The French are renowned for their haute cuisine, which literally means ‘high cooking’, but in Dubai developers have taken it to another level.
The world’s highest restaurant opened its doors yesterday… and it’s a dizzying 1,350 feet (422 metres) from the ground – not ideal for vertigo sufferers.
At.mosphere, as it has been named, can be found – via a minute-long elevator ride in a private chrome and glass lift – on the 122nd floor of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
Two floors below the observation deck and furnished with mahogany-panelled rooms and cosy leather booths, the neck-craning restaurant is breath-taking in more than one sense.
Located in an area of Dubai called 'down town', the complex also includes the Dubai Mall
At.mosphere can serve more than 200 covers at any one time, and those looking for fine dining will not be disappointed as a number of top-drawer chefs have prepared a raft of mouth-watering dishes.
A sumptuous variety of food from all over the world can be found on the menu (in English then Arabic), with sea food and grilled meat being the staple offerings.
For starters, you may wish to begin your meal with chestnut and pheasant soup, ‘diver’s’ scallops, or Angus and Wagyu beef tatare.
The restaurant is decked out with mahogany-panelled rooms and cosy leather booths
And for a main course, there is roasted Brittany wild sea bass and Australian free range Salt Bush lamb, for example.
There is also a grill menu, where the star attractions are the Maine lobster – at 590 United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED), or £100, the most expensive dish on offer – and the Japanese Kobe beef fillet (AED).
Unsurprisingly there is a fine selection of world wines, aperitifs, ports and whiskeys to accompany your meal.
Emaar spent nearly £1 billion on the tower, which was originally called the Burj Dubai, but had its name changed after Abu Dhabi’s President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan came to the aid of Dubai, when it was hit by the global financial crisis. Oil-rich Abu Dhabi extended a lifeline of US$10 billion, on top of the same amount from the UAE central bank, to bail out Dubai’s heavily-indebted state firms in 2009.
Located in an area of Dubai called ‘down town’, the Burj Khalifa complex also includes the Dubai Mall, one of the largest in the world with hundreds of designer boutique outlets, an ice rink, impressive fountains and an enormous aquarium.
The menu as it currently stands
It can cater for ‘over 210 guests and features a spacious arrival lobby, a main dining floor, private dining rooms and display cooking stations’.
According to the At.Mosphere website, which is not complete (menus and prices are not yet available), ‘guests could choose to dine at the grill or unwind at the lounge overlooking stunning vistas of the world’s tallest performing fountains.
The blurb continues: ‘Whether you’re a connoisseur of fine dining or simply wish to unwind and relax, At.Mosphere promises you an experience like none other.’
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