Is the travel-themed restaurant a bucket list destination?

Like many restaurants in Dubai, Somewhere first came to our attention on Instagram. The whole set-up seemed rather mysterious. Instead of tantalising foodie snaps, the account featured photos of exotic destinations. Few clues were given on the restaurant’s website – it simply revealed a reservation form that said, “Let us take you Somewhere”.

Turns out, this was all part of a clever marketing campaign for a restaurant described as “a concept celebrating the thrill of travelling and exploring the unknown”.

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Somewhere is located in Dubai Mall’s shiny new Fashion Avenue extension. It’s a small but stylish space that looks not unlike a bookstore. There’s a wall of travel guides that diners can take off the shelf and flip through for inspiration. There’s also an outdoor terrace (which wasn’t open when we visited).

The menu is also small but perfectly formed, featuring an array of Mediterranean-inspired dishes that are good for sharing. In keeping with the travel theme, there are some curious mash-ups which take diners on a culinary journey around the globe – think guacamole hummus (Dhs35) and beef shawarma bao (Dhs27).

Everything was brought to the table at once. We loved the batata harra fries (Dhs31), a unique take on Lebanese spicy potatoes. The chicken ouzi puff (Dhs61) was another highlight; fragrant chicken and spiced rice encased in buttery pastry.

Every dish was beautifully presented – the chips that went with the hummus arrived in a little cardboard box, and the parchment paper on each plate featured a topographic design. Very Instagrammable.

For dessert, we had our eye on the kunafa croissant (Dhs45).

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Be warned – it is enormous, and probably best shared between two. But despite its hulking size, it was an inspired creation – all flaky pastry, gooey cheese and sugary syrup. A lovely end to a fusion feast.

Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (04) 329 5182. takemesomewhere.ae 

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