Does the new Emirates Golf Club bistro make the cut?

It wasn’t long ago when the idea of a golf club restaurant would conjure up images of an old-fashioned, wood-pannelled man cave serving greasy pub grub. Not so at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, where chef Izu Ani has opened Carine, a beautiful, bright and airy Mediterranean bistro.

The restaurant is filled with all of Carine’s (Izu’s wife) personal favourites, from freshly baked breads inspired by the bakery she used to work at in northern France, to her own homemade plum and apple jam.

Typically, this is where we tell you not to fill up on the bread, and instead to save pace for the meal – but forget that. Order the bread. Keep replenishing that side plate with all the doughy goodness you can eat, and douse the whole thing, crust and all, in Izu’s concentrated olive oil – squeezed fresh from his vineyards in Greece. Splendid.

Then, tackle the fragrant harissa prawns (Dhs55), seasoned crispy calamari (Dhs30) and creamy burrata (Dhs55), before sampling a few of the mains to share, in particular, that saucy, silky lobster linguini (Dhs160) and the crispy skin sea bass (Dhs145) with tomato salsa.

Finally, order the ridiculous molten brownie marshmallow with anglaise cream (Dhs50), a pot of barely baked, extra gooey chocolate dripping in cream. You’ll wonder who on earth you still have the space to lick the pot clean.

A triumphant meal, and another feat for the celebrated chef.

Carine, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, daily 7pm to 11pm. Tel: (04) 417 9999. Facebook.com/Carine

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