Bar of the month: Amelia

Born in Beirut and brought over to Dubai in July, Amelia has captured the attention of many a resident, thanks to its impressive interiors and reputation for brilliant cuisine. Found outside Address Sky View, Amelia has a separate entrance and parking, and guests pull up to an LED-lit keyhole-shaped archway, wrapped in green vines and leading toward the grand doorway entrance.

Inside, the space is vast with two-storey high windows, an organ-inspired DJ booth, vintage-style plane propellers rotating above the bar and an elegant, winding staircase that leads up to another dining area.

The waiter takes us through the menu – a large, singular sheet, purposely stained to look weathered. Starting with sushi, we opt for the sake (Dhs78). It’s a salmon maki roll with avocado, cucumber, takuan, yuzu kosho and passion fruit. Sliced into eight, the portion is a decent size for sharing and the maki pieces are packed with flavour, aided by the yuzu sauce dripping from the top of the roll. From the tiradito section, the hamachi (Dhs94) is a must-try. The slices of raw fish are beautifully presented, topped with jalapeños and edible flowers.

Swimming in ponzu sauce, the yellowtail is fresh and moreish, as we keep reaching over for seconds.

You’d think such a large space would be tricky to fill, but it’s the venue’s second week of operation and the guests are flooding in. The music is an uplifting mix of house beats that we’re Shazaming so that we can add them to our playlist.

Back to the food and we’re working our way through the flammkuchen a la trufa (Dhs128) – a type of truffle pizza made with flammkuchen dough, four types of cheese, mushrooms and baby rocca. It’s light, crispy, and simply delicious, and stands to be a solid contender in the quest for the best truffle pizza in Dubai. From the main courses, we opt for carnes ala parrilla (Dhs190). It’s a fun DIY way of serving meat, as guests are given their own mini parrilla grill and plenty of thinly sliced raw meat, which they have to place on the hot plate to sear on each side. As someone who likes their meat rare, it’s a fun challenge to quickly cook it personally and get closer to our liking each time.