What kind of evening: when you want romance without the clichés, and India without compromise.
Indian food has so many addresses in Dubai that it is easy to take it for granted. Trèsind is the opposite. The walk there is part of the evening: you pass through the Arabian Court of One&Only Royal Mirage, all arches, lanterns and gardens. By the time you reach your table, it feels as if you have left Dubai for somewhere nobody is in a hurry.
Sound
That night, a saxophonist was playing. Not loud, not for show; more as if someone had dimmed the lights with music. Conversations slowed down, and so did we. If you are looking for a date night, an anniversary or an evening when you actually want to talk rather than shout over a DJ, this is it.
Scent
You smell the tandoor before you see it. Spice, smoke, hot clay. The kind of aroma that tells you the cooking here is real, not a tourist template.
Taste
I had the classic tandoori chicken, and it was outstanding: juicy inside, charred at the edges, with spice that warms rather than burns. Alongside it we shared the tandoori lamb chops with rosemary jus and the jalebi chaat, sweet, sour and crunchy all at once. Chefs Himanshu Saini and Mohammad Zeeshan shape the menu, and it shows: Indian classics take on a modern form without losing their soul. The MICHELIN Guide has recognised Trèsind since its first Dubai edition in 2022, and it featured on MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants list that year.
Feeling
We began with cocktails, then moved on to a bottle of red. Which one exactly, I no longer remember, and perhaps that is the best review of both the bottle and the evening.
We left feeling less like diners and more like guests at a private soirée in a maharaja’s palace. The service is polished and warm: every dish arrives with its story, and nobody ever lets a glass run empty.
The verdict
If you want five-star Indian cuisine with a side of romance, look no further.
Dubai Edited Score: 9/10
Food 9.5, Drinks 8.5, Service 9, Atmosphere 9. Price: $$$$. Best for: romantic date nights.
Natalie paid the bill herself. This was not a hosted visit.
How we score: out of 10, in half points, across food, drinks, service and atmosphere. Price is shown separately, from $ to $$$$, so that an expensive place is never marked down simply for being expensive.
Trèsind: Details
- Where: Arabian Court, One&Only Royal Mirage, Al Sufouh (near Dubai Marina)
- Cuisine: Modern Indian fine dining
- Open: Daily, 12pm to 11:45pm
- Order: Classic tandoori chicken, tandoori lamb chops, jalebi chaat, and a bottle of red chosen with the sommelier
- Price: Classic tandoori chicken AED 195, tandoori lamb chops AED 215 and jalebi chaat AED 155 on the à la carte menu published on the restaurant’s website (prices include VAT, municipality fee and service charge)
- Book: Recommended, especially for evenings and weekends: tresind.com or 8001604 (toll free in the UAE)
See also: Best restaurants in Dubai by neighbourhood, Trèsind Studio, its tasting-menu sister restaurant on Palm Jumeirah.
Image: courtesy of Trèsind, official venue photography.