The whole stretch of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard offers various restaurants and has become a haven for food lovers. Our latest find came in a lunch invitation at Boulevard Kitchen of  Manzil Downtown.

I gave our reservation details at the reception and they seem confused and surprised that we were there. A gracious lady asked where we want to be seated, the kids replied that they would love to sit outside, the courtyard area, she informed us that we can’t because it’s the smoking and shisha area. We settled at the corner table with a view of the open kitchen, the kids always enjoy watching the chef’s work.

It was surprising that we were only handed a two pages lunch menu, refreshing as it gave an impression that the dishes were carefully chosen. They now have a 3 course menu selection with shisha for AED 119 per person from 12pm until 4pm.

We started off with dishes from the Soup & Salad selection and chose Grilled Calamari Skewers and Smoked Salmon.

Roasted peppers and tomato salsa with chili vinaigrette complimented well with the perfectly charred calamari. Even Kuya V loved the dish, he ate the calamari with the salsa and peppers.

This is probably one of the best smoked salmon I’ve ever had, presented on top of a flatbread with marinated onion and dill mascarpone. It is a rich creamy appetizer that could be shared among 3 people as it can be overwhelming for just one person.

LittleMiss was looking for the kids menu because she was craving for crunchy chicken and French fries. The Boulevard Kitchen did not offer a separate kid’s menu and when I asked our server if they could prepare crunchy chicken strips for LittleMiss she explained that the kitchen  can only prepare what’s on the menu.

We finally settled for Chicken Breast with cauliflower and parsnip puree, spinach and grilled asparagus for LittleMiss, she just asked to please add some French fries to which the server  agreed.  The chicken was juicy and seasoned well, most importantly our little girl enjoyed every bite. “Not crunchy but still good with fries.”

I hope they offer a kid friendly selection for young diners soon.

Kuya V had Beef Burger with smoked Veal strips and served with fries. I didn’t got a chance to taste but according to V it was a good burger.

Beef Tenderloin done medium well was served with sautéed mushrooms, spinach salad and pomegranate. The meat was seasoned well, soft and juicy; it was delicious accompanied with the sauce.

Spaghetti with Alaskan Crab, lemon butter, zest, chili and basil. The lemon sauce with a right amount of chili heat really went well with the generous amount of crab meat.

We were already stuffed and sadly did not have any room for dessert.

Overall we had a good dining experience, the staff were friendly, attentive and we had fun talking to them. The Spaghetti with Alaskan Crab and Grilled Calamari won our votes for best dish.

The Boulevard Kitchen will be launching a Family Brunch this 2016, that will offer a special dining experience for the young diners. The best of children’s entertainment which includes face painting, crafts and various activities will keep our kids busy. After all the fun, kids will be spoilt with a dedicated buffet made specially for them.

The Boulevard Kitchen Brunch | Every Friday from 12.30PM to 4PM

AED 295 (with house beverages); AED 195 (soft drinks & juices); AED 95 (children between 6 and 12 years old). Children below the age of 5 dine with our compliments.

For more information contact +971 4 423 8899 or email connect.downtown@vida-hotels.com

Disclosure: We were invited to dine at Boulevard Kitchen for the purpose of review. All views and opinions are my own.