Say Hello to Blue - Casual Fine-Dining on Saadiyat’s Mamsha Beach

Food

As well as farm-to-table, the menu is a sharing concept, just the way we like it. It’s broken into snacks, small plates, large plates and dessert, and its not huge - but each dish earns its place. Attention to detail is obvious, and slight deviations from the menu can be expected, depending on what produce has arrived with that day’s delivery. The whole menu perfectly complements their eclectic and well stocked wine list - but more on that later. 

Start with the aforementioned olives (AED38), a mix of grilled, marinated and fried olives with orange zest and zaatar, the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine during golden hour. Pick a few small plates if you’re in the mood, the bread is freshly baked and warm from the oven, the beef tartare is excellent and even ‘humble’ fries will put a little spring in your step - you can top them with caviar if you’re feeling bougie. 

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blue’s large plates are, understandably, the heroes of their menu. We splurged for perfectly grilled wagyu flank (AED224), melt-in-the-mouth wagyu flank steak with a bone marrow sauce, black garlic, grilled radishes and peas. The portion isn’t massive, but the taste and balance of the dish is second to none. Actually - second to one: if it’s on the menu, order the lobster salad on toast (AED115). One of the best dishes we’ve eaten in Abu Dhabi recently, this fresh salad of lobster claw, red winter salad and dill is served up on thick butter-toasted milk bread, and it's a must-order: fresh, crunchy and impeccably flavoured. 

Dessert is a non-negotiable at blue. A warm plum tart (AED55) with frangipane filling topped with earl grey infused plums and sour cream hit the sweet spot for us, the sour cream the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the frangipane. As a treat, we had a taste of a new dessert not yet on the menu - the sweetest fresh mandarins and green mulberries steeped in Earl grey were light, bright and cheerful, like blue itself.

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Drinks

blue’s wine list deserves a shout out all of its own. It’s very impressive - a mix of eclectic imported wines that wouldn’t be out of place in a hip wine bar in Melbourne or London, quite unique in the UAE for both range and geography. Plenty of natural wines, orange varietals, pet nats - it’s a true treat. Funky wine brands like Yetti & The Kokonut and Jauma from Australia mix in with Italy’s COS and organic and eclectic wines from France, Spain, Austria, Slovakia and New Zealand, among others. It’s worth a trip for the wines alone, and if you’re a wine lover this is one to add to your must-visit list in Abu Dhabi. 

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Non-alcoholic drinks are inventive and interesting. Most are served in a stemmed glass, mimicking the experience of sipping on a quality drop of wine, even for the non-drinkers. Flavour combinations like rhubarb and smoked pine or fig leaf, cardamom and orange are a departure from the norm - you won’t find your mojitos or sugary mocktails here. For us, the wines outshine their homemade concoctions, but with a wine list this impressive that’s not surprising. 

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Vibe

It’s hard to nail down the vibe - it's not stuffy, but it's still elevated (for want of a better word), an enticing mix of upmarket but relaxed. It truly is casual fine-dining: I described it to a friend as ‘if you’re rich but were more interested in the quality of the meal than wanting to show off for Instagram, you’d eat here.’ That’s not to say it’s not aesthetic, but the focus is taste, inventiveness and the love of great food - and wine. blue's staff are so knowledgeable about the menu - if you want to chat food, you'll have found your people here, and the waitstaff are really lovely. The pricepoint isn't low by any means - dinner for two with wine will easily set you back a pretty penny - but the the seasonal concept will keep blue fresh, and we look forward to seeing what comes out of their creative kitchen next. 

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blue | Mamsha Beach, Saadiyat 

Open: Sunday - Wednesday  | 5PM - 11.30PM | Thursday - Saturday | 12PM - 12AM

Contact: 02 546 6020 or click here or email hello@restaurantblue.ae

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