An AOC French Brasserie With A Premium Name - Is The Name Worthy?
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cuisine Style: French
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 2/5
Article Updated: February 2020
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Plantation Restaurant Zomato rating:
UPDATE - Now renamed the AOC French Brasserie through Sofitel still has Plantation Brasserie, Bar, and Terrace listed on their website as still being open.
Tucked away inside the Sofitel Hotel on Jumeriah Beach is the Plantation Lounge, built old colonial style, with views of the beachfront, open 24 hours day, serving mainly French and International buffet featuring carving from the traditional rotisserie plus cuisines from the Mediterranean, Arabian, Asian, and Italian style cuisines. The Plantation Lounge, now called the AOC French Brasserie takes its name from the French mark of quality and authenticity in food and beverages, that is highly sought after, thus misleading when you look at the menu. AOC which stands for Appellation D'origine Contrôlée is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butter, and other agricultural products under the regulation of the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité.
Sadly, the restaurant does little show itself as a premium French-style spot, while the restaurant has a pleasant terrace, and the interior is furnished with deep comfortable armchairs, creating an inviting atmosphere with lots of character and ambiance. I sat to enjoy a lunch with a fellow work manager named Nick, a Greek American who wasn’t thrilled about me choosing the Plantation Restaurant, as he was an old-style Chicago guy that loves his American style foods and Greek heritage. Serving around the clock, Plantation's menu includes light meals, salads, sandwiches, starters, cigars, cognacs, wines, and flavored rums.
They have Arabic tapas like Warak dawali, lamb makanek, hummus, and falafel, then a more traditional western tapas of ceviche, salmon rolls, goat cheese toast, and baby octopus, ending with an Indian style tapas of paneer, Punjabi samosa, and Chukander goat curd. Under the entree portion of the menu they have halibut with potato écrasé bouillabaisse sauce, and rouille garnish, an Australian beef tenderloin foie gras veloute, with morel mushrooms, blueberries, and broad beans, and more traditional French style Steak and Frites ribeye black Angus from the United States, served with herb butter truffle fries and béarnaise sauce.
Two other French dishes of interest include roasted lamb loin with herbs and Dijon mustard, plus a poached codfish “court bouillon” with braised leeks and sauce Vierge. The Indian main courses of mutton and chicken biryani. Representing the Emiratis they have a camel dish flavored with coriander and mint red curry sauce. You can also order a set menu for 230 DHS per person.
Since I was only there for lunch, I didn’t have a chance to enjoy the full aspects of the menu, however, I did have the Côtes de boeuf braise, brocolis, Avec Une réduction d'échalote (braised beef short ribs with broccoli, and a shallot reduction). The meat fell apart with a fork, and the shallot reduction added extra flavor to the meat, but overall I was not really impressed based on the price point.
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| AOC French Brasserie / Duck Confit |
Nick had the Confit de canard, poires, sauce poivrade, (Duck confit with caramelized pears and a hot pepper sauce), which spit his earlier reservations, he said he enjoyed the dish. I had a bite, and it was packed with a strong gamier flavor, a little over seasoned but otherwise not to bad.
Dessert:
Desserts include cheesecake, pineapple carpaccio, creme brûlée, fruit platters, sorbets, and farmhouse cheese selections with homemade chutney.
Plus check out some of these wonderful selections from Wine Dine and Play:
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
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Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor.
To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Plantation Restaurant / AOC French Brasserie a 2 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Plantation / AOC Brasserie
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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11
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10
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1
|
Food quality
|
11
|
8
|
3
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Plate presentation
|
10
|
9
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1
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Customer service
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11
|
5
|
6
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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5
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4
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Total regular points awarded
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52
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37
|
15
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
|
0.711538461538462
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“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
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1
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0192307692307692
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
|
0.730769230769231
| ||
Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
|
2
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
|
2 of 5 Stars:
73% Rating with a 1 point “wow” bonus
Far Above The Average Dining Experience
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Corkage fees:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant-style:
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Conservative dining
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Cuisine Style at Plantation Restaurant / AOC French Brasserie
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French, Indian, International, Mediterranean, Tapas
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Halal, Low Carb, Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Conservative attire
|
Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Plantation Restaurant Experiences:
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Contemporary, Modern, Lounge, Business parties, Great outdoor dining, Scenic views, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Plantation / AOC French Brasserie at the Sofitel has a complimentary valet
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Plantation Restaurant / AOC French Brasserie is a nonsmoking restaurant,
WARNING smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
Arab Emirate Dirham (AED)
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د.إ
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United States Dollar (USD)
|
$$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
££
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$$$
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥¥
|
European Union (EUR)
|
€€
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Plantation Restaurant / AOC French Brasserie:
Third Floor
Sofitel Hotel
The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+971 4 448 4848
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Email Us:
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Serving hours:
UAE standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - BST Offset + 4:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sun
12:30 am - 3:00 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sun
7:00 pm - 11:30 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Plantation / AOC Brasserie:
| |
****
The world's best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
A hip burger chain with space-age decor
Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
|
Countryside French Bistro
Cheverny, France
|
New American dining on a restored ship
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
|
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
