In Dubai, weekends are synonymous with brunches. We recently made our way to The Pointe on Palm Jumeirah to visit CMP Bar & Grill (formerly named Chicago Meatpackers). Our previous visit was in the night and the unobstructed sights of the Palm Fountain and the Atlantis, The Palm was a breathtaking sight. This time we rocked up on a sunny Friday afternoon and the views were just as glorious.
We were ushered to the spacious yet cosy upstairs dining area, where comfortable booths, dining tables and tall bar furniture grace the space. An open terrace sits just outside and with al fresco activity weather just around the corner, it will make a picturesque dining setting.
The highlights:
The Brunch menu works on a simple principle – elevated classic cuisine; where you can choose one appetizer, any two mains with a sauce and side and your preferred dessert.
Diners have the option to add-on freshly shucked oysters to their Brunch package, but we chose to dive right. First up was a Tomato-flavoured sip with a slight spice shining through.
Being seafood lovers, a Wild Spanner crab cake with a corn salsa and peach purée; and a Salmon tartare with yuzu-sesame-soy vinaigrette were chosen for starters. Both dishes were beautifully presented and sublime, with colours and flavours that melded perfectly.
Between the two of us, we opted to share four grilled dishes, including Moroccan-spiced Chicken brochettes with summer vegetables; Charred Octopus with cauliflower skordalia and salsa verde; Grilled Prawns with five spice, cayenne, garlic and oregano; and an Angus NY striploin. Although this seems like a lot, the dishes are well-thought of and portioned for sharing. Our mains were complemented by portions of Mac & cheese, Jalapeño lime-buttered corn, Green peppercorn sauce and Béarnaise.
Quite stuffed by now, we sat back to take in the moment and enjoy our beverages infused with ingredients such as Iced black tea, ginger, celery juice, maple syrup and coffee.
Dessert was a rich and chewy-caramel Sticky toffee pudding; and a light and fruity Grilled pineapple with passion fruit. Both sweet treats were served with Vanilla bean ice cream.
The verdict:
A no frills and no fuss lunch experience. Good food with mouthwatering sips, with striking vistas and upbeat tunes to accompany.
Book now:
Fridays from 1-5pm at AED250 per person (inclusive of soft beverages), AED350 per person (inclusive of two CMP creative concoctions, house beverages, hops and grape) and AED450 per person (inclusive of with special innovative concoctions and sparkling). Call +9714 580 7983 or email reservations@cmprestaurants.com. Visit Instagram or the website.
Read our CMP Bar & Grill Restaurant Review here.