La Petite Maison is somewhere I’ve wanted to try for many years. Seven years to be specific!
When I was at university, each summer I got a temp job to pay for my summer trips. One year, I got a temporary job as a secretary for a wealth management firm in London. I walked past La Petite Maison London on Brook’s Mews, every single day that summer. I heard voices in French and English, witnessed business meetings and saw friendly reunions over impeccable food and wine. It looked beautiful and glamorous – I was nineteen and it looked dreamy. Dining al fresco with food that looked Masterchef-worthy… well, it was pretty as a picture and I wanted in! But I was a student and frankly, I didn’t have a full Celine purse to match the bill! I peeked in a few times and began my restaurant list. I looked away most days but all these years later I hadn’t forgotten it! A couple of times I’d been booked in but plans had been rearranged so, even after I started full-time work, I never made it to La Petite Maison.
So, when we booked a trip to Dubai, La Petite Maison was at the top of my list of places to eat and the first restaurant I booked. It’s a risky strategy though, going somewhere you’ve put on a pedestal for SEVEN years! I had heard good things but didn’t know if it was worth the hype.
The day finally arrived, we got a taxi to DIFC Dubai and we were finally there to meet my #foodiegoals from 2010!
The room is bright white and airy, with French art everywhere. The white interior has splashes of colour from vibrant Mediterranean vegetables piled high around the open kitchen. There are antique style Taittinger champagne boxes and elaborate salt and pepper mills! It’s the epitome of #interiorgoals on Instagram! The bar is clad with rose gold and copper accents and despite the rise in popularity of bare tables in London, here, the white tablecloth is back, unapologetic and back in action, broken up with simple burst of bright veg and pepper mills!
We had been advised upon booking that, given that it was Ramadan, there would be no alcohol served. Whilst we perused the menu we went for a glass of Limonade Noire instead – a thirst-quenching refreshing mocktail of rosemary-infused honey, lemon, activated charcoal and soda water.
For starters, we opted for a full-flavoured black olive tapenade which was served with perfect crispbreads. The irony-rich flavour of the olives made a strong match for the bread but they paired like they were made for each other!
We decided to share the whole sea bream in Papillote for our main. It was described as fish en papillote with olive oil, lemon and herbs. It was presented, whole before being filleted and served with a fresh shaved fennel and chive crunchy salad. This was some of the tastiest fish I’ve ever had, with bold but not overpowering flavours of confit lemon skin and herbs aux Provence. A side of Dauphinoise potatoes completed it! A glass of white wine would be so good with it but the Limonade Noire was a surprisingly good match!
Of course, the fish was perfectly cooked and a triumph of a dish. There were lots of “mmms”, “aaah my god” and “this is so delicious!”. Our plates were spotless at the end – despite the large portion we polished it off!
The potatoes were oozy, rich and creamy and worked surprisingly well!
We were offered the dessert menu, and I thought back to all that time ago, where I had walked past the London restaurant and peered in at the desserts. They were so pretty and had wowed me. I couldn’t come all this way and not eat pudding. We were full but we had to! I can always find space for dessert, can’t you?
We had a slight mix up and ended up swapping a cheesecake but ended up with the best Creme Brûlée and apple tart EVER! I never go for creme brûlée as it’s not that exciting – I find it pretty much the same wherever I have it and find it can be lacking in flavour… but the Doc loves it and I’m now sooooo happy he suggested it! Honestly, it was the most creamy, soft, almost custardy perfection with a thin crisp sugar audibly crackly topping. The apple tart was up there too, finely sliced sharp apple delicately topping very crispy, sweet puff pastry. La Petite Maison definitely know good pud!
We loved our meal so much, with faultless food, generous portions for a fine dining spot and impressive service, I have no doubt we will be going again one day when we are next in Dubai.
So yes. It’s been seven years since I got my first glimpse of La Petite Maison in London and whilst it’s been many years and I’ve had many many many meals since, I still haven’t made it to that Brooks Mew’s London branch of this restaurant. That’s got to change ASAP as if it’s anything like it’s sister restaurant in Dubai, well, then we may have just found my new favourite French spot for us, outside of France!
I couldn’t recommend it more if you love French food and are visiting Dubai! It was, to me, like Aubaine but with miles better service and food!
What’s your favourite French restaurant? Where should I try next?
La Petite Maison Dubai is located in the DIFC area of Dubai. More details can be found on the website here.
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