Is this glamourous spot the start of a new foodie hotspot on Palm Jumeirah?

The Palm Jumeirah food scene is vast and varied. If you’re looking to party – Palm West Beach is the place to be. If you’re looking for family-friendly dining with your toes in the sand, head to Club Vista Mare. And if it’s elevated dining with international acclaim, the array of restaurants at St Regis Gardens are the ones to book.

But now there’s a new destination looking to establish itself on the foodie map – Rooftop West. On the opposite side of Nakheel Mall rooftop to St Regis Gardens, a string of new concepts are set to make their mark on the city. Among the first to open is Three Cuts, a sleek new steakhouse that’s all about old school glamour, from gastropreneur Jason Bassili, also one of the masterminds behind smash hit Business Bay bar, Soul Kitchen.

Design

Access, through the mall, isn’t the slickest start to our evening, as we navigate the elevators and escalators to reach this new spot. But once inside, it’s like we’re teleported to a different time. The large, double heigh ceiling offers high-impact grandeur, as does a rainbow-hued stained glass that backs the bar. The space is rich tones of emerald and rust, with textures of leather and velvet across the booths, bar stools and curtains. Super-sized. Vases of flowers are ornate additions to the décor, and the space feels fancy but still accessible and inviting. It’s a fine line, but they get it just right.

Menu

In the opening weeks, we’re told the menu is a more concise version of its final version, but we’re still impressed with the variety. We opt for the warm goat cheese salad (Dhs65) to start, as well as the beef carpaccio (Dhs105). Both are generous portions, the former arriving as a bed of lettuce leaves tossed with a rosemary dressing and grilled peach, three hot, moreish disks of breaded goats cheese set atop it. The beef carpaccio is flavourful and well executed, and tender slivers of beef are served to us with rocket, pecorino cheese and a drizzle of balsamic wrapped inside. For mains, we try two of the three cuts: the tenderloin (Dhs250) and the ribeye (Dhs325), as well as sides of smashed Brussel sprouts (Dhs30) and fries (Dhs30) with a red wine sauce (Dhs20) on the side. The meat comes exactly as we order, and the piece of black Angus tenderloin cuts effortlessly, each mouthful tender and buttery. The red wine sauce lacks a little punch in the flavour department, but we still enjoy it drizzled over the meat.

While we eye up desserts like a golden chocolate mousse and sticky toffee pudding (Dhs55 each) we conclude we’re too full on this visit. But we’ll certainly be back.

Verdict: There’s little to not like about Three Cuts. Style, sophistication, and a seriously impressive menu make this a solid start for Rooftop West

Three Cuts, Rooftop West, Nakheel Mall, Palm Jumeirah, daily 12pm to 2am. Tel: (0)4 420 1113. @threecutsdxb