Le Frenchy: is good food alone enough to make me return?
If you like ‘French’ fare with a side order of loud R&B tunes, and don’t mind dining in an empty restaurant, then by all means, pay new Dubai opening, Le Frenchy in the Byblos Dubai Marina hotel a visit. Such a shame, because the food is in fact excellent, even if not traditional French classics, like the website promises. The clue is in the branding – ‘Bar & Restaurant’ states the website – not the reverse. The bar is in fact the centrepiece, which gets busier late at night, so we are told, until a closing time of 3am.
The French owner runs a number of restaurants in Casablanca, and, from what I can tell, Le Frenchy is his first venture in Dubai. Why dedicate so many covers to the dining area, and bring a well-versed Moroccan chef here? I can only think of one good reason, but perhaps many abound.
Upon my request, the DJ turns down the volume on the inappropriate music, but R&B is still an odd fit for a French restaurant. Something the UK’s Financial Times agrees with here. The interior is brash and kitsch. There’s nothing quintessentially French about Le Frenchy. Exposed ceilings. Bright lights. Eiffel Tower-shaped table legs. Ivory with black trim ‘pleather’ chairs. Treated concrete flooring.
The bizarre theme continues with the menu, where only a smattering of dishes follow classical French recipes – foie gras, steak tartare and escargots (but annoyingly with Ricard infused into the garlic butter). Salads, sandwiches, burgers and pasta dishes abound. I can’t really fault the execution of the food, as much as my expectations sink when we walk in.
Expect fresh country baguette with whipped salty butter. A mixed salad mille feuille is laced with a gorgeous raspberry vinaigrette and topped with warm and exceedingly moreish mini puff pastry pies that are stuffed with goat’s cheese. The vague mille feuille attribute is a nod to the puff pastry used in the traditional dessert, but more indicative of Moroccan bastilla pies. A tartare of diced salmon, avocado, cucumber and orange, dressed in spicy mayo is well balanced.
The waitress does not know the origin of my filet mignon when I pose the question, but proactively checks with the chef. It’s from the US, but she can’t confirm whether grass or grain-fed. I expect the latter. At least she does not respond with “from the kitchen.” Trust me, that’s happened to me elsewhere in Dubai. The steak is served medium-rare as I request with some excellent al dente veggies – grilled asparagus, baby carrots and Brussel sprouts. I would have liked more vegetables though. The béarnaise sauce is on point. A lightly pan-seared sea bass fillet is beautifully flakey. Crunchy veggies, a robust topping of green and black olives, a generous smear of celeriac mash and a tart green apple dressing help elevate a simple fish dish.
The one dessert I have my eye on – the tarte au pommes (apple tart) is unavailable, so I take that as a warning to go healthy. A freshly cut fruit salad served in a cocktail glass topped with a scoop of exquisite lemon sorbet ends our soirée. I pity the chef who only cooks for us two on a Friday evening…well until we leave at 9.30pm.
Service is friendly, however, a little rough around the edges – from the lack of ingredient knowledge to my Dubai pet peeve of repeating the order. One of our waiters also insists on alerting us that our “starters [and mains] are ready” yet these are not served for a good ten minutes later.
An AED240 per person price point for three courses (without vino) is a bit steep for a casual, albeit licensed Dubai restaurant. A 15 per cent discount card for a future visit is presented with the bill – a clever marketing tactic but is it enough to entice me back?
Le Frenchy is a classic example of something I have preached in Dubai for a while – good food alone does not make a good restaurant concept. To part with my hard earned money, I want more than excellent food when dining out. Don’t you? Otherwise, I would stay in and order delivery. In this case, the severe lack of any atmosphere with mismatched loud music and a tacky décor is enough to turn me away. Competition is rife in Dubai, the French bistro segment included with a couple of well-considered concepts, so sadly, it won’t be ‘à bientôt’ Le Frenchy. If anyone would like my discount card, drop me a line. Here’s to a 2.5 out of 5 FooDiva knife rating.
What makes you return to a restaurant?
FooDiva. x
No comments yet