This probably isn’t the most socialist martini I’ve ever written about but it’s Dubai. Nonetheless I’ve approached it from an affordability perspective and I would describe it as inclusive, price-wise, if you were going to treat yourself. Read on for details.

The Venue

SUSHISAMBA is a chain of restaurants, usually situated high up in glamorous addresses fusing Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian styles: fun and delectable.

This branch in particular is located on the 51st floor of the St. Regis Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.

The Palm is an exclusive location but the views are only good at the edge looking out to sea, or in a tall building high up looking down. This makes SUSHISAMBA perfect for taking in the sights.

The venue is naturally trendy, vibrant and softly furnished with colourful tones and green, jungle-esque walls. The main feature though, is of course, the view over the Dubai coastline and the Arabian Gulf.

There was a DJ playing but the music was not overbearing or obnoxious. Some parts of the restaurant were smoking which can be a bit of a drag, but hey habibi we’re in the Middle East.

Care and Attention

The service in the venue was also absolutely excellent and we were moved table almost immediately when we asked if there was somewhere further from the smoking area.

At risk of being an even more difficult customer I asked if they served classic martinis, even though they were not on the menu. Nonetheless I was told that they are regularly ordered. I was then asked the reassuring questions of whether or not I would prefer gin or vodka, any particularly brands, sweet or dry, etc

The Silver Bullet

The martinis were served in a small coupe glass with cut pattern which was attractive, albeit never quite as pleasing as a classic V-shaped glass.

The lemon peel had been squeezed generously into the glass to express the oil, and had then been cut into an elegant coin shape, which signifies excellent care and attention.

The drink was very nicely cold and the glass frosted up accordingly. I thought the martini was slightly sweeter than I would normally have liked it, but it was still absolutely delicious. If you like your martinis very dry then please passionately specify this when ordering. Otherwise this would be a very good first time martini experience for the uninitiated.

The Constituent Parts

The gin was Tanqueray N⁰ Ten which is an excellent choice for the house. The vermouth was Mancino which is a highly rated Italian brand. Molto bene.

Eating

You can go to the bar for just a drink but unless you order food you might not get a table with a view. Note that if you want to enjoy the vistas, a lunchtime visit is recommended so you can enjoy the daylight.

The food is finely prepared and beautifully presented.

I enjoyed my favourite type of sushi which is shime saba (lightly cured mackerel, which I think goes beautifully with a martini).

We also ordered some succulent miso black cod which was unsurprisingly delicious.

Roundup

All in all, this was a very nice treat, albeit towards the higher price bracket of normal martini socialist outings. The martinis cost 105 Emirati Dirhams which equates to around £23 or $30 (at the time of writing, March 2024).

So, if you find yourself within a taxi journey of the Palm Jumeirah on a clear day, go and enjoy a martini with a quintessential view of the Dubai coastline. Enjoy!