If Lovin’ Dubai were to do a post on this, they would probably title it, “This has got to be the best business lunch deal in JBR”…… or “If you work or live in JBR, you have to come here for lunch.”

Unfortunately as great a title that would be to get everyone to click on the post, it just wouldn’t fit here in my blog…. so I’ll just call it as it is……”A fab lunch @ Maine Oyster Bar & Grill ” 😉

So, what is it?

99 AED for a 3 course meal including a glass of wine.

Really? How does that work? Even with all the 241 vouchers that I’ve used, paying less than 200 AED for two people, for entree, mains, dessert and wine….. is unheard of. What more in a nice joint like that of the Maine Oyster Bar & Grill.

What you get

Self-explanatory….. take your pick from this menu.

What we tried and how it was

It was that cold, gloomy week in Dubai when the sun decided it was happier staying behind clouds. A perfect time for lunch at Maine, as other than a few tables occupied in their outdoor terrace, it was literally just us indoors.

The best bit?

The little girl was asleep 🙂

Quiet lunch with mum, hooray.

We were first served bread from the kitchen, which we both devoured a bit too quickly as we had come to the restaurant hungry (suggest you do the same as well! the come to restaurant hungry bit…).  I started with The Maine Clam Chowder, which came to the table hot, creamy…. just the right amount of salt.

Mum’s red quinoa came, served with tomatoes, avocado, drizzled with a light honey lemon vinaigrette. We shared the entrees, and it was a nice combination of something heavy with something light and refreshing. Paired with a glass of wine each, it was a perfect start to an otherwise dull weekday afternoon. Honestly by the end of the entree, as we had had too much bread, we were both quite full.

Then came the mains…

My medium-well wagyu plank was served with bearnaise sauce, and hand-cut fries to the side. I have to apologise, this flatlay photo doesn’t do the steak justice.. it was thick, a generous size, tender inside. I would have preferred my fries with less grease… that’s just me.

Mum’s spring chicken, also a generous portion served with asparagus and cherry tomatoes… mash potatoes underneath. One of those not-so-memorable dishes… fills you up, keeps you happy.

By the end of the mains, which we both struggled to polish off, came the biggest decision : Dessert, yes or no? We had to try it. It was sticky date cake drizzled with caramel sauce : delicious, but much too sweet and heavy for the afternoon so we asked for it to packed away. Good thing that we did, as I had it that evening, with a cup of tea, and it was perfect.

What could be better? When asked what was Maine’s specialty, or what they recommend from the set menu, our staff was slightly clueless. The odd thing was they knew we were there to review the menu….. or maybe he didn’t.

Don’t like the entrance… though there’s nothing they can do about it. I just don’t get how Doubletree Hilton JBR has been designed… with the main hotel lobby accessible through an odd ramp, and the food outlets hidden within the carparking area (Ramusake, Maine)…. must be a feng shui thing??

No further suggestions with regards with the food itself though… value for money – 10/10 🙂

Would I recommend the lunch set menu to others?

Definitely.

C’mon, 99aed for a 3-course meal including a glass of wine, with a interiors like this… where else can you find such a deal in the marina or JBR? Too bad they don’t do it on the weekends, otherwise I’ll be dragging the husband back here! Might just find a quiet day and organise for all the mums to come along….. and pray that all the babies are in their best behaviour 🙂

Is it a good representation of what they have to offer? It’s supposedly a ‘seafood brasserie’, and yes they do have salmon (cedar plank wild salmon), nicoise salad with tuna, and seabass fillet…in the mains. We probably would’ve gone for the seafood options had we not just had a lot of fish the night before…. next time then 🙂

I hear Maine does an awesome ladies night as well? Have you been? Gotta come back and try their oysters for sure. And ha, whoever who came up with the tagline for Maine has a pretty cool sense of humour 🙂

• The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill 
• Deal : Lunch Prix Fixe : 3-course set menu including a glass of wine, Sunday to Thursdays 12-4pm

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Disclaimer : 

1. We were guests of The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill to review their business lunch menu. Thoughts are our own, though it is entirely up to you to judge.
2. This review was written in 2017. Please check with The Maine on their current offers.