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Nick Alvis makes a case for returning to Dubai Marina dining…
Thanks to Dubai’s ever-increasing traffic, there are a handful of areas I largely chose to avoid during peak hours – Dubai Marina being one of them. So, I’m surprised to find myself heading – albeit glacially – for a 7pm dinner reservation at Le Royal Meridien one mid-week evening.
But this is no ordinary dinner reservation. At the helm of newly opened The Beam is Nick Alvis, one of a collective of independent chefs who paved the way for Dubai’s homegrown restaurant scene to flourish in the late twenty-teens. After departing his renowned Madinat Jumeirah restaurant folly in 2022 and spending some time consulting, he’s back on the pots and pans at The Beam.
Taking over what homesick Brits will remember as Geales, The Beam is a bistro-style dining experience set in a corner of the resort’s neatly landscaped grounds. An immaculate garden greets guests, a trickling water fountain provides a pretty centrepiece, leading to an indoor-outdoor space, bi-folding doors expanding out fully to let one lead into the other. Tables in the garden and on the covered terrace offer lovely views of Ain Dubai on the skyline, while those seated indoors are enveloped in an unpretentious warmth of neutral interiors and soft lighting.
We make a reservation only a week after opening, and the spacious restaurant is already abuzz with guests. While some come from staying in the hotel, many are here for Alvis, who greets each table with warm hospitality and proudly shows them around the restaurant when we arrive.
The culinary offering is reflective of a European bistro, elevated with a Dubai touch that’s fitting for the city’s competitive culinary scene. As well as the a la carte menu, a fresh fish display is adorned with towers of seafood and locally caught fish on ice, further enhancing the menu.
For starters, we order the venison tartare (Dhs110), which is prettily plated, tender cubes of venison dressed with smoked egg yolk and root ginger. But it’s the flat bread that we dream of long after we’ve finished the final bite. From the dedicated section of skillet baked flat breads, we opt for the sun-dried tomato and burrata one (Dhs60). The bread is the perfect crispy crust and spongy base, swirls of creamy burrata and crunchy pine nuts add rich flavour and texture.
We go to the fresh fish display for mains and order the seabass (market price). It arrives as a whole fish, and despite being a very generous portion, it’s cooked perfectly and tastes even better when drizzled with a lemon beurre blanc. The ribeye (Dhs360), a juicy piece of Westholme Australian grass-fed Wagyu, is also excellent. It’s simply seasoned and served alongside a portion of piping hot chunky chips and a roasted rib sauce.
For a sweet ending, the burnt cream (Dhs55), The Beam’s take on a crème brulee, is deliciously velvety, laced with raspberry and topped with a scoop of sorbet to add a light note.
Verdict: A great restaurant worth braving the traffic for.
The Beam by Nick Alvis, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, Al Mamsha Street, Dubai Marina, 5pm to 11pm Mon to Fri, 1pm to 11pm Sat and Sun. Tel: (0)4 316 5550. thebeamdubai.com
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