Garden On 8; A Green Paradise In The Sky

During our last visit to Media One Hotel to review Coco On 8 we were very highly intrigued by the green foliage facade of what seemed like a lovely restaurant, next door. The wooden name board on the foliage read Garden On 8. Pretty interesting nomenclature, we thought, as we marked the place in our list of 'Places to try'.

This weekend, we had a chance to swing by Media One Hotel and decided to check the place out.  The Coco On 8 experience was outstanding so got into the bar lounge with even higher expectations. Gladly, Garden On 8 not only lived up to the expectation in terms of the food and service, but also exceeded it on several counts.

The Ambiance

Situated on the 8^th level of Media One hotel. Garden On 8 is a spacious, green and cosy sports bar with a spectacular rooftop terrace.  Thanks to the gorgeous garden like milieu, comfy seating and spacious terrace, the place is apt for a post work chillaxation or a lazy weekend hangout with friends.

Right from the faux foliage façade to foliage covered walls, everything is green about Garden On 8.  Green carpets, brown sofas, wooden flooring, brick wallpapers, plant and tree posters, together contribute to the overall earthiness of the setting and does full justice to its name. This bucolic milieu is further accentuated with the presence of a tiny well on the terrace, that is painted in green too.

At the terrace, you can lounge on one of the designer sofas, sipping a chilled draft from the outdoor bar (which also serves a handful of wines and spirits). Need to silence a hunger? The full length of the smart menu (which ranges from buffalo wings to smoked mozzarella sticks to hand packed burgers made from US beef, are available)

The Drinks
We started off with their signature cocktails Mojito ‘how you like it’ and Oreo Bailey’s Mudshake.
I tried Mojito ‘How you like it’ with both Peach and Passion fruit flavour, but I seemed to enjoy the passion fruit version more. Peach flavor was tad bitter to my liking.

Oreo Bailey’s Mudshake was B.L.I.S.S. A delightful concoction of baileys, kalhua, chocolate sauce, fresh cream and Oreo, It could well be a great dessert that can be served to kids, minus the alcohol.
We also tried some of their lagers and popular Lynchburg Lemonade, which they claim even Jack Daniel himself would approve! Whether he approves or not, the garden on 8 bar definitely has our stamp of approval.

The food
Being a gastropub it serves a very limited menu on the food end, but definitely features some lip-smacking bites. For starters we had The Garden Sampler – a massive platter of calamari, buffalo wings, pulled beef chilli potato skins, mozzarella sticks and generous amount of dips and French fries.

The calamari tasted fresh and crispy. The buffalo wings were extremely good. The wings were a nice sized portion and the sauces were spot on. The super tasty sweet and tangy sauce is what made the dish a killer. Mozarella sticks were crunchy to the perfect proportion on the outside and delightfully cheesy on the inside. With the dip, it tasted amazing. The pulled beef on potato skin was a feast for the palette. The fries were sweet and finger lickin’ good.

Being a steak lover, for the main course I had a massive 12 oz Rib eye steak. It came along with rustic fries, corn on cob, onion rings, grilled tomatoes and pepper corn sauce. My dining partner who is a pure vegetarian ordered ‘The Low Carb Chunky Veggie’ - a burger with veggie patty in lettuce bun.  I utterly loved the steak and by the end of it, I was totally surfeit. My partner seemed to have enjoyed her meal too.

But no dining experience is complete without the customary desserts. So we ordered choco brownie and Super Monster Mega Cookie – a super-giant sized cookie with melted marshmallows, nuts, M&M’s and fudge.  It tasted as awesome as it looked.

The Service
The service was impeccable and pretty much the quality one can expect from a Media One property. The servers were very courteous, attentive and prompt. I particularly have to mention the waitress Shalee who was super nice and took great care of the details and made us feel at home.  Suresh Rana - the head bartender was pretty helpful too. Hear him speak about his awesome gastro pub in the video below.

The Verdict
Over all the team were amazing, the food - out-of-this-world and the ambiance - uber-cool. Garden on 8 can take you one level up – On CLOUD 9.
This place is highly recommended.

Ratings
Food: 5/5
Value: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Décor: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Overall Rating: 9

IF YOU’RE GOING…


Where: Media One Hotel, Opposite CNN Building, Dubai Media City, Dubai
Hours: Sunday to Wednesday -12 Noon to 12 Midnight, Thursday to Saturday 12 Noon to 3.00 a.m.
Atmosphere: Faux green foliage across the walls, comfy sofas, bar style tall wooden benches, very clean, relaxed and spacious
Parking: Valet Parking Available
Prices: AED 300 for two people (approx.) with alcohol
Credit cards: All major credit cards accepted
Sound level: Moderate
Wheelchair access:
Beverage service: Full bar with good collection of beer, cocktails and spirits
Service: Prompt, very friendly and hospitable.
Recommended:  Garden sampler
Reservations:  04 4271000
Website:  https://www.mediaonehotel.com/venues/garden-on-8
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/gardenon8dubai/
Email:  gardenon8@mediaonehotel.com