Named for the address of the original St. Regis hotel in New York, 55&5th, The Grill at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort has big boots to fill. My companion and I arrive on a Wednesday evening at about 8:30pm. As a New Yorker myself, I feel at home as soon as I enter the bold and masculine restaurant.
At the bar, we are greeted by a cheerful bartender who recommends the signature cocktails: Sixth Sense and 55&5th Sour. Garnished with a crispy dried lemon with the texture of a crunchy biscuit, the 55&5th Sour is pleasantly tart and makes a refreshing start to an evening of delectable flavours.
After drinks, we are shown to our table in the dining area, where the restaurant’s TriBeCa flair is evident. We’re greeted with high ceilings, bubble chandeliers and marble walls offset by soft blue lighting. The overall aesthetic of the décor is grand — everything from the woven accents on the wall, right down to the leather club chairs are reminiscent of a New York bank.
Our host recommends ‘The Taste Of St. Regis’, a tasting menu with wine pairings recommended by resident sommelier, Aurelie Crozet. We’ve no objection to that.
The first dish placed in front of us is beef oyster with chorizo, spinach and Noilly Prat, a French vermouth. Served in a wooden box on a bed of spinach shavings, the dish is a feast for our eyes as well as our taste buds. The giant oyster sustains its fresh taste of the sea, while the chorizo offers a hearty finish to the dish.
After taking a moment to relish in the delightfully salty start to the meal, Aurelie returns to begin the wine pairing. The first of five is an Amontillado, a medium-dry sherry from Lustau, Spain, which is paired with beef tartar topped with a quail egg and lobster crackers. The savoury taste of the wagyu combined with the sweeter finish of the sherry enhances the flavours of both, leaving us grinning from ear to ear.
Bone marrow, the third dish, is a mouth-watering medley of savoury flavours with a soft and buttery texture, accompanied by anchovies, caper buds and topped with an herb crust. It’s paired with a dry Manzanilla sherry, again from Lustau, and together the duo present a smooth transition of flavours that cannot be faulted.
Next comes sweet breads with langoustine, cauliflower cheese and Madagascan pepper, paired with a 2011 Chardonnay Pouilly-Fuisse Burgundy that delivers a surprisingly light and frothy finish to the dish. Between the sweet breads, the small, tender cut of meat and the langoustine, the land and sea combination
is immensely appetising.
By the time the fifth dish arrives — Wagyu served with potato espuma, truffle and cèpe mushrooms, paired with a Château du Glana Saint-Julien 2010 from the French region of Médoc — it is clear that all the talk about this NYC-inspired grill is well-founded. Cooked to a faultless finish, the charred exterior of the Wagyu couldn’t have been better executed.
The last main dish, hand-delivered by chef Lee Murdoch, is a salty-sweet conclusion: a mini gourmet pizza topped with Brie, walnut powder and grape candy. Though each dish has been served in managable portions thus far, we are practically bursting at the seams when a chocolate and caramel soufflé topped with pink salt (paired with a glass of Black Muscat) arrives.
With impeccable attention to detail, 55&5th, The Grill has thought of everything to create the essential feel of a successful New York grill, from the décor down to the decadent arrangement of ingredients on every plate. On our way out we are given a tour of the venue’s extensive cellar, leaving us with one particularly good reason to return for an entirely new experience.
THE IMPORTANT BIT
What: 55&5th, The Grill
Where: The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi
Price: The Taste of St. Regis menu with wine pairings costs AED 850 ($231) per person.
Book: + 971 2 498 8888
www.55and5thabudhabi.com
