4 reasons to stop by Antique Bazaar for lunch

Dubai is always coming up with many new restaurants and cafes, with various different fusion menus and cuisines, that it’s easy to miss out a few hidden gems hiding in the older parts of the city. Antique Bazaar, located in Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, is one such hidden gem that has been here for a while now, proudly showcasing the exquisite culture and taste that India has to offer.

Antique Bazaar, an authentic Indian restaurant, serves a wide range of Mughlai dishes, for vegetarian, meat and sea food lovers, from it’s a La Carte Menu. However, their Lunch special Unlimited Thali is a three course meal on its own worth trying out.

What is a Thali?

A thali, literally translates to ‘a plate’, and is infact one large plate with various small bowls that hold different curries and dishes of different flavours, which lines up the edge of the plate. This large platter also has an appetizer, a sweet dish, a flat bread to go with the curries, and later gets served with rice. It’s an entire three course meal served to you, a tradition seen in the royal courts of the Indian emperors and followed through ever since.

No two thalis are going to ever be the same, because India itself is a country with various regional cuisines. Nevertheless, despite these differences, each thali is perfectly balanced when it comes to offering the 6 different flavours: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent and pungent/spicy.

Here are my 4 quick reasons, why you should stop over at Antique Bazaar and have you next lunch Thali with them:

1. The Ambience:

The moment we stepped into the restaurant, we felt like we had left behind the heat and the hustle of the traffic laden streets of Bur Dubai. Even at the peak of noon, due to the vintage wooden carved windows and Rajisthani embroidered drapes on display at the windows, the restaurant had a dimly lit feel to it. The dark wood engraved pillars, deep red cushions and various ornate furniture dotted around the place, set the mood for a royal dining affair. Some of the original furniture pieces, exported from India, such as the teak and ivory glass table that we dined on, are a treat for history lovers.

Even though, the dining tables are placed very close to each other, the restaurant wasn’t packed to its full capacity when we visited and therefore felt spacious enough. There is a centre stage where at lunch time there is the Sitar being played live. However, the weekend we visited was a religious one in Dubai and therefore couldn’t experience the live music, but we did enjoy (and sing along to) the soft Bollywood music being played along in the background.

2. The Unlimited Thali:

Before the Thali arrived, we were served with a plate of spiced poppadams and a variety of acchar and chutnies to go with the entire meal. Drinks were not included in the Unlimited Thali offer, and we chose to go with a refreshing glass of Lassi. Hubby went for Sweet Lassi , while Azmu and I decided to share the Mango Lassi, both served with a crushed pistachio topping.

For the Thali, hubby wanted to try the Unlimited Non-vegetarian Thali, while I went for the Unlimited Vegetarian Thali. Both Thalis were identical, apart from three different dishes, which was the starters and two of the main curries.

The Veg Thali was made up of Hara Bhara Kebab for starters, Paneer Makhani, Kadhai Veg, Daal Tadka for the mains; and Yoghurt with spices and Taaza Veg for sides. This was accompanied by white Basmati Rice, assorted Indian breads and a sweet dish of Gulab Jamun.

The Non Veg Thali was made up of Gulfan Chicken Seek Kebab for starters, Rogan E Ghost, Dhaba Murgh, Daal Tadka for the mains; and Yoghurt with spices and Taaza Veg for sides. This was accompanied by white Basmati Rice, assorted Indian breads and a sweet dish of Gulab Jamun.

 It is always the Daal Tadka that is the ultimate taste test and a deciding factor for hubby and I, at how good the Thali is going to be. Hubby tasted it first and gave it a full thumbs up! It was thick, flavoured with generous amount of tempered ghee and spices, and gave us such warm homely feels. It went very well with the long grained white Basmati rice. From the mains, beautifully garnished with fresh ginger and corrainder, we really enjoyed the tanginess of Dhaba Murgh and the generous Paneer cubes offered with both the Paneer Makhani and Kadhai Veg. In terms of spiciness, the vegetarian mains tasted spicier than the non –veg mains, but that’s where you have your spoonfuls of Yoghurt from your Thali to help you out.

I am usually a big fan of salads, and the various salad dressings, however the Taaza Veg felt a little bit bland for my taste. I would have loved to see the fresh vegetables served with a dressing of some kind.

We went for second rounds of Gulfan Chicken Seek Kebab, straight from the grill, and Dhaba Murgh. And instead of Tandoori Naan, we decided to enjoy the mains with freshly prepared Butter Naan.

 To end on a sweet note, the Gulab Jamun which encased a pistachio in the centre; dipped in sugar syrup and topped with pistachios, was soft, sweet and just the right portion.

Ofcourse, it is also important to note that the main dishes on both the Thalis are changed every day, giving choice to frequent visitors.

3. The price of the Thali:

Interested to try the appetiser? Don’t want to share your dessert?

With this three course Thali, it’s all taken care of.

The Unlimited Vegetarian Thali is AED 32 and the Unlimited Non-Vegetarian Thali is AED 37. The key word here being ‘Unlimited’, therefore, if you really liked a particular dish on the Thali, you are free to have it served to you, as much as you want. Yes, that also counts for dessert!

Although, the Thali does not cover for drinks, which were charged at AED 28 for us.

4. The Service:

If you know how busy Bur Dubai is, you know finding a parking here is next to impossible. Well, when visiting Antique Bazaar, take full advantage of their complimentary valet parking.

Once we arrived at the restaurant, we were welcomed with a brass dish having all the important Indian spices. No, I couldn’t name them all, but Hubby and I had a good time trying to guess. Can you guess them?

The staff, dressed in traditional Indian dresses, were kind and attentive throughout our stay. After placing our drinks order, it quickly arrived and while we were admiring the architecture of the restaurant and taking a few pictures, our freshly prepared Thali was served at our table in no time. It was unfortunate, however, that we had to wait quite a bit for our second rounds of naan. The manager even brought along a colouring sheet and a pen for my daughter to draw and colour on. He was also kind enough to share knowledge about the history of Antique Bazaar, the live entertainment experience it offers, the many awards it has won and the timeless musicians and celebrities who have visited the restaurant.

The restaurant tries its best to accommodate children and also has high chairs. However, there is no play area in the restaurant, the tables are spaced close to each other and I am not sure how loud the live music can be. Just something to consider if you are planning to visit with young children.

Overall, we had a fabulous royal dining experience, surrounded by the smells, sights and sounds of Indian culture. The Lunch special Unlimited Thali is one affordable way to experience what Antique Bazaar has to offer- flavoursome Indian food in a regal setting with live music. A true hidden gem in Bur Dubai.

For more information about the Unlimited Thali promotion available from Saturday to Thursday, from 12:30 PM to 3 PM, visit their website.

If you enjoyed this restaurant review, you may also like to read the following reviews of restaurants around Dubai:

Luigia, JBR

Bertin Bistro and Restaurant

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all views, opinions and photographs are of my own.