Crab Market
Crab Market, located on the 15th floor of Emirates Financial Towers is a culinary haven for Dubai seafood lovers. It’s a concept by chef Vladimir Mukhin, from the White Rabbit in Russia, who has featured on the Netflix series ‘Chef’s Table’. Crab Market is a beautiful and expansive new space to dine at, with a panoramic view of Dubai skyline along with a unique interior design, and ambiance that creates an exemplary experience.
The interiors are beautifully done with plush sofas, a dedicated glass room for specialty wines, and an array of fresh seafood placed on pristine ice right at the front. The bar area and the main dining area have their own distinctive personalities and vibe. The dining area offers a very quiet, romantic and private setting whereas the bar area is vibrant and fun.
As you enter the restaurant, you are greeted by a sea food display that sets your palate a tingle. You have all types of crabs, lobsters and an open kitchen with smiling chefs. They even have live crab in the tanks, and if you so wish, you can even have a go at fishing out your catch of the day with the automated mini forklifts.
We were invited for the brunch with a set menu that included appetizers, main, desserts and an all you can eat crab section along with drinks. There are three options in the brunch menu one can opt for. AED 250 with no alcoholic beverages, AED 350 with house beverages & AED 600 with champagne. The Brunch hours are from 13:00 – 17:00
The service at Crab Market is top notch. We were assisted by Christian, who was extremely helpful and assisted us with the menu and in selecting our mains. The staff is very polite and observant with all its’s patrons. Out cutlery was changed post every course and our drinks were refilled without us having to wait to ask for one.
We started off with our appetizers that included the tartare platter, cauliflower carpaccio and smashed cucumbers.
The Tartare had some amazing combinations – tuna with avocado, salmon with mango and scallops with papaya. I loved all three of the combinations, but tuna and salmon were the top contenders.
The combination of tuna with avocado, and salmon with mango was a treat to my palate.
Smashed cucumber was something my Indian palate couldn’t not resist to go in for second and third. Tangy and with just that hint of spice. It was delish. The Carpaccio of cauliflower is a clever vegetable starter.
We moved on to the ‘All you can eat crab’ section, which included mud crab, sushi roll, sliders, fritters and salad. My favorite off the lot which we asked for a second were – sushi (delish), salad (wholesome and refreshing), and fritters.
For drinks we had frozen sangria and frozen margarita. I dislike the idea of having frozen drinks, because as it melts the drink tastes watery (Hate it, when that happens). However, I was in for a surprise when both the sangria and the margarita retained its original taste even after it melted.
For our mains, we chose squid linguini with langoustine and Chillian sea bass with Asparagus and miso. The squid ink linguini is a must have at Crab Market. Not only was it recommended by Christian, but the server who served them at our tables was so happy that we ordered the linguini, that I was very excited to try it out.
The Squid ink linguini was as saporous as it looked. It had the perfect amount of sauce, not too dry not too much sauce either. It was just perfect. The lobster or langoustine was perfectly cooked and complimented the squid ink linguini to the T. It was just meant for each other. This dish hugs you from the insides. It is definitely comfort food. LOVED IT. (Just to reiterate, if it wasn’t obvious enough).
The Chillean Sea Bass was well cooked and tasted amazing too, however for me the clear winner was the linguini.
We started our brunch at 2:00 pm, and enjoyed each course taking our time, which meant that we had gone past the brunch time. I was looking forward to the desert cart laden with a selection of homemade cakes. We were a little too late, however, we did get the lemon meringue cake and mille feuille. I’m not personally fond of lemon meringue and hence didn’t enjoy it much.
The Mille-feuille was my first ever, and it wasn't something I personally prefer.
The staff was so helpful, when I requested for pictures with the desert cart. They filled them up and let me click pictures (Blogger shenanigans).
Crab Market was a memorable experience of amazing food, service and ambiance. This fine-dining concept, complete with spectacular views and immaculate service, is an absolute must for serious seafood connoisseurs.
Location: 15th Floor, Emirates Financial Towers, North Tower, DIFC, Dubai
Cost: AED 400 for two
