And so with much excitement, I visited La Petite Maison, which is one of two restaurants in Dubai that came in the top 100 in the world, the other being Zuma.
The restaurant is located in DIFC, which during the evening makes the parking easy and the valet unnecessary. The decor itself is made to feel like you are at home (hence the name I guess), but I did not find it particularly endearing. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer a slightly edgier, more modern atmosphere.
Anyway, interiors aside, I and my date were politely greeted and taken to our table. We were informed of the "family style" type dining of the restaurant, which basically means that meals are for sharing. Which is fine, but I think in general people tend to decide themselves whether or not they'll be sharing regardless of the style of the restaurant. Having looked through the menus, I was a bit mystified to see that the two (of two) pages on menu were identical. Hmmm.
I guess one slight disadvantage to their menu is a lack of variety. You basically choose between small plates and mains with an option of sides- and that's it. There are no soups, for example, which was a let down. Anyway, having ordered our food and drinks, we were ready to see if the food would indeed confirm the restaurant's reputation.
We ordered three of the 'small plates' to share. The Beef Carpaccio came first - now this dish in general is a personal favourite of mine and I love trying it in different restaurants. The one at La Petite Maison is a little different than what I'm used to, which would be fine but I found it to be slightly bland. It was missing the rocket leaves and parmesan chunks that I am used to. On to the Ratatouille with Feta - this was much tastier, especially the creamy feta which was really delicious. All in all though it was still just some vegetables with cheese and I can't say that I was wowed. My date on the other hand wasn't a big fan of the cold vegetables. The Petits Farcis - or stuffed vegetables - did better, served hot and full of flavour, with the minced veal being incredibly soft.
Our main, which we shared, was the Beef Ragout - and we ordered this with a side of Steamed Broccoli. I'll be honest, by this time we weren't expecting much and we weren't particularly impressed by the plate of pasta put in front of us, which seemed to lack some of the meat and sauce. But I especially was pleasantly surprised, as more and more bites revealed a deeper and richer flavour in the ragout each time. The texture of the pasta, and the meat itself, was perfect and the mushrooms added a great touch. We were quite full by the time we had it but we completely finished the plate. The broccoli were lovely too, with a slightly sour taste to them that I liked.
All in all, it was a positive experience, if not overwhelmingly so. It helped that the service was great, which to me goes a long way. The staff were helpful and friendly. My drink too was delicious. I would definitely recommend a visit just for the sake of trying it - and the food is good - but I am more likely to spend my money elsewhere next time.
The restaurant is located in DIFC, which during the evening makes the parking easy and the valet unnecessary. The decor itself is made to feel like you are at home (hence the name I guess), but I did not find it particularly endearing. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer a slightly edgier, more modern atmosphere.
I guess one slight disadvantage to their menu is a lack of variety. You basically choose between small plates and mains with an option of sides- and that's it. There are no soups, for example, which was a let down. Anyway, having ordered our food and drinks, we were ready to see if the food would indeed confirm the restaurant's reputation.
We ordered three of the 'small plates' to share. The Beef Carpaccio came first - now this dish in general is a personal favourite of mine and I love trying it in different restaurants. The one at La Petite Maison is a little different than what I'm used to, which would be fine but I found it to be slightly bland. It was missing the rocket leaves and parmesan chunks that I am used to. On to the Ratatouille with Feta - this was much tastier, especially the creamy feta which was really delicious. All in all though it was still just some vegetables with cheese and I can't say that I was wowed. My date on the other hand wasn't a big fan of the cold vegetables. The Petits Farcis - or stuffed vegetables - did better, served hot and full of flavour, with the minced veal being incredibly soft.
Our main, which we shared, was the Beef Ragout - and we ordered this with a side of Steamed Broccoli. I'll be honest, by this time we weren't expecting much and we weren't particularly impressed by the plate of pasta put in front of us, which seemed to lack some of the meat and sauce. But I especially was pleasantly surprised, as more and more bites revealed a deeper and richer flavour in the ragout each time. The texture of the pasta, and the meat itself, was perfect and the mushrooms added a great touch. We were quite full by the time we had it but we completely finished the plate. The broccoli were lovely too, with a slightly sour taste to them that I liked.
All in all, it was a positive experience, if not overwhelmingly so. It helped that the service was great, which to me goes a long way. The staff were helpful and friendly. My drink too was delicious. I would definitely recommend a visit just for the sake of trying it - and the food is good - but I am more likely to spend my money elsewhere next time.
Bill (for 2)
- Evian (AED 25)
- Petits Farcis (AED 55)
- Ratatouille with Feta (AED 65)
- Beef Carpaccio (AED 70)
- Beef Ragout (AED 80)
- Broccoli (AED 35)
- Mojito (AED 45)
For a total of: AED 412.5 (including tax)
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