Folly — Restaurant in Dubai

Tasty treats, TINY portions, poor waiter service, unmemorable decor and ambience, nice location ...all in all, overpriced in terms of value for money - unlikely to visit a second time.

Visited this place with 4 friends last weekend. Booking a table ahead of time was no issue and we got a seat on the outdoor terrace which was lovely.

Our server , mid-late 20s came over to explain the menu. It's not the most self explanatory menu so I got why he came over but he told us it looked complicated but was actually pretty simple and over the course of the night we actually felt he was quite arrogant and talked down to us saying that this restaurant was about artistic food and not portion size . Coupled with the fact that his accent was very hard to discern and really only 2 of us sorta understood what he was saying, it made for an unpleasant experience.

We were also sat next to the supervisor booth where the waiters were being sweared at/cussed out for not topping up the glasses. That was quite unpleasant to have to listen to.

Then came the food... we ordered 4 appetizers for the 5 of us to nibble at and while these looked gorgeous they were tiny and really a nibble! We then ordered the main course , where we asked for the items with the larger portions given our experience with the appetizers and he scolded us saying this restaurant was about presentation and taste and not meant to be filling...and he informed us that all meats were 100g only in order to set expectations. Again , food looked and tasted fine but barely larger than the appetizers.

Given the price of the food , in average over DHS 125 for a main, one would expect that we would at least be satiated but no luck there. We even ordered dessert but again our esteemed server explained the concept of the raspberry cheesecake for about 3 minutes before disappearing never to be seen again ( another waiter showed up to continue our service with no handover or explanation)

With an avg spend of DHS 280 a person x 5 plus alcohol ( we bought a few bottles of prosecco for a few hundred more each) ... we left the restaurant hungry and In spite of the good tasting tiny treats , with a bitter taste in our mouth primarily due to the terrible service.

With all the choice of restaurants in Dubai, it's highly unlikely we will visit...

Great food, lovely atmosphere, amazing staff and exceptional value for money.

The food speaks for itself, but for anyone who has not experienced folly by Nick and Scott yet, let me try to find the words to do it justice. The Monk Fish Cheeks are sublime; dense yet tender, the paprika giving a hint of smokiness to the wonderfully meaty flesh. The Crispy Egg is a superb creation, as ingenious as it is tasty and the Guinea Fowl is an absolute revelation; a delicate, gamely flavour that is satisfying without being overwhelming. But for me the standout dish is the Saddle of Lamb with Pine Nuts. The first time I tried this dish it brought tears of joy to my eyes (having food so good that it has made me cry has only happened to me four times in my life, this was the fourth).

The atmosphere is a work of genius. Nick, Scott, Viktorija and their team have struck an amazing balance between a haute cuisine kitchen and an informal, slightly quirky dining room. A nice selection of Bowie, Dylan and The Stones is piped through the speakers at a respectable volume and the views of Burj Al Arab are magnificent. The overall effect is that of tastefully understated brilliance.

And for my final note of praise; value for money. I have heard some people say that they consider folly to be overpriced, but I have to respectfully disagree with those people. Where else in Dubai (or anywhere really) are you going to find a 5 Course Degustation Menu with Wine Pairings for AED 530 per head? I can name several places in Dubai where you would struggle to find a decent bottle of wine for that price and many more that would charge the same for one course that folly charges for five. Add to this the fact that you are not just paying for the food, you are paying for the atmosphere, the attention to detail, the benefit of being waited on by a Front of House team who are all as knowledgeable about the food as they are friendly and attentive.... the overall experience is something far greater than the sum of all of it’s parts.

So, all I can really say to sum up is you have to try folly by Nick and Scott, and then tell your friends (just don’t tell too many... I want them to do well, but not to get so busy that I can’t...

Ambience : Small , cozy restaurant on the upper floor. It has a small balcony as well but due to weather we sat inside. The tables are super small and very uncomfortable. There isn’t even enough space for ladies hand bag on the chair. The dimensions of the table and chairs are more of European cafe standards than what is the norm in this part of the world. ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️

Food: Nothing special. The menu is a bit confusing, it’s difficult to understand the dishes reading the menu. I believe that the art of simplicity is the most valued form of art and that applies to everything. Making things sophisticated when there is no need for it just reflects the lack of ability to create a clear simple picture. The portions are super small, and when trying to order we were told that the portions are tasting sizes as the restaurant was following a fine dining concept. In my opinion nothing about that restaurant was fine dining . Fine dining is not only about small portions of food but rather it should encompass an overall experience which was totally missing in this restaurant. The food was bland, there was no harmony among the flavors. The design of the plates were very well thought out though. Very disappointed with the food . ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️

Service: Service was good. Again if the restaurant considers itself as a fine dining then the service wasn’t up to that standards but otherwise it was...