This is the Dubai 1 Michelin Star restaurant you must try at least once

Last time we tried Tasca, we were there to try their brunch menu and we’ve been thinking about it ever since.
Not only was the food superb but there’s just something about the venue, with this incredible open patio and its infinity pool over looking the sea that just takes our breath away.
We came back to the 1-Michelin star to experience their dinner menu, and let’s just say that we might have a new favourite restaurant in the city. Here’s why.

Chef Jose Avillez

As excited as we were about the food, our table, situated quite literally in the pool (well on a plexi platform in the pool but you know, on the water) was already enough to put us in a wow mood for the rest of the night. Dubai being the busy city it is, unobstructed views of the sea right in the middle of town is always such a treat.
Sat comfortably, we’re ready to dive into the menu. Tuna tartare cones with spicy sauce, kimchi mayo and nori flakes, garlic praws, spicy roasted octopus with kimchi and sweet potatoes, tempura cod cakes with garlic emulsion, olive, lyo raspberry and trout roe… where to even begin? 
After careful consideration and a good 15 minutes later, we finally decided – choices that ended up being complimented by some plates the chef sent over for us to try, for our biggest pleasure.


As fish lovers, Tasca is pretty much heaven on earth. The tuna cones, garlic prawns and octopus were just to die for and we wished we signed up for some kind of bottom-less offer but we have to behave. Flavors, textures, portions, chef Jose Avillez gets everything right.

TASCA on Instagram

For the main act, we indulged in one of the place’s signature dish the “Arroz de Carabiniero” a brothy rice with giants prawns from Algavre in Portugal, Portuguese clams, prawn and crab – absolutely divine.
Staff is also exceptionally attentive here, always making sure you’re having a good time – it doesn’t feel forced and we always appreciate genuine kindness, which we had already observed the first time we were here.


Although we were pretty full by plate…6? 7? the idea of sampling a few desserts didn’t sound so bad to our ears. Unsure what to get, we let the staff surprise us. And we definitely are glad we trusted them. Now, we’re not positive they would let us book a table just for dessert next time but if they do, we can’t confirm how many “Hazelnut” would be ordered that day. Hint? a lot. This Jose Avillez’s classic is composed of hazelnut ice cream, hazelnut foam, freshly-grated hazelnut, some fleur de sel and gold. Sound simple but is just out-of-this-world. You have to trust us on that one. 

Perhaps the only item that doesn’t get a 10/10 for us will have to be the cheesecake but that was rapidly forgotten once we bit into the Pastel De Nata, this traditional Portuguese custard pie that was just the most divine ending to our exquisite dinner.


With thousands of restaurants to pick from in exciting Dubai, Tasca is definitely a keeper, the type of places that are good for brunch, lunch and dinner, in a friendly ambiance with magnificent views and decor. But most importantly with impeccable food. Don’t sleep on this one, you won’t regret it.




TASCA
Mandarin Oriental Dubai
+971 04 777 2231
For bookings, click here