Cavalli Club Restaurant & Lounge

The "star-lit" stairway leading up to the Cavalli Club has walls dressed in velvet. For a minute I am tempted to lean into the dark softness. Curiosity as to what's waiting upstairs makes me press on. A sparkling wealth of Swarovski crystals welcomes us. Hundreds of thousands of them glitter around a grand space that is both restaurant and lounge club. They hang from the 6-meter high walls, float just below the ceiling, adorn the dazzling chandeliers, and dangle in space-divider curtain strands throughout the capacious club. Decorated tables and zebra-print chairs fill up the main floor, surrounding a podium where later that evening a gorgeous opera singer performs.

photo courtesy of Cavalli Club

Taking it all in from the cocktail bar, I meet the club's PR Manager. She kindly invited me to the evening's event: a wine dinner with Tommaso Cavalli presenting wines from his estate in Tuscany. I am offered a Red Carpet, an aptly named vodka-based cocktail with pomegranate and the appetizing bitterness of Campari. Tempting canapes go around, until it is time to walk across the shiny black floor to our table under one of those colossal crystal chandeliers.

We enjoy a four-course dinner of seared scallops wrapped in smoked duck with morel mushroom risotto. Next is a cream of leek served in a gold-rimmed espresso cup. The mesquite-smoked Black Angus main course is a well-seasoned and beautiful fillet mignon sitting on top of stacked crispy potatoes. The warm dark chocolate cake with a soft caramel center is a delicious finish. Generously poured with the food are three red wines of different vintage produced by Tenuta Degli Dei.

Tenuta Degli Dei is a winery located near the charming village of Panzano in the heart of Chianti. Distinguishing his wines from the surrounding (Sangiovese-based) Chianti wines, Tommaso Cavalli makes his wines with Bordeaux-blends and a touch of Alicante (a local grape). The first wine poured is a 2009 Vino da Tavola. Fruit-driven and youthful, I enjoyed it with the scallops and mushroom risotto. The next two more full-bodied 2007 and 2005 Tuscans went down very well with the smoky heartiness of the beef, with the 2005 vintage also pairing nicely with the warm dark chocolate dessert. See also Raymond's wine notes. If only I had not mistaken the grappa for water (yeah right), I would have been fine. Instead, I arrived home a little wobbly on the legs.

Dining in the dazzling ambiance of one of Dubai's premier clubs is a fabulous experience. The restaurant has a regular menu featuring both classic and contemporary Italian food. The Wine Dinner with Tommaso Cavalli was the first in a series of themed food and wine events under Cavalli Connoisseur. A second Italian-themed food and wine event is on the 8th of February, to be followed by a Spanish and Japanese event in March and April respectively. 

Wine packages start from AED 250, food packages start from the same. Doors open at 8pm.  For more information and reservations please call Cavalli Club on 04 332 9260 or 050 856 6044 or email reservations@cavalliclubdubai.com

Leopard, Zebra and Roberto – whichever lounge takes your fancy, the Cavalli Club experience just got sweeter. Our 3 suspenLeopard, Zebra and Roberto – whichever lounge takes your fancy, the Cavalli Club experience just got sweeter. Our 3 suspended lounge bars offer the ultimate in luxury and sophisticated exclusivity. Looking over a cloud of Swarovski crystal, Roberto Lounge is finely covered in white fur and connected to the exclusive Leopard Lounge offering a unique view over the entire venue. When planning your next party, be it a special occasion, to cement that business deal, or just because you deserve it, booking a lounge at Cavalli Club Dubai is the only way to party in style.ded lounge bars offer the ultimate in luxury and sophisticated exclusivity. Looking over a cloud of Swarovski crystal, Roberto Lounge is finely covered in white fur and connected to the exclusive Leopard Lounge offering a unique view over the entire venue. When planning your next party, be it a special occasion, to cement that business deal, or just because you deserve it, booking a lounge at Cavalli Club Dubai is the only way to party in style.