The Ivy in Dubai, for one night only
Dubai; “Every night should be a party at The Ivy. You will never go to The Ivy and have a dull night,” – so says Fernando Peire, Director of The Ivy London in a FooDiva interview. And with these words in mind, The Ivy experience comes to Dubai for one night only on Wednesday March 30th at Rivington Grill. So for those fans that can’t wait for The Ivy Dubai’s grand opening, then next week’s your chance to savour some of the theatre-world’s most popular dishes prepared by Gary Lee, The Ivy London’s head chef who will be in town just for one night.
Thanks to The Ivy’s strong association with London’s theatre-land, there is a general perception that its cuisine is primarily British, but infact only about a third are traditional Brit dishes, with the rest a mix of Italian, Asian, Indian, and even an eggs section. But FooDiva’s been assured, you’ll still be able to get your bangers and mash – pork sausages of course. “Our heritage comes from having a grand brasserie style layout. We have become much more international in the last 10-15 years,” said Des McDonald, Group CEO of Caprice Holdings who own The Ivy brand in his recent interview with FooDiva. And he should know having worked his way up, having joined The Ivy London as head chef in 1993.
Des McDonald, Group CEO of Caprice Holdings
Where possible the team will try to source locally, mostly fruit and veg, and perhaps some fish if it’s sustainable. “We want to develop those relationships bringing farm to table [like in the UK], and work with local suppliers even if it’s smaller volume and shorter seasons. It’s all doable.”
The Ivy Dubai's Thai-baked sea bass
Click here to devour the three course menu, priced at AED395 per head including Twinkle, The Ivy’s signature bubbly cocktail. FooDiva recently tasted the Thai-baked sea bass (a slightly different take on the dish that will be served next week), but oh my, the fish was incredibly aromatic, full of flavour, and so flakily tender it dropped off my fork.
You know how hard it is to get a reservation at The Ivy London, so go on book now. Rivington Grill T; +971 4 4230903 or email: reservations@rivingtongrill.ae
See you at the party.
A bientôt.
FooDiva. x
It’ll be interesting to see if they manage to pull of the local sourcing. It would be good if they could but one wonders what they’ll have on their menu between May and November if that is the case.
The question also arises as to how we define ‘local’. Is it UAE only, or does it cover the wider MENA region? For instance the farmers market at Souk Al Bahar has produce from Lebanon, Tunisia etc. If the latter, then it’s easier to source for the hot summer months.