Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara is a relatively new addition to the hotel scene in the capital but it has brought with it a portfolio of great restaurants and bars. Impressions is the hotel’s plush rooftop lounge with views over the mangroves with an exclusive selection of beverages, cigars and cheese.
This is the perfect spot to head for a drink after work or before or after dinner. The bar offers several different themed evenings and on this particular evening we decided to try their grape and cheese night.
Service
The lift opens up right into the bar entrance which is very cool with wall to ceiling grape bottles and lots of light. There are lots of seats, either at the bar, at small high tables, the lower lounge and some more intimate booths along one wall. There is also a terrace area which provides an uninterrupted view over the mangroves and you can see Reem Island off to the left. It is another unique panorama to add to the list of views around the city.
What makes this bar great is the staff and their expertise of the drinks on offer. The drinks menu is long and detailed (particular the grape selection) and the staff are very friendly without being overbearing. There is an in-house sommelier who is very chatty and will help you with a selection if you wish.
Décor and atmosphere
The atmosphere is warm and inviting and it’s really nice to sit on the rooftop of the hotel. The décor consists of a lot of brass panels, shimmering beaded screens and cool pendant lighting. The modern-luxe interior
is infused with uniquely local touches such as mosaic tiling and stone archways. Fun lighting finishes off the look, the colour scheme changing from aqua to teal and purple to blue, depending on the mood of the evening.
Food
The cheese table at Impressions is heaving under the weight of fromage-based delights and accompaniments. The artisanal cheeses are largely made of cow’s milk and often oozy – which is nice. A large slab of fresh honeycomb and grilled peaches are two of the more unusual condiments that are also on the table; we certainly haven’t seen them anywhere else and the bread selection had us going back for more.
Pros
This is an uber modern bar perfect for impressing clients, catching up with friends or getting a big group together. The grape and cheese evening is well worth a try with some many delicious cheeses and beautiful grape selection from Chile. The large grape list is excellent, especially if you consider yourself a bit of a connoisseur.
Cons
The bar was not very busy on the night we visited and we felt the music could have been a little louder to create more of a lively vibe.
The verdict
A beautiful venue with lots of potential to become a very popular spot in the capital.
Grape and cheese night, 6pm-9pm, every Tuesday, Dhs149 per person. Open daily from 5pm-1am. Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara (02 406 1400).
