Villa Beach Restaurant

Occupying one of the most sought after locations in the city, Villa hugs the beach by the bridge to the Burj. But, be warned, whilst gazing at the seven-star wonder you may have to cast your eyes over a JCB rumbling around cleaning the beach – it’s not going to ruin your evening, but is certainly a bit of a distraction. The menu covers many bases, however, the food is a little unpredictable. While some dishes arrive perfectly presented and thoroughly enjoyable, others are sorry looking and bland tasting concoctions. Starters tend to be a rather mixed bag, and some fare a lot better than others. The ‘tomato experience’ is one of the safe bets. The dish comes with a glass of clear, pungent and ripe tomato essence; a baked cherry tomato on mozzarella; a vinegary, woodsy terrine, and delicious salsa-soaked crostini with cream cheese. The superbly creamy crab soup is a favourite, and the panseared scallops with mango relish and lemony hummos is a light and flavoursome start. The mains carry on the unpredictable theme. Stay away from the uninteresting seafood combination served in a broth of sundried tomatoes and olives. Instead, try the Chilean sea bass, a huge wedge of flaky fish in a light, creamy mushroom sauce. Or the tender roast lamb, served medium alongside goat’s cheese in a kataifi parcel and a single stuffed pimento pepper. Round off with a deliciously sweet portion of lemon cheesecake with a scoop of candied orange and chocolate ice cream. Although there’s a good chance that you will enjoy a fairly accomplished meal, for the price you’ll pay you could do better. However, for predominantly good quality tourist fare, with one of the city’s visitor’s favourite views the Villa Beach Restaurant fits the bill nicely.