you can have a good nose at the chefs in action whilst you dine. I liked the look of this but you are in with the food so it depends on your preference.
We’d opted to be outside (I was staying firm that I WOULD have my first birthday in Dubai outside even though the weather wasn’t playing ball). There’s a terrace over the looking the Marina outside and although it’s no Pier 7 with it’s wow factor, it still offers a pretty good view. I imagine it’s even nicer when there’s not any building work next door (probably if rather than when), but it was still nicely done with a range of picnic benches and tables that would be perfect for a casual drink as well as food.
Food and Drink
For drink we opted for wine. Try and get there before 8pm to bag yourself some happy hour drinks to go with your meal, we’d just missed it but the wine was ok price wise (this is in Dubai terms!!).
We were going straight for mains but before them we were served with some bread and two types of butter, normal and brown. The brown was a novelty but it was a bit on the sweet side for me but a lovely touch all the same. I then had the Fish and Chips which was quickly devoured and I can strongly recommend. Josh had a Mushroom risotto with a crispy egg and parmesan wafers which also looked delicious. Dad and Jane my Stepmum were visiting Dubai at the time so also came along. Dad had the Desperate Dan pie of course and Jane had the Classic burger. I’d really rate the food if you’re after traditional British cuisine done well.
For dessert I had the Peanut choc ice which was (as you’d expect) very nutty but delicious and they very kindly served some profiteroles as well to celebrate my birthday which was a nice touch.
Overall
Overall I’d definitely go back. It didn’t blow me away but it was good food and a nice venue and I think it’s a reliable option if you are looking for casual and good quality British food at (again in Dubai terms) reasonable prices. There were no discount codes here at the time, but there are some offers and specials throughout the week such as Pie and Pint Tuesdays for AED 100 which I’ll be back to try!
Note. If you are going here definitely check out the Observatory on the 52nd floor before or after for drinks. There’s again an excellent happy hour and a lovely view of the Marina and Palm so it’s well worth a visit too.