Some restaurants are gimmicky. They are typically in unusual locations or have spectacular views and rely on these to fill seats, at the expense of the food. This was my fear when I had originally made a reservation at Ossiano. Yes, it has a Michelin star and is ranked #4 in MENA, but it is also located in the Atlantis resort in Dubai, in an aquarium! However, this was one of my best meals of 2024. This post will tell you why. The meal starts with a couple amuse. The first is served in the lounge area and was a seaweed crisp. The flavor was good and balanced. At this point, I started to feel relief, and knew that the kitchen understood what makes a delicious bite.
Next, we were moved to a room and given a short brief on the philosophy of the restaurant, and given another small bite which was also good. So far, the food was good and I liked that the fact that the restaurant moves diners around (which would occur another time during the meal) because they clearly understand that sitting for hours during a tasting menu is not ideal.
After this second amuse, we were moved to our table which is where one of the only flaws of the night occurred. I had asked the butler service which came with our room at the Atlantis Royal to ensure we had a front row seat to the aquarium. I was disappointed to be seated in the second row despite assurances in advance that we would get a front row seat. When I asked about this, our server informed us that people in the front were leaving and we would be moved ASAP. At this point, someone from the kitchen came out and presented a basket of ingredients which would be used in the night’s meal.
The structure of the meal follows a story of the chef’s food journey starting with an oyster from Brittany. It was delicious and the presentation was lovely. However, I was still disturbed at the seat. The difference between the front and second row is huge in this restaurant. It greatly affects the experience so I recommend you triple check the seat you will be assigned.
The next dish was smoked salmon with a generous (8g) portion of caviar.
After the second course, we were finally moved to a front row seat, and you will see why it is so important in the video below of the third course – shrimp and yuzu.
The next dish was presented very uniquely and I won’t spoil it. It was a foie gras with some preserves and brioche.
The next course was served at the bar, and it was nice to get up and stretch our legs. The course was a faux tequila. Very unique and delicious.
Next, uni and XO. I liked the incorporation of Asian ingredients and it was done well.
The next dish was extremely creative and delicious. In a homage to NYC, the chef made a lobster hot dog. Very delicious and Instagramable.
The next dish represented the chef’s time in Canada, but I’m from Canada and don’t get the connection. It was still good. It was onion and a marshmallow you playfully roast at the table.
After some mushroom with a mushroom dashi. Probably one of the best broths I have ever had.
The final dish was a red mullet served with some bread and butter.
The first dessert were chocolate and ice cream in the shape of olives. They even made edible pits.
The final dessert was Mont Blanc.
…and then petit fours served in a grand finale style!
The end of the night had the only other flaw of the evening. We were told the chef would say hi to each table but we saw him go to other table but not ours. Maybe he was held up in conversation with another table and the timing of the end of our meal conflicted with this. It was still disappointing. Other than the two issues mentioned, there were NO MISSES with the courses. Every single course was good and well presented without trying too hard. The atmosphere was incredible; truly spectacular to see all the sharks, fish, stingrays etc swim by while we ate. The service was flawless and very good. I usually don’t return to tasting menu restaurants more than once, but this one I would. I don’t know why they ONLY have one star. It should be two. I would highly recommend this place too.