Jazz Night @ CMP Bar & Grill, The Pointe Palm Jumeirah

2023 Update : Please note that CMP is currently closed.

Picture this.

You are sat in a leather-clad booth with your other half, one hand holding a glass of red. There is live jazz in front of you. The girl sings to familiar songs – from Nat King Cole, to Mariah Carey, whilst the talented saxophonist moves his fingers over the keys, blowing in tune. It’s dim, it’s dark, it’s romantic. You pick up the fork and knife, cut a piece of USDA Chateaubriand which has been perfectly cooked medium, dip it in a little bit of mushroom sauce and take a bite. It’s tender, juicy, and so good.

And that, is a snapshot of our evening at CMP Bar and Grill over their newly launched Jazz Night.

If that hasn’t gotten you sold, then by all means, read on.

CMP, who, where?

You might be a little more familiar with Chicago Meatpackers – now rebranded to CMP Bar & Grill. They call themselves a ‘fun & casual’ American restaurant, though don’t let that fool you – it’s no TGIF. They do serve fine cuts of steak and the first floor gives more of a fine dining vibe than what I’ll call casual.

Ground floor of CMP – the more casual area

It is located on the east marina of The Pointe, so if you’re heading that way – park in…………. guess where? East Parking 😉 Or hey, leave the car at home and take a taxi please. They do serve really good cocktails and wine.

Did you say steak?

Yes, and the fine cuts as well. If the menu is a bit too overwhelming for you, ask them to take out the meat so you can see how it looks like, and how big it is. If you know your cuts, you get the whole lot – porterhouse, wagyu rib eyes, dry ages NY strip, you name it.

What did we have, and how was it?

We, decided to start with something light – knowing that we were preparing ourselves for the heavier mains later on.

Beef Carpaccio it was – and at 64 AED I thought it was quite well-priced. Thinly sliced, topped with walnuts and pickled onions. The kale salad was however not the highlight of the evening. It was a bit too oily (part of it was fried) and just didn’t work for us.

We both went with their specialty cocktail recommendations. I started off with the Babyface – which apparently gives you one after you’re done – ha ha, 5 more please! The husband’s vodka-based cocktail was refreshing as well, just as we had requested.

The main show of the evening was of course the USDA Chateaubriand. This is 500 grams of centre cut fillet, and in their words – ‘roasted to perfection’. We expected no less and was not disappointed.

We chose truffle mash, grilled asparagus and charred broccolini to accompany our steak dinner. The staff initially suggested ‘mac & cheese’ – which I would have probably accepted 5 years ago, but when you have had a few (too many) kids and had a bit too much ‘mac & cheese’ whilst dining out, it was of no appeal at all over a dinner date, ha ha. Sorry guys. Maybe next time I’ll give it a try – I’m sure it’s much better than what is normally on offer in casual restaurants.

The 500g Chauteaubriand, together with 2 sides and 2 sauces is priced at 480 AED. If you know your steak prices (and this is the part where I pretend I do) – this is quite reasonable. A similar steakhouse at the Palm would have costed around 600 AED for the same, minus the sides. See, I do do my homework 😉

Let’s not forget the jazz.

Give me steak and wine and live music and I am sold.

The duo performed so well, I really would return again on a Wednesday evening, just to see them. Introducing Adam Long, the man behind the saxophone and Jin Flora, the lady behind that powerful voice.

Things that could be better?

This one is for CMP. A few minor suggestions:

Suggest to introduce red wine glasses as there will be guests who will mind paying premium to have a glass of red in the same wine glass (was advised that there is only one size in CMP).
Watch the wait time between appetisers and mains. We had quite a long stretch between finishing our appetisers and getting our steak. At least half an hour of having no food on the table which is quite…. long. Could offer something to fill in the blank… nuts? Amuse bouche?
Revisit the Kale Salad/oil content/taste. Or just check with more guests on what they think of it. If it was just us, then ignore our comment… haha
Do a little something extra for the cheesecake plating.

Overall thoughts

Come to CMP on a Wednesday evening, if you like your jazz, your steak and your wine. If you don’t eat meat, don’t worry – there is a lot of vegetarian options on the menu as well. If you don’t drink, don’t worry – you can always go non-alcoholic.

I really think it is perfect for a date night, especially if you both enjoy your music. It really is quite romantic up there 😉 Agree, it is not cheap if you do go for the fine cuts. You could always opt for the more casual offerings like burgers which is around the 80 AED mark – there is a lot of other things on the menu.

Come winter, pick a spot on their terrace so you can sit and watch the fountains. A place worth booking the nanny for.