The location
Entering Emirates Financial Towers, the DIFC skyscraper that houses Indian restaurant Mint Leaf of London, feels a little like going to work — probably because the building has more office space than F&B outlets. But once you have navigated your way to the lifts (right-hand side as you come in) and reached the 15th floor, the vibe is altogether less 9-to-5. The bar area, replete with length serving areas, gives way to the circular main dining room, which has views across the district’s buildings that are especially glittering at night.
The atmosphere
With perfectly dimmed interior lighting and the skyline as a backdrop, Mint Leaf is a pleasant place to eat. During our visit, waiters were efficient and friendly, while other diners, mostly either couples or small groups, all seem to be intent on enjoying their evenings in similar manners: fine dining with a contemporary angle, soundtracked by quietly demure chatter.
The food
Varied. There are plenty of dishes that will be familiar to even the most fleeting lovers of Indian cuisine, albeit with subtle twists and spice levels to keep you honest — take the murgh tikka lazeez (chicken tikka curry with roasted sweet pepper cream) or the palak methi kofta (paneer-and-spinach cutlets with fenugreek gravy). The finest results, however, arrive when you venture off-piste, most notably the beetroot pudina tikki, a delicious oval of beetroot “cake” with chickpeas-filled Punjabi chole. The gulab jamun cheesecake is worthy of mention, too, and manages to avoid the sickly-sweet impact of many Indian desserts.
Who’s it best for?
Indian food fans who aren’t quite ready to go for full-on, experimentation-over-tradition fusion takes on the cuisine.
The verdict
The wheel hasn’t been reinvented here, but that’s not always necessary when the food is this tasty and refuses to abandon the subcontinent’s fascination with spiciness.
The National was a guest of the restaurant.
• Mondays, Thursday and Fridays noon to 2am, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays noon to 1am, Mint Leaf of London, 15th floor, Emirates Financial Towers, DIFC, Dubai. Reservations 04 706 0900
aworkman@thenational.ae
