McGettigan's Factory The Palm — Restaurant in Dubai

Blatant Discrimination & Profiling ! Avoid if You Value Respect!

I live on The Palm Jumeirah and have visited McGettigan’s The Palm several times with my husband , who happens to be white. On those occasions, the staff were quick, overly attentive, and unfailingly polite.

However, when I visited alone recently, I experienced blatant discrimination. A male bartender refused to serve me at the bar, stating I could not sit there as I was “not a hotel guest.” Instead, I was directed to sit in an area with other women ,a move that felt degrading and clearly rooted in profiling.

What’s worse, the environment they cultivate accommodates certain types of patrons, and in doing so, they appear to assume that every single woman is there for the same reasons. This is not only insulting, but dangerous for respectable female customers ,especially Black women who deserve to enjoy a drink without being judged or treated as second-class guests.

After my complaint, a manager gave a vague apology and promised to investigate. That was the last I heard. Neither the manager nor their customer service team ever clarified whether such a “policy” exists which only confirms my suspicion that I was indeed profiled.

I will not be returning, and I would caution other professional women especially women of color to think twice before visiting. Respect is non-negotiable, and sadly, McGettigan’s The Palm has shown they cannot provide it. A bar that smiles for white men but sneers at Black women is not worth anyone’s...

Firstly the good points. The food was tasty and the artist Lee Wall was fantastic.

The service however took 2 stars off this review. The Wednesday woman's night isnt particularly inclusive to those who don't want to, or cant, drink alcohol. For a country which doesn't promote drinking alcohol i find this ironic.

My pregnant wife wanted the cocktails on the menu without the alcohol element or the alcohol free version of the beer on the menu, all of which were cheaper drinks on the main menu! This however confused everyone, apparently you aren't a woman unless you drink alcohol. The whole menu is discriminating against those who don't drink due to their faith or those who don't on medical grounds.

Offering water or coca cola as soft drink alternatives isnt exactly a fair alternative. The whole thing made no logical sense whatsoever. We were asking for the expensive element of the drinks being offered on the menu to be removed!

Luckily in our case due to their poor communication which made us think mocktails were included, we did get these in the deal after we challenged the bill. But the whole experience was a mess due to the confusing servers which ruined what would have been a great evening.

Rather than focusing on the fancy social media content which was being filmed whilst we were there, you should focus on customer service and making your menus...

I recently visited McGettigan’s Factory at the Hilton on the Palm in Dubai and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. After arriving, I found myself a nice little spot – close enough to see and hear the brilliant live band, Tone Crew, who really added a fantastic energy to the bar and set a great tone for the night.

Not long after settling in, I was warmly greeted by the team and ordered a drink, followed soon after by some food. As it was a Friday, I went with the classic choice of fish, chips, and mushy peas – it just felt right.

The food eventually arrived, but I hardly noticed the wait as I was enjoying the music so much. At first glance, I was a little disappointed by the small number of chunky chips, but halfway through the meal, it became clear why – they were incredibly filling! The batter on the fish was crisp and flavourful, and overall it was a satisfying and tasty plate of food.

As the evening went on, the service did slow down a bit, which seemed odd given that the number of guests didn’t appear to have increased since I arrived. That was really the only area where the experience could have been improved.

The venue itself is welcoming with a relaxed vibe, and the live music truly stands out. Tone Crew were excellent and will definitely be a key reason for my next visit. Looking forward to...