Restaurant review: The London Project, Dubai

Located practically at the foot of the 200-metre tall Ain Dubai ferris wheel, the interiors of this two-storied restaurant are covered with plants including vines from the ceiling and down the walls too. The licensed venue, with commanding views of the Dubai Marina across the bay, has an energetic vibe about it.

Getting things off to a decadent start is half a dozen of oysters on ice served along with shallot mignonette, chilled rhubarb granite and a house-made ponzu sauce. We follow that up with an excellent Ika Mata ceviche that consists of coconut cream, yellowtail fish and utterly fresh and crisp tortilla chips.

The salads at The London Project deserve a raucous ovation – it seems as though there is a farm somewhere in the kitchen itself and the vegetables were harvested minutes before they were put onto the plate. The blood-red beetroots in the beetroot salad (the pieces of Hazelnut crumble is a clever touch) and the tomatoes accompanying the tomato burrata are of the highest quality. You can visit The London Project, eat only the salads and still feel like you’ve had the most satisfying meal.

The mains include the pan-seared sea bass accompanied with a few spoons of a coconut saffron gravy that reminds us of flavours from a coastal Sri Lankan coconut curry. Another stellar main is the potato gnocchi served with buttery mushrooms and truffles.

For dessert, ask for the deconstructed rice pudding which consists of a basmati rice ice cream served along with rice crackers – and yes, it tastes as decadent as it sounds. This restaurant is a project that deserves full marks.

Bluewaters Island – EA001, Dubai. Daily 9am-midnight. Tel: (04) 580 8570