Dubai Marina’s not short of bars but not many al-fresco bars have the setting of Shades. Set on the fourth floor of The Address hotel, it curves round a huge infinity pool which then drops away to give you a stunning view of the skyscrapers that make up the marina. Seating is either low slung sofas grouped round large coffee tables or bean bags closer to the water. The bar is set up with a DJ booth that plays decent chill out music, and it’s a relatively large outside space to find amongst the high rises – but yet it’s never that busy.
We like to think that’s because not many marina folk haven’t discovered Shades yet. They should because the bar offers more than just drinks. The menu’s split between tapas, small sharer plates and main meals. The variety is impressive – skewers, salads, interesting sliders, Spanish tapas dishes such as grilled prawns and lamb meatballs and Arabic mezze as well as full on grills, fish and steaks, but the logistics of dining can be a slight issue.
There are no proper dining table areas so all meals need to be eaten on laps, not a problem if you stick to the sharing dishes but trying to slice through a steak delicately on your knees can be a little dicey. Working against logic too, the more inventive dishes (such as duck with five spices and carrot noodles), across each strand of the menu, work much better than the simpler dishes. For instance as a starter the crispy chicken with garlic feels like unimpressive nuggets with a watery sauce, but a trio of duck and quail sliders are absolutely superb.
Desserts feel like a like bit of an afterthought, with only a few options on offer, but we’d guarantee most people don’t come here for pudding. Shades is great though to settle in for a night of it, the bar also serves shisha and the sofas are comfy to while away an evening, soaking in the amazing view. Take some friends and stick to ordering smaller dishes and tapas and you’ll be impressed, with the set up and the food.
To make a reservation call (+971) 4 436 7777.
