Tortuga - Mina Al Salam, Dubai

Tortuga is the latest place to open up its door at Dubai's Mina Al Salam Hotel. Mexican themed, this eatery promotes drinking as much as it does eating - first tick in the box for me. We were lucky enough to have been given a pair of food vouchers for Tortuga entitling us to a 3 course meal which was brilliant news as I had been dying to try out the new hot spot for a few months... and first impressions definitely didnt disappoint. I instantly knew it was going to be a fun night.

On arrival, we were created my friendly looking staff, great atmosphere and an Arabic-style, wooden-clad jetty, propelling the diners out into the Madinat waterways (and the turtles!). The tables - all different heights - were heaving with happy customers, each one of them tucking into a delicious looking cocktail. After a name at the entrance we were whisked off to our table for two, tucked up near to the water. After a bit of hustle and bustle, we were presented with a food menu followed by a cocktail menu which appeared to be more like a book, not a drinks list. Page after page of delicious cocktail peered out in front of me - not only Mexican classics, but international favorites too. After a lot of umming and ahhing we went for frozen margaritas - my companion went for the bloody orange, whilst me, the mango. To compliment this massive drinks menu, there was also a section on concocting your own version of a classic Mexican-inspired beverage as well as tips from the chef about which dish goes best with which cocktail.

The food menu was equally as fun, with a vocab display running down one side explaining 'whats what' in Mexican terms. Like most Mexican menus, the classics were all there including Guacamole, a selection of tacos, ceviche, burritos and fajitas. To start, we had guacamole and beef tacos followed by Tuna and Seabass ceviche - perfectly light and full of flavor - this was swiftly followed by Tuna steak and Beef Fajitas with a divine pot of re-fried beans. Accompanying the fajitas came cute dishes will with all the fajita amenities including cheddar, sour cream, guac and salsa - its was safe to assume that moving was going to be hard after all this. To wash it down, we managed to sample 10 different cocktails between us, from Mexican specials like Margaritas, to Espresso Martinis and Sangria.

Before departing, I popped inside for a quick nose.. Even though it was nowhere near as busy and vibrant (it was still cool outside at the time), the inside matched the outdoor deco with many distinctive Mexican touches including woven fabrics, carved wood panels, bright colours and stain glass embellishment as well as authentic/slightly vintage looking chandeliers.

On the whole my experience was a good one. The staff, even though they seemed hectic were overly friendly and accommodating and extremely helpful when it came to choosing food and beverages. I look forward to going back for a Ladies Night - hopefully in the near future!

For more information on the nightly deals at Tortuga, please visit: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/dubai/madinat-jumeirah/restaurants--bars/tortuga/

The Spice Emporium - The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi, Dubai Marina

The Spice Emporium restaurant at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina in Jumeirah, Dubai offer exotic Asian fusion (mostly Thai) grub in an atmosphere which takes you straight to Thailand. On entering, you are instantly met by friendly faces, paper lanterns, open kitchens and far east trinkets (both large and small). The cooking stations reminds me vaguely of Bennihana with the roaring woks, dancing grills, Teppan, tandoor, and steaming baskets , open air and on full display for the customers to watch their food being prepared from a far. The attractive low-slung tables in chocolate brown and the soft latino music pumping around the room adds to the Asian experience.

On my last outing, eight of us dinned together around a large spacious table inside, however on previous visits, I have ate outside in the pretty, dimmed lit terrace which mirrors the same kind of vibe. The staff are friendly and there to help with a good knowledge on most dishes. They also make sure the bowl of prawn crackers (served with a sweet chilli dip) in the middle of the table is constantly topped up (I think I managed to consumer a bowl to myself !) To start, we opted for a variety of small dishes to share amongst us (tasty chicken spring rolls and piping hot Thai prawn cakes).For mains, there was a selection of curries, sea bass, chicken based stir fries and beef. I chose the Stir fried beef with ginger, mushroom, chili and spring onion which was a slight disappointment.. it was missing that certain je ne ce quoi and wasn’t as tasty as I had preempted. My neighbor went for a better option of stir fried chicken with cashew nuts which was divine – tender chicken with the crunch from the cashews and a perfectly sweet and spicy sauce – excellence! I also tried the sea bass, cooked just right, melting in my mouth, perfectly marinated with thai herbs. On previous occasions I have tried the chicken green curry (one of my favourite dishes from my Thailand travelling days) and it was delightful, and if I was to visit again, this would be my dish of choice – the flavor combination was perfect.

I would highly recommend this as a mid week treat. The food is not overly expensive and the service is quick. They also offer a ‘ladies night’ promotion on a Tuesday where they take 50% off your food bill making it very possible to spend under 100aed (if you are not drinking). And finally, to add to the experience of delicate textures, heady flavors and aromas, exotic food and helpful staff, roughly every 30minutes you will be treated to a local Thai dance which is performed in the middle of the restaurant! Score (if you like that kind of thing!)