One of the top venues for Dubai A-listers, Amelia restaurant & lounge is located across the street from both the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, in an exclusive and private, and majestic, building of its own.
The entrance is elegant, and the tunnel of lights and flowers guides you in, while the valet takes care of your car – right away the evening is off with a start of feeling special.
But once inside, the true magnificence of Amelia impresses – and you are in awe at the high ceilings and exquisite interior decor.
Indeed, it is like entering a dream where culinary art molds a bespoke experience of refined cinematic sophistication.
Several dining halls and seating options are available, and you would be wise to book ahead as there are evenings where fully-booked is the norm.
Wherever you sit, the overall feel is one of cutting-edge luxury, where the opulence is cut by an enchanting modern, vibrant, atmosphere of excitement.
An upstairs alcove feels like you are dining in a movie set…
… though enjoying the evening at the bar lounge is an option, too!
A formidable selection of cocktails and top-shelf drinks are available, with a dedicated page to innovative interpretations of the famed gin-&-tonic, and an entire book, encyclopedic, for the fine wines from the floor-to-ceiling chilled cellar.
For aperitif, our fancy caught a frothy Pisco-based sour – a Peruvian liquor, perhaps little known in Dubai – and a masterfully mixed gin tonic with grapefruit and herbs!
The simile with living in a dream was re-kindled with these imginative drinks, and the evening was lit with anticipation!
The food menu is eclectic, and the main theme is a creative fusion between Japanese and Peruvian cuisines – although, an underlying current of Mediterrenean gourmet wisdom somehow seems to guide the direction on the palate!
Instantly, upon first taste of the ceviche starters, your expectation is confirmed: definitely you are in for a dining journey of epicurean proportions at Amelia!
The presentation is impactful, and the flavors are extraordinary – it is obvious that a masterful Chef, a prodigal culinary genius, is behind the team in the kitchens.
Aromatic, yet tangy, and powerful – the flavors dance upon the palate, cavorting in waves of deeper and more complex tastes as the taste buds attempt to comprehend.
It is a dreamy performance of tastes, of direct pleasure to the brain, and one can imagine the good Chef peeking from behind the curtain, and laughing with glee at seeing your reaction at the first bite: eyes closed in rapture, head nodding senselessly, and a low mmmmmm of guttural pleasure escaping from your throat.
And that was just the first bite…
Every other dish presented at the table played its role in the dining performance of the year, at Amelia a daily occurence… but I shall leave it to you to explore further, as not to ruin the surprise of your own dining experience.
Let it be known, however, that astonishingly, as amazing as the flavors and atmosphere were, the very best feature at Amelia turned out to be the attentive service!
Not only professional, our dining evening was elevated to fine-dining status by the genuine charms of young Mr Mehyo, who had a personal quality rare to find; and Mr Enxhi, who was able to cordially advise with an excellent recommendation for wine pairing – given also that his own father back home runs a winery…
The culinary dream at Amelia came true!
The dessert naturally closed off the meal in style…
… with a signature marvel of a soft, warm, chocolate delight, accompanied by ice-cream and a luscious green matcha tea filling!
Overall, to impress a date, or to treat oneself and loved ones to a magnificent dining experience in Dubai, it will be hard to find a more compelling and comprehensively excellent dream-come-true evening than at Amelia.