It’s beautiful up there at garden on 8
A rooftop lounge? A sports bar? This is your garden on 8. Perched on the 8th floor of Media One Hotel, this sports bar is a class apart from others in the same genre. It not only conforms to sports screenings with the extensive number of TVs put up in their outdoor “garden”, but thanks to the recent renovations, you can now enjoy indoor seating during the summers! This means your after work drinks are sorted all year round.
But it’s not just the drinks that impress. The food menu at garden on 8 is not one that can be ignored. With a new batch of deliciousness every 6 months, their latest offerings are much more than just crowd pleasers. Read on to see the bestsellers and most recommended (instagrammable) dishes we tried at garden on 8.
Drinks
Sports bars and after work hangouts call for a good selection of drinks. And garden on 8 simply aces at that. Offering all the classic cocktails done really well, their drinks menu has some options that can be upped to pitcher portions so everyone on your table can share in the fun.
While I kept it simple with a Passion Fruit Mojito, my lunch date who’s also a JD fan, opted for the Lynchburg Lemonade.
Apart from the cocktails, their menu also has an extensive grape list, brews and ciders, and all the hard stuff, so no matter what drink you prefer, they’ve got you covered.
Garden Sampler
Yes, drinks are elemental in making a sports bar work, but the food has an equally important role to play. Because where’s the fun in watching that game without some good bar bites and finger food?
The Garden Sampler at garden on 8 comes highly recommended because it has a little of everything – calamari, chicken wings, pulled beef chilli potato skins and smoked mozzarella sticks. My favorite part of this sampler were the potato skins. Satisfying that carb craving you usually get while sipping on hops, these were simply great. Which one would your pick be?
Blackened Prawns
Another highly recommended starter at garden on 8 are these blackened prawns. Available in a choice of 5 or 10 pieces, the Bucket of Blackened Prawns has the most tender and juicy prawns ever! Served alongside Creole mustard, these babies have a slight crunch followed by a burst of juicy flavors – all of which make you keep wanting for more.
Although we opted for the 5 piece portion this time, it was the most challenging thing for me to share these. So if your a prawn fan, make sure you get your own bucket!
Beef Short Ribs
The description on the menu reads melt-in-the-mouth, so we were really excited to find out whether these Beef Short Ribs were worth all they hype. To keep it short, yes, they were!
Basted in the secret sweet bbq marinade for close to 48 hours, these short ribs come out so tender, there is literally no need to chew them. This hefty piece is served alongside onion rings, corn on the cob, steak fries and grilled tomato, and the portion is good enough for one.
The Mexican Burger
When it comes to burgers, they better be good. Because a burger alone can make or break your meal. And mood. But garden on 8 knows how emotions are linked to burgers, so they do theirs really well. Going solely with the restaurant manager’s recommendations, we tried The Mexican. I’m always up for anything Mexican and spicy, so I was more than happy to order this.
This hand packed US beef burger, placed on a drizzle of mayo, came topped with a spicy mix of cemita sauce and mashed avo. Although we weren’t asked how we would like the meat done, the burger was somewhere between medium well and medium rare. The burger came along with fries, slaw and a side salad. Other burger options include classic, mushrooms, chili, bourbon, and chunky veggie in a lettuce bun as well. Which one would you choose?
Super Monster Mega Cookie
This is one massive dessert. Famed as the most instagrammable item on their “Diet Destroyers” menu, the Super Monster Mega Cookie starts with a delicious chocolate chip cookie base topped with hot fudge, melted marshmallows, nuts, M&Ms and a whole lot of sweet goodness.
Do you think you can finish this beast all by yourself?
garden on 8
Location: Media One Hotel, Opposite CNN Building, Dubai Media City, Dubai
Contact: 04 4271000
