Swiss Butter - Sofitel Downtown — Restaurant in Dubai

A dinner full of miscommunications.

We sat down and wanted to order. The waiter pointed to the blackboard on the far side of the restaurant and said that was the only reference we had(and also kindly explained the menu to us). I had pretty good vision, so I helped out my wife in making the choices.

Confusion number one: off-menu items. For me it was pretty simple, I wanted the ribeye special, for a bit more money and that was that. My wife initially wanted the beef, but then the waiter explained that they had Colombian and South African beef, and that the prices may vary from the menu with choice. Then she wanted to know if this addition was applied to the half-and-half chicken+beef, which seemed to confuse the waiter a little but then I stepped in and things were clear again. My wife ended up ordering just the beef, because of the confusing menu and price structure.

Guess what. When the food came for us(quite speedy, props for that), my wife was served the half-and-half she didn't ask for. So she mentioned that, and the waiter argued back no, that's actually what she ordered. There was a senior staff/manager passing by and in an excellent step of recovery offered to add another half of beef to my wife's dish free of charge, which she initially declined because she thought it meant taking her plate away(she was hungry) but no that wasn't the case.

So we had our meal. For me, the meat's a little thin and the signature sauce a bit salty, fries were nice, thin and crispy. Doneness was accurate, but overall I wasn't too wowed. I'd skip the chicken, since the sauce tends to overpower rather than harmonize like it did with the beef.

Now comes confusion number two, the bill. The girl who rang us up wasn't wise to our mishap earlier and put the charge on the extra portion of beef on the receipt. This caused me to complain to the guy who was taking the payment, until I ended up asking for the manager(only because he was the one who offered us the free beef). The waiter was adamant and snarky in his tone, as if we were the ones confused and that sure, he can get the manager to come round, only to embarrass us on how wrong we were.

As we were talking, I caught sight of the manager and pointed him out. The waiter went to clarify the bill with him, with me being in the right at the end(because of course I was), and with zero remorse came back and gave the flattest apology ever as he presented the corrected bill.

But not before he had the cheek to ask for tips, lol. I gave him his just deserts.

The root cause for all this, from my view, was the lack of a menu to make clear choices from. Put it on an iPad, a QR code, whatever, but don't be trying to use only verbal explanations to augment a board on a corner of the restaurant and expect zero confusion.

Now the waiters, they definitely didn't help, but that's a Dubai wide thing: they're very much beholden to their sponsors and employers, and this overly cautious attitude to an entity which holds power over your stay here does result at times in a "customer is always wrong" attitude. Especially if the customer is judged(by color/nationality) to be of the "powerless" variety. I'll always fight it when I see it, and here's a way for me to have my say. Get...

Stepping into Swiss Butter is an experience that delights all the senses. From the moment you're seated, the warm and inviting ambiance sets the stage for a truly memorable meal. The menu, simple yet elegant, focuses on what they do best: perfectly cooked steak, chicken, or salmon, all served with their signature, secret sauce. ​The steak, my personal favorite, was cooked to absolute perfection. It was tender, juicy, and packed with flavor, a testament to the quality of the meat. ​ ​Review for Valet Parking ​Valet Parking: A Disappointing and Unfair Experience ​My dining experience at Swiss Butter was sadly soured by the dishonest and frustrating valet parking service. Upon dropping off my car, I was not informed of any pricing structure or potential charges beyond a standard fee. I was under the impression that the service was a simple, flat rate. ​After enjoying a wonderful meal, I returned to find that I was being charged an outrageous 50 dirhams for being just over the two-hour mark. This fee was completely unexpected and felt like a blatant attempt to exploit customers. The lack of transparency from the valet staff at the time of drop-off is unacceptable. It's a fundamental courtesy to inform customers of all potential fees and charges upfront. ​This kind of deceptive practice leaves a bitter taste and diminishes the overall experience. A good dining experience should not be compromised by a predatory parking service. The valet service needs to be more transparent and upfront with their pricing. I would advise anyone visiting Swiss Butter to be wary of the valet service and consider alternative parking options to avoid a similar,...

If there is Zero star option for rating I would have rate it zero star! Service is really really bad. I went there for Ramadan Iftar and I mentioned this before I get seated. I had to wait 15 minutes after al Mughrib Athan to get water and dates! And to get the water, I had to request it THREE times!!! Two of them, I literally had to leave my seat and ask to talk to the manager!!! Who gave me alot of excuses for the delay while the table next to me ( who arrived later than I did) did not face any delay in having their alcoholic drinks before serving me water to break my fast!!! Even after raising complaints, the service did not improve!!! I had to ask for ketchup twice!!! And wait for 15 minutes to get the ketchup!!!

Common sense/ bare minimum standard for the service in Ramadan for Iftar: Serve the items on time for us to break our fast ( water, dates, soup).

I am a regular customer for Swiss butter in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ( my home country). The branch in Dubai is really far below any hospitality standards!

I did not enjoy my food, neither the atmosphere because of the horrible service!

Will never go back again neither recommend it to anyone! If you wanna beg for a sip of water and treated like u do not matter... then this is the rite...