Located in the heart of Jumeirah, The Meat Co is home to a global South African steak chain. And we weren’t surprised at all, when we walked into to the restaurant at a prime time closer to dinner. It seemed rather in sync with my expectations, considering I did have high expectations for the restaurant.
We decided to be seated indoors, as my co-reviewer was keen to stay close to the bar. And I knew where to find him later that night. But for first timers like me, I intended to sit outside at the promenade area overlooking the famous Burj Al Arab Hotel, only hoping to check out the busy Abra’s (water taxis transporting people around the hotel) but all in vain. I didn’t regret the decision of being seated indoor either to be fair, considering the see through glass pane, which continued to offer me vivid sights of the Souk Madinat.
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The award-wining restaurant is known world over for its superior quality of meat that is sourced from Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the United States and all of them are grass-fed beef. Not to mention the restaurant offers one-of-a-kind aged meat that is marinated over a couple of days to ensure the guests receive the most tender and juicy cuts at The Meat Co.
Upon arrival we offered the complimentary Ramadan treats which was kind considering we weren’t fasting but it did make our tummy smile. The cordial restaurant manager introduced us to the man of the night, Mariyan he was our server for the evening. A tall Bulgarian man who knew the menu at the flick of his fingers, and something told me he knew we were in for a treat.
Being a true carnivore, there has never been a day I’ve had my meals without meat. So, ‘The Meat Co’ is heaven for a carnivore like me. You don’t necessarily have to indulge in red meat if you don’t like it, as the restaurant has plenty of chicken, seafood and vegetable options. For our appetizers we picked the Mezze Sharing Platter for two upon our servers recommendation. And for our mains we decided to go solo, I wanted to try something different with red meat in it hence I choose the Fillet Butchers Skewers and my mate opted for the Blackmore Marble Score steak in a striploin cut.
We were completely bowled over by the fresh calamari, lobsters and the lamb chops that came along our sharing platter. But only then, did we realized the lavish spread that each portion offered. Our server made his rounds quite timely and knew when we were about to finish our courses, which I would give all-stars too. He suggested the Merlot 2013 young wine to go with our main course, and considering he knew the restaurant so much better than we could ever imagine. I screamed, “Go for it”, and red wine is always a great idea. With all honesty my Hanging Skewers with aged beef tasted surreal every time I gulped in a sip of that young wine. My co-reviewer did mention to me that the medium rare steak was rightly complimented by the giant lobster tails, which all seemed like cherry on a cake. Fresh salads, chips, sauces of all kinds were on offer to dig in while we continued to relish our meals.
It didn’t seem like we had any room for dessert. But when our server insisted we try their signatures desserts, we had to give in and try a little bit of everything. Nutella cheesecake, crème brulee were my favourites however my mate loved the apple crumble and chocolate cake. And it did give us a sugar rush later, but we didn’t complain at all.
In a city like Dubai with several steak houses around, The Meat Co is a great option for friends to meet up over dinner & drinks, talk football, family and special occasions too. The restaurant at Souk Madinat has probably the best location in the area and offers such a delightful experience that you absolutely want to visit them again. Have you visited any of the branches world over – I would love to hear your experience. I’ve heard the one in South Africa is pretty authentic.
Disclaimer: My friend and I were invited to sample food at the restaurant. The Meat Co did not advise us about anything. Pictures were shot on my iPhone 6, Fujifilm AX-1 & shared by The Meat Co, Dubai. Do credit the writer/ photographer should you want to share the images.
