Talay is a spacious seafood restaurant that serves some of the best Thai food in the city. The large interior is decorated with a mild under-the-sea motif, and features pillars completely covered in seashells that may or may not make you feel sorry for the fresh lobsters in the aquarium, staring out into the lobby and reminiscing about the open waters. Don’t; they make an exceptional meal.
The place has been around for a while, and you can certainly feel it; but not in a bad way. The restaurant might be ageing, but between the great view – yes we know Reem Island is in the way, no it doesn’t bother us much – and relaxing mood, this makes for one of the most romantic spots in the city.
Decor aside, this place is Thai-food heaven – and a former Time Out Abu Dhabi award winner at that – with plenty of traditional and creative curries and stir-fries, and a strong emphasis on seafood. Speaking of which, that’s really what you should be ordering at Talay; if you’re up for something mild, try the panang talay yan, a combination of seafood and thick and tart panang curry, served alongside a hearty phad thai, stir-fried rice noodles with egg and plenty of other goodies. Delicious and filling.
Talay’s service is non-invasive, but very attentive. The servers are friendly and knowledgeable; one even patiently explained the menu for the better part of 10 minutes, without so much as breaking a snicker when we asked how hot did she mean by hot. Talay is still well-positioned for a shot at our awards this year, but with some strong South East Asian contenders such as the Hilton’s Royal Orchid and Shangri-La’s Hoi An on the radar, it’s anyone’s guess who’ll be taking the title home for 2012.
The bill (for one)
Curry and rice offer Dhs99
Total (excluding service) Dhs99
