Couple of weeks ago I was invited by my blogger friend Jen of Dubai Food Diaries for a Friday brunch at Cocktail Kitchen- The Vinyl Brunch!
I love good cocktails and have been to most of the places in Dubai that serve cocktails. Having heard great things about Cocktail Kitchen, I couldn’t wait to visit them. So on a rainy Friday afternoon, not so long ago I headed over to Cocktail Kitchen to try their cocktails and food.
Cocktail Kitchen is tucked away in the basement of the Armada Bluebay Hotel in Cluster P of JLT. From outside it looks very basic and from inside it is absolutely stunning. It was like I entered a secret hideout.
As soon as we entered, first in view is a small mixology bar with a great collection of drinks. This is where the mixology classes happen.
After that we passed by a long bar, it is one of the longest bar that I’ve seen in Dubai. The bar is well stocked and looks inviting. Right in front of the bar there is a spacious seating area with a DJ playing the music from vinyl records.
The decor is trendy and chic. Cocktail Kitchen has a chilled out vibe, it immediately put us on a relaxed mode.
What can you expect from The Vinyl Brunch?
Every Friday from 1pm to 4pm Cocktail Kitchen offers a Friday brunch known as Vinyl brunch.
There are 3 packages inclusive of food and drinks.
AED 195 per person(soft beverages)
AED 345 per person(with house beverages and cocktails)
AED 395 per person(with bubbly)
The Vinyl Brunch menu has a la Carte options. We get to pick one appetizer, one main and a dessert. We were three of us, so we decided to order different dishes and share them.
The brunch includes an amazing and creative variety of cocktails. I am the kind who will never bother looking at a mocktail, but I was totally stumped when I tried their mocktails. I never knew that mocktails can taste that good.
Their cocktails are excellent, not only do they look gorgeous, they taste great. It is so difficult to say which one is my favorite.
I started off with Americano that consisted of Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda with a slice of orange for garnishing. I loved it at the first sip.
Next I tried the Vermouth Spritzer that was light and refreshing. Loved the Yuzu and Beetle juice(non alcoholic drinks) that my friends tried.
My absolute favorite was the cocktail with a quirky name called Stop Wine-ing. It had a delicious mix of vermouth, sparkling wine, cucumber soda with basil and cucumber. This cocktail makes a great summer drink too.
I am not a big fan of Bloody Mary and when my friends offered me to try it, I refused. After their insistence, I thought let me give it a try. And boy I liked a Bloody Mary for the first time ever. At Cocktail Kitchen it is served in a cool tin can and they call it Big Tom.
Starters
Popeye Salad is a spinach based salad with blue cheese and walnuts. It includes chicken too. As I am a vegetarian, we asked them to give chicken separately in a different plate, so that I am able to eat the salad without the chicken. This salad was basic, not extraordinary.
Spanish Omelette was excellent. It came with the aioli sauce.
Mains
Vegetarian Lasagna had a creamy mixture of four cheeses with veggies like grilled zucchini, eggplant and spinach. It was awesome. A definite must-try if you ask me.
Risotto Funghi was made with fresh porcini mushrooms and tasted fantastic.
My meat loving friends loved the ‘ left leg of the lamb’. Infact, they were raving about it for a long time.
Desserts
We were served a platter of different kinds of desserts like Tiramisu, Chocolate & Smoked berry Semifreddo, Apple Terrine and Negroni Ice cream. The desserts were not as good as the cocktails and mains. Chocolate & Smoked berry Semifreddo was delicious and different. The smoky flavor enhanced the taste of the dessert.
Overall, we had an amazing experience. Cocktail Kitchen has perfected the art of making great cocktails/mocktails. Loved their Mediterranean inspired food too. The service is top notch, the atmosphere is welcoming and they play great music too. Cocktail Kitchen is worth visiting. All you cocktail connoisseurs in Dubai, you need to add Cocktail Kitchen in your list of must-visit places for cocktails.
Phone: +971 056 828 0727
Website: http://www.cocktail-kitchen.com/
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