What’s the concept?

Located on the Club Vista Mare restaurant strip which opened earlier this year, The Tap House is laidback gastropub specializing in craft drinks. The interior is quite dark, with exposed brick and multiple large flat screen TVs dotted about the open plan eatery. However, visit during the winter months and you won’t want to spend anytime indoors – the outdoor space has spectacular views over the Palm Jumeirah shoreline and steps down to the beach.

What’s the food like?

There’s four menus available across the week, when BBC Good Food Middle East visited there were two on offer – the a la carte menu and the kids’ menu. They also have a late-night menu (a reduced version of their a la carte menu) which is available until 11pm for night owls, and a separate brunch set menu over the weekend. Despite the name, the a la carte menu is largely made up of pub grub – a mixture of bar snacks, burgers, sliders and steaks. The Parmesan and truffle chips are tasty as are the goats cheese croquettes. Burger fans will love the stacked New York steak melt, with bacon, onion jam heaps of melted cheddar and Dijon aioli. For dessert, the Belgian waffles are delicious.

How was the service?

Service was a little slow, and likely connected to the fact that the venue was at full capacity. There is also a rather superfluous system in place, whereby certain serving staff can only clear tables, while others can only take orders, further slowing down service. All staff were friendly and the serving staff were well-versed in the menus on offer.

What was the atmosphere like?

The place was busy with diners dressed casually in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops from the surrounding residential area. Be sure to book a table ahead – especially when there are big sports games playing, as tables get booked up fast.

The Tap House Palm Jumeirah – contact details:

Dinner costs around AED 250 per person without drinks. For more information on booking a table, visit thetaphouse.ae.