After polishing off a massive bowl of onion rings on our own (we’re not big sharers, okay?), it’s safe to say that the site of another of the mammoth, crispy beasts sticking out of the huge burger we ordered almost pushed us over the edge. But, these are the travails of a restaurant reviewer and we mustn’t grumble.
We’re are making our debut at Offside and first impressions are very impressive. The interiors are nicely done, there’s a cosy terrace and the room with the pool table and big screen is just begging out for a major sports tournament to be beamed onto it.
It was fairly safe to assume the sports bar at the mightily impressive Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort would not be your average venue.
Drinks are varied and perhaps surprisingly good value (Dhs20 pints at happy hour, anyone?) and the food menu is at turns hilarious and incredibly tempting.
The hilarity comes in the form of the names of the dishes. While we don’t think puns will make their way onto the menus of the resort’s Mare Mare or TEAN any time soon, they’re more than welcome here.
So, whether you’re after small plates such as Chicken Liverpool Parfait or Squidding Around the Track (that’s calamari to most of us) or mains of Oxtail Chamberlain Pie or Tussels & Mussels (yes, it’s a bowl of mussels), there’s something for you. There are even a few salads, if the Cesar Azpilicueta tickles the fancy of any Chelsea fans.
Those onion rings (or, Superbowl Truffle Rings) are actually enough to share. The big, breaded rings are covered in shavings of parmesan and come with a lovely truffle mayonnaise. They make for a great bar snack.
We can totally recommend the Offside Wagyu Burger (no puns here, but as the venue is hanging its name on it, you better believe it’s good). The towering stack is made up of a soft brioche bun (never our favourite choice for a sloppy burger, but it does the job) a juicy slab of wagyu, lettuce, smoked cheese and tomato. On the side are tangy pickles and perfectly crisp fries.
There’s nothing complicated about this Offside, even for the uninitiated. In fact, we’d go as far as saying it rules.
