This week, Le Royal Méridien hotel in Abu Dhabi officially lifts the veil on the long-awaited Stratos, a new revolving grill and lounge at the top of the iconic hotel.
Looking like something out of a James Bond movie, Stratos is set to become the place to see and be seen in the capital.
The upscale restaurant replaces the outdated Al Fanar eatery after more than a year of renovations.
While Al Fanar offered continental cuisine in an austere, drab setting, Stratos offers fine-dining food in a trendy, relaxed atmosphere. But what gives Stratos a unique edge is that the seating area continuously rotates 360 degrees, giving guests stunning views of the city. But don’t worry about motion sickness. The revolution is very slow, giving guests plenty of time to take in the changing view.
The restaurant is located on the 26th floor, surrounded by expansive glass walls that provide grand views of the Corniche as well as the city. Diners are seated in the part of the restaurant that rotates – the kitchen, bathrooms and bar are situated in the stationary inner circle.
It can seat 120 people and the type of experience changes from one table to the next. You can relax on a comfortable couch or tuck yourself into an oversized chair, for example. There are also sleek, black high-top tables for those interested in a more fine-dining experience.
Artful partitions between many of the tables allow for a sense of intimacy you don’t often find in lounges – there’s already been a marriage proposal during the restaurant’s soft opening.
The dress code is smart casual, but don’t be afraid to wear your best suit or your designer heels: this place is posh.
The interior has a chic feel with black, gold and cream tones throughout – and it’s much more open than during its Al Fanar days, giving guests a glimpse of the chefs’ talents on display as they pass by a busy open kitchen.
Le Royal Méridien’s executive chef Justin Galea hand-picked chef de cuisine Grant Ballinger to take the helm at Stratos. Ballinger, 31, was previously a sous chef at Reform Social & Grill in Dubai. Before that, he worked at Étoiles at Emirates Palace and the Crowne Plaza on Yas Island. This is his first time as a head chef, but that doesn’t worry Galea, who says he knows talent when he sees it.
“I like to hire the underdog,” says Galea. “The guy who’s just about to break through.”
Both Galea and Ballinger know the food at Stratos needs to be special to match the location and they’ve laboured over the menu for months. In addition to several high-end steaks, you’ll find dishes such as braised veal cheek, Dover sole with nut-brown lemon butter and Scottish langoustines on the menu. Stratos will also have an in-house caviar expert and will soon add two additional types of caviar to the three already on offer.
Ballinger spent his early 20s studying media, film and performing arts at a university in England. In the evenings he worked in kitchens as a way to “fund his fun”. But he grew bored with university and realised: “I’d rather work 16 hours in a kitchen.” He moved to the UAE nearly five years ago and says opening Stratos has taken over his life.
"It's a lot of work, but it's really rewarding," he says. "It's very challenging." When asked what his big break has been, he says: "I think this is my big break. It's my first head-chef role. It's a very nice venue and it's different. I think we have a nice opportunity to turn this into something really good."
The team at Stratos have taken their time with the opening and are paying close attention to even the smallest details. They believe the restaurant’s uniqueness lies in the fact that it actually has something for everyone.
“This is a place you can bring your grandmother for high tea at 3pm, have a fine-dining meal with your spouse in the evening and come back later with the guys or the ladies and have a fun night out,” says Galea.
Stratos will be officially open for guests from Thursday. For more information, call 02 695 0490 or visit www.leroyalmeridienabudhabi.com
sjohnson@thenational.ae
