Fan of fish and chips? Keep reading…

The team behind Senara, the new British seafood spot at Palm Views West, is keen to point out that the restaurant is most definitely not fine dining. Instead, Senara resembles a classy seaside café, where you don’t have to dress up to eat. Senara

The décor is certainly different than most of the other Palm spots, too. It’s a decent-sized restaurant with heavy wooden tables decorated with little lemon shrubs sitting in copper pots, and turquoise cushions lining the back walls. An empty restaurant made for an initially eerie feel but was balanced by a soulful soundtrack playing softly in the background. The views of the Palm Jumeirah marina make Senara very special though, and the sizable picnic tables outside make it a dream weekend flip-flop spot.

senara

The food, prepared by ex-Wheeler’s Of St James’s sous chef Anthony Reilly, has the quality that you’d expect from a fine-dining chef at the helm, but transferred into casual, comfort food.

Senara

A fine Colwyn Bay Welsh rarebit (Dhs40), full of flavour and not too heavy, was a fancy cheese on toast, but a very tasty one. Make no mistake though; it’s the fish and chips (Dhs90) that are winning the hearts of diners who visit here. A hunky slab of Atlantic cod encased in a crispy batter arrives on top of a gigantic chopping board, alongside a pot of tripled cooked fries, and two shallow dishes filled with creamy mushy peas and tartare sauce, respectively. While it required an extra sprinkling of seasoning, the flaky and tender flesh beneath the perfect honey-coloured batter was devoured within minutes. The chunky chips were suitably squishy on the inside with a golden, crunchy coating. A few more wouldn’t have hurt, though.

Senara was a surprise – and a pleasing one at that. The food here is well above average, and combining that with a nice casual location, and a well stocked bar, Senara should have the power to reel in the crowds.

RATING…

Food: B+

Atmosphere: Casual

Price for two: Dhs250 to Dhs749

Palm Views West, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, daily noon until 11pm. Tel: (04) 4516460. Taxi: Palm Views West. senararestaurants.com