Prime 68: Business Lunch Review

Positioned at the peak of Business Bay’s JW Marriott Marquis, meaty eatery Prime 68 has proven its worth as an intimate evening dining venue with a view for some time now.

However, for those looking for somewhere to have a team or client lunch meeting during the working day, it may not be the first place that springs to mind.

The self declared boutique luxury steakhouse is now looking to change this with the launch of its business lunch menu, offering high end two or three course dining, served within an hour, for a fixed price.

So how does it fare? Read on.

Under the lighter colours of day Prime 68 loses none of its evening charm or intimacy, with views that mean eyes often fix on the windows while dining.

During our Sunday afternoon visit the place wasn’t exactly heaving, as expected for the beginning of the week, but the privacy offered by the layout is a strength for those looking for a distractionless sit down.

Service, from being guided to our table at the lobby proved to be friendly and courteous, with a series of servers giving us their attention when needed, but allowing plenty of time for chatter during courses.

The business lunch menu itself consists of a limited selection of starters, mains, sides and desserts, with vegetarian options for those wanting to meet without meat. As a group with varying eating restrictions we covered a cross section of the menu and were generally impressed with what we encountered.

For starters the roasted tomato soup proved both rich and creamy, with cheese croquets adding an extra element of crunch. While the Wagyu meat balls, in a tomatoey paste proved a hit with those more carnivorously inclined, although didn’t take it easy on the taste buds.

For mains we selected the risotto, chicken and steak dishes with creamed spinach, mashed potato and dusted fries as respective accompaniments.

The mushroom risotto with truffle was not the best we’ve had, but it’s creamy texture, and the use of larger rice certainly made it a filling and delicious meal.

It is natural though to judge a steak restaurant on its filet, and the USDA steak on offer didn’t disappoint. Each bite of our medium rare cut went down a tender treat, with the accompanying peppercorn sauce adding a little extra oomph. The dusted fries with spicy BBQ dipping sauce were also a surprise statement and are our recommended accompaniment.

This leaves the chicken, which while tender and herby, was considered a bit of a disappointment compared to the other dishes. Meaning meat eaters that aren’t restricted should stick to the steak, although given this is the restaurant’s speciality we imagine most would anyway.

For those that opt for the third course then comes dessert where we were faced with a painful decision, cheesecake or chocolate brownie?

The former, with its fresh berries light and crisp texture and crunchy base proved a particular highlight, while the latter, served cold with icecream was rich, chocolatey and by no means disappointing, but didn’t stand out among our brownie favourites.

Overall we found the Prime 68 Business Lunch to be a prime option for a higher end team lunch or to impress a client over a meeting, with a nice combination of intimacy, views and quality dining, provided you’re willing to pay a little more.

However, those looking to be in and out in an hour may find themselves a little rushed, our overall thee course dining experience taking just under two hours in total.

The Prime 68 Business Lunch is served weekdays from 12pm to 3:30pm, with two courses from Dhs145 and three courses from Dhs165. To make a reservation call +971 4 414 3000 or email [email protected]