McGettigans, Dubai - Every Town Has An Irish Pub

A Friday just isn't a Friday in Dubai without attending a brunch in some form or another. From 5-star champagne fueled events to the cheap and cheerful, you can find it all. The standard brunch format is an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink 3-hour sprint which regularly deteriorates into a gluttonous, messy affair. 

The Friday brunch at McGettigans Irish Pub was therefore a breath of fresh air. For a set price, you could choose a main meal from a reasonably wide selection of standard and some more adventurous pub food and the meal came with three drinks (including Magners on tap which automatically elevates this meal in my opinion). There was no rush to consume as much food as possible and drink copious quantities of alcohol to maximise the value of the brunch. It was casual and relaxed - the way a brunch really should be.

Given we were at an Irish pub, I felt compelled to embrace the "Irishness" and ordered a McGettigan's fry-up to accompany my pint of Magners. The fry up came with the usual fried egg, hash browns, beans and mushrooms that you would expect. The white pudding and bacon were great - the black pudding was a little too much for me, but my Scottish companions eagerly snapped it up. I'm glad I wasn't starving because while it was a fair portion, it certainly wasn't huge. It ticked the boxes of what one should expect from a fry-up but didn't offer anything more. I am not sure what I expected, but I think I am sometimes left disappointed by restaurant experiences when I feel that I could honestly make the meal just as well as they did - I am no masterchef, but this fry up was pretty basic. Tasty, but basic.

Our other order was the fish and chips served with mushy peas and tartare sauce. The fish was good quality and nicely battered - just enough to give some weight and crispiness, without dominating the flavour of the fish. The chips were hot and crispy, just as chips should be.
While it didn't blow us away or leave us begging for more, it was good, honest food and a decent size serving.

AVERAGE

McGettigan's is no trateur or La Petite Maison - but that is not why you go there. You go there for a relaxed atmosphere, a place where you can enjoy a quiet drink sitting outside in the beer garden or take up residence in one of the comfortable indoor booths for the afternoon. It's brunch menu is simple and so is the food - but simple is not always bad, and it is nice to do away with the fuss of fancy brunches and just enjoy some good old fashioned pub food done well. Happy to recommend this place, but it has stiff competition in the land of the 5 star brunch!

The bill (for 2):
2 x brunch - 129 x 2 Dhs
TOTAL: 258 Dhs (Approx. US$70)

Restaurant address: Bonnington Tower, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Cluster J

for exact locations of all reviewed restaurants, take a look at our map.

Bob's Fish & Chips, Dubai - batter up!

While the British may claim the culinary heritage of Fish & Chips, I think there are many of us non-brits out there who share fond childhood memories of munching away on huge piles of salty chips and crunchy battered fish. When done right, the smell, the taste and the texture transports me back in time to sitting on the beach unwrapping the hot newspaper filled bundle of deliciousness - when done badly you end up with a stomach ache and the dry horrors!

We ventured out early one evening to give Bob's Fish & Chips a try. We hadn't tried fish & chips in Dubai yet - why would you when you can eat at the fish shack? But, as is often the case in Dubai, we got sucked in by a voucher deal and so it was that we found ourselves committing food adultery by sneaking off to Bob's. Could Bob's shack better the fish shack?

As an initial observation, having many staff does not always equal better service. Often this works in reverse; more staff just equals more people who think someone else is looking after you and often results in groups of employees standing around having a good old gossip. While I don't normally harp on about service (a lot will be forgiven for great food), slow, unobservant and incomprehensible service just gets you off on the wrong foot.

Back to the food. The menu was interesting, offering a variety of different fish which could be battered and fried, or grilled for those opting for the healthier option. We came for the fish & chips so we went for the two most expensive on the menu to give this place every chance to shine - cod & chips and haddock & chips. The excitement was brewing....

A short time later, two heaped "plates" arrived on our table. The fish and chips was, somewhat strangely, served in large metal fry pans. An interesting look, but not sure I get the point. It was a HUGE serving, but perhaps rightfully so for the price. Kudos though for not serving 85% chips with a sniff of fish. The portion of fish was very generous and cooked to perfection. It was coated in enough batter to satisfy the batter lovers, without leaving you with the feeling that you have just eaten a fish-flavoured, deep fried loaf of bread. The batter was crispy and the fish was soft and moist inside.

Thankfully the fish was good enough to make up for the cold, limp chips. I was full by the time I even dug my way down that far! One serving is probably enough for two people who aren't starving  and it could definitely be paired with a side to make for a decent meal. Given the level of oil and salt consumption, it would have been nice to have some fresh salad or green vegetables to even out that food pyramid just ever so slightly.

RECOMMENDED

Would I go back? In all honesty, probably not. Not because the food wasn't good - for fish & chips it was pretty good. But it wasn't amazing and I think a heart attack on a plate really needs to be amazing to tempt you to roll those dice a second time. That being said, Bob's has something to offer, and if the fish & chip hankering overwhelms you then I don't think you would be disappointed. I, on the other hand, will retreat back to my beloved fish shack and see if they will take me back.
 

The bill (for 2):
1 x Cod & Chips - 54 Dhs
1 x Haddock & Chips - 52 Dhs

TOTAL: 106 Dhs (Approx. US$28)

Restaurant address: Dream tower 2, Opp Marina Bybloss Hotel Dubai Marina.

for exact locations of all reviewed restaurants, take a look at our map.