La Cantine du Faubourg Dubai — Restaurant in Dubai

La Cantine du Faubourg, Trade Center

“Elegant insanity” - the catchphrase of this Parisian rendez-vous is definitely a statement that oozes through the food and drinks, but maybe most of all in the design and decor. The art is a bold manifest to honor the original gangster in Europe. Definitely come here for a bracing take on the French cuisine, and stay for cocktails, before heading for a nightcap between the wine fridges.

🎷 7/8: Voguish, avant-garde and artsy - a lot of unwonted adjectives seem fit for La Cantine. As a cocktail bar they’re a bit left behind by their bar-within-the-bar tenant Gohan, but with a less intrusive red-light-district feeling in the bar, I’d say they’re close. 🥃 6/8: An interesting list of signatures, with a price point more venues should glance at - the presentation of the cocktails is effortless but at the same time on point. Nicely done, but the menu needs some work. 👨‍🔬 7/8: The dynamic Nick-duo of Nick and Nick is the vanguard of taking it all to the next level, and they both know the drill all too well - gregarious, polite and always nourishing a smile. 🧊 7/8: Big, clear ice cubes and the ice stamp - so simple, yet effective.

When La Cantine was brought to Dubai from Paris in 2015, word on the street was that the location was wrong (Emirates Towers was a sleeping giant where the Rib Room was the most notable venue), that the concept was unknown to Dubai and that the RIKAS group was far too inexperienced as they had just launched. Lo and behold - they proved everyone wrong. La Cantine du Faubourg is a longstanding unicorn in the oversaturated F&B market in Dubai. Their own tagline "more than a restaurant" is rather underplaying their venue, that during the course of the day transforms from restaurant, to a terrace for long lunch sessions, to a sundowner lounge with club ambitions… The story goes on - add to this the bar within a bar (Go-Han) - and you have nothing short of a unique...

Run every Saturday from 12pm-4pm, the cost of brunch with soft drinks starts at AED 250, which I found rather irresistible. A big fan of Dubai’s brunch culture, I had extremely high expectations for La Cantine du Faubourg. They managed to surprise right at the entrance, looking casually chic in silk pyjamas and perfect hair.

“It’s wake up in Paris and celebrate”, explained my hostess while walking me to Room 3, a cheeky name for every in the house. A real queen size bed with luxurious cotton sheets and big fluffy pillows was set in the middle of La Cantine looking irresistible.

In the best traditions of Parisian breakfast, a basket of freshly baked pastry was brought paired with a strong cup of coffee, butter and jams. While I enjoyed sipping coffee and studying the menu, the DJ at the bar started playing tunes. The place filled up steadily and by 1pm was filled with the air with cheers, giggles and happy conversations.

When selecting dishes I focused on slightly complicated creations with ingredients hard to find in Dubai: tuna ceviche, cured meat, grilled octopus and salmon carpaccio. I had no doubt that the greatest culinary experience awaited me. Everything I tried was absolutely delightful with my favourite dish being an aubergine gratin with dark tomato sauce and a generous amount of parmesan.

Around 3pm the music got a little louder, moving crowds closer to the bar and on to the charming terrace expected to be officially open soon. Freely flowing mocktails and cocktails kept the party going. I spotted a server in a kimono and dark sunglasses; I realized that the ambiance resembled the vibe from James Bond’s adventures. Happy to the tiptoes, I savoured my desserts and tried to memorize every second of that...

We visited La Cantine on a Thursday evening and had a table booking for about 3 hours. The food was great, and the music and service was good. Our verdict: They’ve definitely got a few good dishes to try out. Its a bit confusing as it looks like a casual bar and lounge but with a fine dining menu. Give it a shot if you want to try something different and have a big enough budget (it is quite pricey) for a night out and definitely make a booking beforehand.

We Ordered Burrata pizza with fresh black truffle: Crispy crust with fresh burrata and black truffle shavings which were not overpowering. This was a really good pizza and we really enjoyed it. Risotto with leeks and fresh truffle, pecorino, poached egg: One of the most interesting risottos we’ve tried. Great texture, along with a wholesome flavour of the leeks and the perfect hint of truffle. The poached egg was a brilliant addition to the dish.

The Venue: We were given a table on the outdoor deck. The open space was nice, with the bar on one side and tables and comfy couch seating around the edges of the space and in the middle surrounding greenery. The interiors have a different vibe altogether with a bar on one end and beige lounge sofas with bright red pillows and long tables lined up on either side.

The Service The service was good. The hostesses were friendly and welcoming and the servers were prompt and jovial. They did seem to be a bit slow towards the end of our reservation, as by then the place had filled up...