The newly-revamped spot provides a fantastic seafood offering…

It’s Thursday night; a brief and merciful respite from the quotidian routine of work, gym and errands lies in wait. But where best to abandon oneself to the bacchanalia of a weekend with the least amount of brain cells lost as possible?

If you work in the Media City/Marina area and find Mr Miyagi’s or Zero Gravity a bit too This is England, a more understated offering has come to town in the form of Mina’s Kitchen Maritime Fresh, billed as the ‘perfect end to the work week for all the seafood lovers out there’.

You’ll find it in The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, somewhat a bastion of seafood thanks to its upmarket Spanish tapas bar El Sur. Just off the lobby, Mina’s Kitchen replaces Blue Orange as the Westin’s main restaurant, a change that has been accompanied by a great decor revamp.

High ceilings and a large square footage have been lent an easy intimacy and contemporary edge with black and white tiling, vertical gardens and Aztec-esque friezes. We choose not to head outside to the alfresco bar and shisha corner, but come winter expect it to be a popular spot.

As nice as bronze cutlery and hip leaf-patterned chairs are, one doesn’t brunch for the interiors. Mina’s Kitchen has everything you’d expect from the classic brunch: starters and salads, Arabic and Indian sections, a meat grill and a kid’s section are all dotted around the space – but the highlight is the seafood.

Prawns, sashimi, salmon, sushi, a tower of oysters – guests are guaranteed fresh ingredients, cooked on request and delivered to the table. On recommendation from the chefs, we opt for a half dozen oysters and a pair of smaller, greyer lobsters: whose meat is far tenderer than its larger counterparts.

Accompanied by a glass of something sparkling, it’s a decent way to end a week – and there’s always Barasti next door if you don’t need those extra brain cells.

The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, Thur 7pm to 11pm, Dhs249 soft, Dhs349 house. Tel: (04) 511 7373.

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Images: Supplied