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Terra Eatery, Dubai: It’s All Just A Bit Lovely
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Terra Eatery, Dubai: It's All Just A Bit Lovely
Terra Eatery, 6 plates, 2 mocktails, 1 large mineral water (not local water, shame): 474 dhs excluding service (US$129, £94, EUR112). Small plates: 45-99 dhs, pizzas: 55-65 dhs, pasta and risotto: 58-99 dhs, mains: 115-265 dhs, sides: 25 - 42 dhs. Terra Eatery, Next to Waitrose, Al Thanya St, Umm Al Sheif, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 04 388 8582
Written by Liam Collens // See other food reviews here.
TERRA Eatery draws you in with lush greenery and earthy charms. A neighbourhood bistro with tasty classics, but watch your bill - it adds up.
The Highs
The Lows
The Highs
The Lows
Terra Eatery: Dubai’s Garden Bistro
The foliage is just as dense. The organic, hessian-wrapped, oh-so-natural aesthetic remains the same. Four months have passed since I last ate at Terra Eatery and it is, reliably, the same. The outside garden area, as tempting as it is, is off-limits today given October’s oppressive humidity. Fortunately, the inside is just as lush and offers a table for two. Fortunate being the operative word: Terra Eatery’s no reservation policy means come early and hope for the best.
Terra Eatery’s inside decor leans on natural themes
Terra Eatery thrums moments later. Equal measures of local and expat crowds come for the avocado-anointed tuna crudo wadding in ponzu pools (68 dhs). Terra, meaning earth, roots the concept throughout. You would be forgiven for arriving at the coffee counter with a bag of topsoil and a handful of spring bulbs. The fashion of garden centres featuring cafes has evolved where café restaurants now resemble garden centres. Grasshopper has become the master, complete with flat whites and ficuses abound.
Terra Eatery is replete with potted plants and a long coffee bar near the entrance
Terra Eatery conjures memories of Lowe; a walled garden restaurant, isolated like a secret. Who would have thought? This small sanctuary – absent only a birdbath feature – is planted adjacent to a neighbourhood Waitrose. Terra Eatery makes laudable use of a space that begs what it would be otherwise.
Despite the buzz, it is library quiet. Service slides around Terra Eatery as if on tiptoe; you cannot hear a thing. Terra Eatery is serene, tranquil and – any moment now – someone will throw down a yoga mat, stretch and start chanting over the mushroom risotto showered in parmesan (68 dhs).
Terra Eatery offers two outside seating areas and imported bottled water (35 dhs)
Terra Eatery’s inside decor leans on natural themes
Terra Eatery thrums moments later. Equal measures of local and expat crowds come for the avocado-anointed tuna crudo wadding in ponzu pools (68 dhs). Terra, meaning earth, roots the concept throughout. You would be forgiven for arriving at the coffee counter with a bag of topsoil and a handful of spring bulbs. The fashion of garden centres featuring cafes has evolved where café restaurants now resemble garden centres. Grasshopper has become the master, complete with flat whites and ficuses abound.
Terra Eatery is replete with potted plants and a long coffee bar near the entrance
Terra Eatery conjures memories of Lowe; a walled garden restaurant, isolated like a secret. Who would have thought? This small sanctuary – absent only a birdbath feature – is planted adjacent to a neighbourhood Waitrose. Terra Eatery makes laudable use of a space that begs what it would be otherwise.
Despite the buzz, it is library quiet. Service slides around Terra Eatery as if on tiptoe; you cannot hear a thing. Terra Eatery is serene, tranquil and – any moment now – someone will throw down a yoga mat, stretch and start chanting over the mushroom risotto showered in parmesan (68 dhs).
Terra Eatery offers two outside seating areas and imported bottled water (35 dhs)
Terra Eatery’s extensive international menu
Terra Eatery’s menu is an amalgamation of different international inspirations. Their words, not mine. I see Terra Eatery’s menu as a selection of Dubai’s greatest hits peppered with some rare finds like snails in pistachio butter and herbs for a stonking 110 dhs. We will come back to pricing later. No less than forty dishes emerge from a sizeable kitchen but, alas, only four are marked as vegetarian. The sides provide an additional three vegetarian options. Oddly, steamed rice is not vegetarian (25 dhs).
We peruse Terra Eatery’s mocktail list as, that is correct, Terra Eatery is unlicensed. This does not mean the drink options are unexciting. The yuzu cucumber salad is lip-puckeringly sharp topped with a cucumber green olive skewer (35 dhs). An apple-basil tumbler is the sweetest liquid pesto you can find, fragrant and balanced (38 dhs). I just wish the glasses were larger starting with the water tumblers that more closely resemble a baking ramekin.
Terra Eatery menu is fairly short coming out of a surprisingly large kitchen (35 dhs)
Terra Eatery is unlicensed offering Yuzu Cucumber Sours and Apple Basil drinks
We peruse Terra Eatery’s mocktail list as, that is correct, Terra Eatery is unlicensed. This does not mean the drink options are unexciting. The yuzu cucumber salad is lip-puckeringly sharp topped with a cucumber green olive skewer (35 dhs). An apple-basil tumbler is the sweetest liquid pesto you can find, fragrant and balanced (38 dhs). I just wish the glasses were larger starting with the water tumblers that more closely resemble a baking ramekin.
Terra Eatery menu is fairly short coming out of a surprisingly large kitchen (35 dhs)
Terra Eatery is unlicensed offering Yuzu Cucumber Sours and Apple Basil drinks
Service slides around Terra Eatery as if on tiptoe; you cannot hear a thing. Terra Eatery is serene, tranquil and - any moment now - someone will throw down a yoga mat, stretch and start chanting over the mushroom risotto showered in parmesan.
