Yas’s little piece of Paradise…
The next leisurely Yas Bay gastronomic tour is Paradiso. Spiritually, it’s anchored somewhere along the shores of the Mediterranean, but thankfully, given those increasingly expensive trips to the gas station, it’s physically located at Pier 71 on the Yas Bay waterfront.
It is the latest Abu Dhabi project from Groupe Barrière, a restaurant built on the culinary vision of three Michelin-starred talents, Chef Pierre Gagnaire (Fouquet’s) and the queen of French cuisine Chef Nicole Rubi (the woman behind La Petite Maison in Nice).
And it makes quite the first impression, inspired as it is by the wonder and whimsy of the golden age of cinema (the restaurant’s name, perhaps a nod to the 1980s Italian masterpiece Cinema Paradiso which is itself an ode to the moving image). Also drawing heavily on the glitz of the Côte d’Azur in the 1970s, it is Nice as both an adjective and an address.
Inside, a mural shows a map of the Mediterranean, dotted with black-and-white pop culture icons from the era, the floor tiles play their own game of monochrome geometry and unlock the faintest of long-forgotten memories. On the terrace, we confess to a slight bias – we never get tired of those ever-changing blue views of Yas Bay, and the laid-out table quietly continues the nostalgic Mediterranean theme, with crisp white tablecloths, wicker chairs and pastel mustard parasols.
The menu is compact but growing, our server recommends a few specials that will be added soon, but are currently off the page. For starters, we choose the snails which are on the menu (Dhs75), and a grilled octopus salad which is not (Dhs79).
Essentially, we ordered “mollusks done two ways,” and after the first few bites, we’re quietly pleased with our choice. The snails offer something more than the traditional Parisian bistro menu, there’s a depth there, a hint of citrus that disappears as quickly as it appears, leaving us wondering if it was imagined.
Octopus is a notoriously tricky customer when it comes to grilling; it’s easy to overcook it in search of the perfect crunch on the outside. But this cut is just on the right side of the bite-to-tender ratio. It’s served with lentils, red peppers, and sautéed potatoes in an oceanic twist on petit salé aux lentilles.
At this point, we become aware of the venue’s soundtrack, a mix of 60s and 70s swing and jazz that blends so seamlessly with the atmosphere that it’s easy to get lost in the holistic experience. There’s a band playing here on the weekends, a live DJ every night, and we’re told the mixology offerings are worth a visit, but all of that will have to wait for another day.
Paradiso has more volume when it comes to main courses, we’ve heard great things about their pizza and pasta options, but our server also let slip that one of the specialties, soon to join the full menu, is sole meuniere (Dhs 260). And try as we might, we could never resist the lure of that butter and lemon banner stand for its French flavor.
It comes with your choice of side dishes, we opted for the grilled vegetables, primarily because we had already steamed through about a month’s worth of recommended butter intake by the time we sat down (partly, by us using the bread from before the appetizer to soak up every last drop of the snail portion).
The fish arrives and is delicately deboned and filleted tableside. Then we are left alone in quiet contemplation with our soles. It is a struggle to properly communicate how much joy it is to eat, it has to rank up there with the best dishes available in Abu Dhabi restaurants right now.
It is a spectacle of subtle nuances of flavors, nothing on the plate seeks to overlap or overshadow, no element fights for glory at the expense of the others. It is an early autumn day in Provence, it is the faintly blooming mistral breeze, it is a royal duel between citrus and creamy butter. It is very well what we are trying to say, and it is a great place to let the credits roll.
Fine
Verdict: It’s a tough call, but this might just be our new favorite restaurant in Yas Bay. It’s definitely on par with other great examples of Mediterranean dining in Abu Dhabi. Views to fall in love with, food to “stomach” with. Rating: A.
Pier 7, Yas Bay Waterfront, open daily from noon to 11pm. @paradisoabudhabi
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