While they have long been marked out as the future cultural district of the capital, the north-eastern islands of Abu Dhabi are becoming a hub for dining aficionados in 2014. A few weeks ago, we raved over Bentley Bistro & Bar at The Galleria, which is also set to host the long-awaited, award-winning Japanese restaurant Zuma in the coming months.
Next up is Caramel. Those with a nose for nightlife outside of the city centre may have already happened across the Saadiyat destination, the second of a mini-chain in the UAE, with the first located in Dubai at DIFC. Caramel’s exclusive air is assured here by being situated out of sight of the main St Regis hotel frontage, with a separate entrance and valet parking.
There’s a yellow, neon sheen to its alluring, dimly lit, dark-wood interior, giving off a first impression that’s as slick as the liquid incarnation of Caramel’s titular confectionery. Right from the get-go, it feels like a place for those in the know.
Come the weekend, Caramel’s lounge element comes to the fore, with its bar area bustling with a sophisticated crowd, all soundtracked by a DJ. But its quieter, fine-dining restaurant half takes things into even more demure territory. It’s all very New York-esque in its contemporary intent, right down to the city-that-never-sleeps-style kitchen: dinner is served from 7pm until 2am (and until 3am on Thursdays and Fridays). The menu pitches petite dishes of modern, bar-style bites, which are intended to be shared by a table, against heartier mains.
That contrast did make our dining experience borderline schizophrenic. The “signature” chicken lollipops weren’t nearly as molecular gastronomy as that name might suggest; rather, they were dinky chicken wings, each with a protruding bone as a lolly stick. The Buffalo-style sauce and accompanying blue cheese dip provided a splendid riposte to any description-based griping, nevertheless.
There was a curious familiarity about the TNT shrimp, but it took my dining partner to point out what was on the tip of my tongue – both literally and metaphorically – namely, more than a tang of P.F. Chang’s dynamite shrimp dish. You could see it as homage to, influenced by or straight-up biting on its close crustacean-based cousin. Whichever way you chew it, the light batter and spicy Japanese mayo is a real winner. (There’s also the option to switch the shrimp for scallops.)
The Kobe bolognese received our mains vote, chiefly because of the East-meets-West potential. There could have been more fusilli to go with the plentiful helping of bolognese, which came garnished with black autumn truffles, but it richly delivered otherwise. Truffles are a staple on the Caramel menu, it seems, popping up in everything from its fish and chips to penne pasta.
The veggie risotto was, in comparison to the bolognese, in danger of blandness, despite being packed with baby spinach, asparagus tips and portobello mushrooms – it’s the only part that failed to sparkle during the entire evening.
Things soon got back on track with dessert. The circular delight that was the spiced apple cobbler, topped with a cinnamon crumble and served with vanilla bean ice cream, will satisfy fans of both apple and mince pie with its subtle pizzazz. And the pumpkin cheesecake lent a laudable twist to an old favourite, the orangish wedge placed adjacent to a whirl of freshly whipped cream.
Conceptually, then, with its heady mix of fine dining and well-heeled revelling, Caramel succeeds in almost everything it aspires to. And when everything is this excellently executed, it’s more than worth the trip out of town.
• A meal for two at Caramel Restaurant & Lounge, St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, costs Dh558. For reservations, call 02 678 3344. Reviewed meals are paid for by The National and conducted incognito