Terra Eatery’s food does mostly delight
What I can tell you is that Terra Eatery is restrained with a quiet confidence about its menu. You will not find any gold here but, of course, burrata appears, as if by protocol, with peperonata, cherry tomatoes and basil oil but left me blinking in disbelief at 90 dhs. Our lunch mostly delights starting with the autumnal short rib pappardelle; sticky, slow-cooked, shredded short rib beef glossed with collagen richness that clings to ribbons of pappardelle (85 dhs). Mrs EatGoSee makes almost no effort to share.
Terra Eatery’s short rib pappardelle (85 dhs) and the Brussel sprouts side dish (35 dhs)
The fresh watermelon and heirloom tomato salad with firm crumbled feta and jalapeno slices is a bright, palate cleanser (78 dhs). Sweet, cubed watermelon with firm, verdant and yellow heirloom tomatoes play well with a feta that I want to be a little saltier, while jalapenos lend signature piquancy and grassiness. Jalapenos are in high supply as they re-emerge in our yellowtail ceviche with avocado and citrus dressing (70 dhs). The crackle of toasted quinoa adds much-needed texture while Mrs EatGoSee and I quibble about whether the ceviche is acidic enough.
Terra Eatery’s watermelon & heirloom tomato salad (78 dhs) and yellowtail ceviche (70 dhs)
Observers will notice me circling a recurring theme. I will tackle this now through the medium of French fries. Yes, French fries. What say you about a bouffant clutch of French fries for 30 dhs? Yes, it comes with a lemony aioli but, let me dissuade you now that these fries are carpeted under black truffle, festooned with gold or that they rolled up in a tricked out Bentayga. These are potatoes sliced, fried, retrieved and served. They are not even crisp or seasoned, but let’s not get distracted. My eyebrows furrow up and down Terra Eatery’s menu as some items are a tad more pricey than I would expect.
I read that Terra Eatery partly intended to spare local residents the journey to DIFC by bringing DIFC to the neighbourhood. DIFC pricing also made it to the neighbourhood. DIFC may be a pricey part of town, but its restaurants have one key feature: they are licensed. Ribeyes and tenderloins well north of 200 dhs, seabass, short ribs and osso bucco sailing over 160 dhs is the pricing I see in Gate Village adjacent to a red wine list. I may save on a Careem going to Terra Eatery, but a Careem to DIFC may unlock more.
Our bill comes to 474 dhs without service and over 500 dhs with service included. This is why I have not been to Terra Eatery in over four months, no matter how plate-lickingly sumptuous they make spicy prawns with herb salsa and chilli oil (60 dhs). There are lovely dishes up and down the menu. Still, a quick canter through online reviews also reaffirms questions about pricing and value for money.
Terra Eatery’s chocolate salted caramel tart (45 dhs) and espresso macchiato (20 dhs)
People seeking sanctuaries for a quiet afternoon lunch. Fans of modern European dining with a scattering of Dubai staples. Anyone looking to eat between potted plans. Residents nearby and those for whom unlicensed dining is no issue at all.
Terra Eatery’s short rib pappardelle (85 dhs) and the Brussel sprouts side dish (35 dhs)
The fresh watermelon and heirloom tomato salad with firm crumbled feta and jalapeno slices is a bright, palate cleanser (78 dhs). Sweet, cubed watermelon with firm, verdant and yellow heirloom tomatoes play well with a feta that I want to be a little saltier, while jalapenos lend signature piquancy and grassiness. Jalapenos are in high supply as they re-emerge in our yellowtail ceviche with avocado and citrus dressing (70 dhs). The crackle of toasted quinoa adds much-needed texture while Mrs EatGoSee and I quibble about whether the ceviche is acidic enough.
Terra Eatery’s watermelon & heirloom tomato salad (78 dhs) and yellowtail ceviche (70 dhs)
Terra Eatery’s pricing model raises questions about value for money
Observers will notice me circling a recurring theme. I will tackle this now through the medium of French fries. Yes, French fries. What say you about a bouffant clutch of French fries for 30 dhs? Yes, it comes with a lemony aioli but, let me dissuade you now that these fries are carpeted under black truffle, festooned with gold or that they rolled up in a tricked out Bentayga. These are potatoes sliced, fried, retrieved and served. They are not even crisp or seasoned, but let’s not get distracted. My eyebrows furrow up and down Terra Eatery’s menu as some items are a tad more pricey than I would expect.
I read that Terra Eatery partly intended to spare local residents the journey to DIFC by bringing DIFC to the neighbourhood. DIFC pricing also made it to the neighbourhood. DIFC may be a pricey part of town, but its restaurants have one key feature: they are licensed. Ribeyes and tenderloins well north of 200 dhs, seabass, short ribs and osso bucco sailing over 160 dhs is the pricing I see in Gate Village adjacent to a red wine list. I may save on a Careem going to Terra Eatery, but a Careem to DIFC may unlock more.
Our bill comes to 474 dhs without service and over 500 dhs with service included. This is why I have not been to Terra Eatery in over four months, no matter how plate-lickingly sumptuous they make spicy prawns with herb salsa and chilli oil (60 dhs). There are lovely dishes up and down the menu. Still, a quick canter through online reviews also reaffirms questions about pricing and value for money.
Terra Eatery’s chocolate salted caramel tart (45 dhs) and espresso macchiato (20 dhs)
Who Should Come to Terra Eatery?
People seeking sanctuaries for a quiet afternoon lunch. Fans of modern European dining with a scattering of Dubai staples. Anyone looking to eat between potted plans. Residents nearby and those for whom unlicensed dining is no issue at all.
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