The Age of Aquarius

When Alain and I first met, he told me that as we were both Aquarians we were well matched. I don’t believe in any of that claptrap, in fact I heard a report recently that as the Earth has moved slightly on its axis that the star-charts have also changed. So people born 28 January 50 years ago were born under a different star sign than those born 28 January this year! Anyway he was right about us being well matched regardless of our star-signs. Our birthdays are only two weeks apart so the end of January beginning of February means celebrations for us. For my 33rd birthday in 2005 Alain took me to Bateaux Dubai. It’s a food cruise up and down the Creek, the food is French (there’s a surprise with the boats name) and very good. We had a very romantic evening and even have a photo souvenir, though as it’s in storage I can’t show it to you sorry.

For Alain’s birthday I took him to a restaurant called The Mezzanine at the newly opened Grosvenor House Hotel. The hotel is amazing and the décor in Mezzanine is funky “fusing baroque style furniture with modern lighting elements” so the experts say! Now I’m not really a ‘foodie’ his nibs on the other hand is; whilst I am more difficult to feed, i.e. there’s an awful lot I don’t like or won’t eat, I tend to be happy with more or less whatever is placed in front of me. His nibs will eat almost anything but is more difficult to please, i.e. the food whatever it is has to be very good, if I’m making sense! Choosing a place he’s not been to in Dubai that serves excellent food is not easy. I’d mention a restaurant I love; he’d have been there and thought the food poor.

New restaurants are always opening in Dubai and the local press and magazines are quick to review. The Mezzanine had received a glowing report from Time Out, so I booked a table for his nibs’ birthday. For the first time my choice met with his approval 100%. He actually enthused about his meal, very unusual for my cool as a cucumber man. The food is English contemporary, and the head chef a Scotsman called Gary Robinson who used to cook for Prince Charles. We had a wonderful meal and a very good bottle of wine sat outside on the terrace. When our plates were collected I asked the waitress to tell chef that the meal was exquisite, she obviously passed the message on as 10 minutes later chef appears at our table. “I’ve come to address your complaints” he said with typical Scots humour. I was very surprised that this quite dishy and very young bloke was the chef, his nibs praised him on the fabulous food and we talked a bit about Dubai and its frustrations. After 15 minutes chatting he left us to check on the kitchen. Needless to say it made us feel very special that he’d bothered to come out and thank us for the complement; it was a fabulous evening and for once my great choice!