Review // Sushisamba

by Natasha Hatherall-Shawe

Shall I let you into a secret, I’ve been to Sushisamba three times in the past month alone. It’s fair to say it’s my new favourite hot spot and at this stage I consider it my local as I can walk from my home, which makes it even more appealing to avoid both the Dubai traffic and of course the rising fuel prices.

Situated at the top of Nakheel/St Regis Tower on Palm Jumeirah, Sushisamba blends the cuisines of Japan, Brazil and Peru with one of the most breath-taking views you can find in the city. I may have lived in Dubai for 12 years, but the view of The Palm Jumeirah from high up never ceases to memorize me.

From the aesthetically pleasing lift to the top, to the stunning interiors and bustling ambiance the doors open to, everything about Sushi Samba is WOW. Just WOW. Honestly, I wouldn’t have expected any less coming from the Sunset Hospitality team who are behind the likes of Drift Beach, Azure Beach, Isola, Aura Sky Pool, METT Hotels and plenty more. They know how to get a restaurant right – more than right, typically amazing,

On my first visit to Sushisamba, my husband and I went for dinner to celebrate my Birthday. We planned in advance, and we had booked a window seat view for sunset in the first sitting which is 6-9pm. I spent the first 20 minutes on phone taking pictures before even looking at the menu and it was the perfect spot for a celebration. The drinks menu was solid with great cocktails, mocktails and wines. The menu whilst offering the traditional course options, is definitely better as the sharing kind. We order a selection of sushi, items from the grill, tempura, Asian salads and taquitos. As a vegetarian, as typical with most Asian restaurants, I had good options to choose from. The Tofu Taquitos, Seasonal Mushroom Seviche and Amazonia rolls were all delicious – even my carnivore husband agreed! The bill for two of us with a couple of drinks is around AED 1400 which for top class food and the view is well worth it we both agree.

By the time we left our sitting at 9pm, Sushi Samba was just getting started. The next sitting of diners were ready and the bar was packed. It definitely seemed like the place to be and with a mix of residents and tourists alike.

The subsequent two visits to Sushisamba have been for the business lunch, which is a fantastic deal. The Vivo Business Lunch is Monday to Thursday 12noon – 2pm and it is AED 139 per person where you get a choice of two starters each and one main. Throw in a cheeky lunchtime drink and it costs you less than AED 200 each and let’s face it, you can spend not much less on Deliveroo these days!

To us that old well used phrase – I’ll be back ;)