Rüya Dubai — Restaurant in Dubai

I went to the newly reopened Ruya last night. It used to be at the Grosvenor House in Dubai Marina but it closed down for a few years and reopened at the St Regis Palm Hotel. It’s a modern take on Turkish cuisine.

As with the old location, the fit out and design are very nice. Half the space is very dark and the other half not as dark. The music is very loud and we were seated in the dark section. The brighter and much nicer section was almost empty. I should have immediately taken note of the ominous sign of the darkness that was to come.

The very polite server took our order. We were 8 persons and ordered many appetizers and a couple of mains. It’s a sharing concept. To drink I ordered the most famous non alcoholic drink in Turkey called “ayran”. It’s a a salty tangy yogurt drink that’s found on every street corner and in every single restaurant or cafe in Turkey. It’s like ordered a Coke in America. When it arrived I was shocked to find it tepid and lacking in any flavor whatsoever. It’s wasn’t salty and it wasn’t sweet. It tasted like water. But it was white in color. Honestly, none of us could figure out what it was. I asked if there was anyone Turkish in the restaurant and they called over the one Turkish guy there. He tasted it and was shocked. He went in the back and personally made us new ones and they were very good.

The food was very disappointing. The service even worse. The music was so loud we couldn’t hear the servers and what’s even worse, they couldn’t hear us. I’m not going to get into describing each dish because almost all of them were way below average and lacking any sort of Turkish authenticity. I would be very surprised if the chef was actually Turkish. I honestly believe there was just that one Turkish guy who fixed the ayran working there.

We couldn’t wait to get out of there and skipped the dessert, got the check and took off. It was one of those rare evenings when every single one of us didn’t like it.

The polite verdict is, “lots of room for...

Wow let’s just start there. This is not your typical Turkish fair, it’s using old classics and bringing them into the future. If you’re looking for a typical Turkish kebab restaurant then you will struggle here. They do have the classic Adana which was brilliantly executed however you will need to understand that you will not be provided with plate full of meat. What you will have is a Adana which is made with good quality ingredients, with a taste and texture over and above your local kebab restaurant. We went for Rüya experience (AED390 per person and is a set menu for 2 - it should be noted that all diners on the table must choose this otherwise it’s not available) which had 12 courses and let me say this is probably the best (and most cost efficient) way to try the varied menu. The chef arranges an array of different dishes (which changes each time) from the menu which will include mezze, hot and cold starters, mains who change ends with desert and Turkish tea. My personal highlights were karpuz peynir, Adana kofte, keşkek and my personal favourite the truffle pide (this was exceptional). I would add that the fırın sütlaç was on another level and was very contemporary issuing classic flavours. The ambience was a twist of modern, with classic undertones. The restaurant layout is well balanced and there is plenty of space between tables which allows for being in a vibrant place whilst also feeling that there is some pricy within the group. Lastly and not least the staff were friendly, helpful and professional, a credit to the restaurant and team as a whole. Special thanks to Enis who was our helper, Soner the head barman and the head Chef Gökhan who took the time to visit the table (these little touches make the difference between good and excellent). I’m already planning my next visit and will be spreading the word. Remember this is not your stereo typical Turkish venue, it’s one thats using the classics to spring board into the future and one I’m all...

Ruya means dream in Turkish and specialises in Turkish and Anatolian cuisine. There is nothing grand about the interiors of this restaurant at Grosvenor House, but you will feel warm and at ease here, instantly. Other than the main seating area, they have a bar, where you can chill out with friends and enjoy the Dubai Marina view. If you are planning to visit anytime now, sit outdoors. Indoors, the background music plays at the right volume - so that you can have a conversation with your dining companion and are not forced to listen to the banter from the tables around. We sat next to the live kitchen counter, which is used to grill meat and bake bread.

We started our meal with Crudites - a serve of raw vegetable with Muhammara, a hot pepper dip originally from Syria and popular in Turkish cuisine. We scooped out the dip with fresh bread (courtesy of the live counter). We didn't quite relish Borek, the cheese was too salty for our taste. Borek is cheese-filled small pastry rolls covered with thin dough, served with burnt watermelon and goat's cheese salad. Gavurdagi salad was up next and we relished the mix of tomatoes, onion, parsley, and walnuts. For mains, we ordered Mint Manti and Goat's Cheese, which was an interesting variation of ravioli stuffed with cheese and dipped in tomato sauce. The highlight of the meal was the dessert - Firin Sütlaç, this traditional Anatolian rice pudding topped with ice cream and raspberries was a delight; just one spoon of the coffee-flavoured ice cream and we were sold.

The restaurant can accommodate 200 guests, but you should reserve a table before you go. It's known to get busy on weekends, with its brunch offerings and live performances...