Rumba – Dubai’s newest restaurant that offers a little glimpse of Havana – welcomes diners into an expansive eatery with high ceilings that somehow still manages to feel quite intimate.
The sectioned space, the large comfy chairs and the décor all create an atmosphere designed to help diners unwind over a classic Cuban mixed drink and cuisine from the Cuban-born Alberto Cuello, the general manager of Rumba who sought to bring the heartbeat of the South American country to Dubai.
Located at Club Vista Mare, the restaurant promises a nice sea view in the months where the weather is suitable for outdoor dining, and in the summer a step out of the heat into a cool interior.
Beyond feeling like you’ve stepped into Cuba, the food will have you imagining you’re in Havana – not that I’ve ever been, but it felt right. Which is perhaps the best a restaurant can do in the middle of the desert.
For starters my friend and I split some delicious salmon ceviche served with a mango sauce and prawn queso fundido. The appetizers were light enough to silence my rumbling stomach but not so heavy that I felt like I had to pace myself to ensure I would make it to the main course, which is an important balance to strike.
For our mains I dove into (sadly not much of a hyperbole as it was so good I probably lost all decorum) the bife de chorizo striploin steak. Perfectly cooked and seasoned and served with a side of sauce to turn up the flavour a bit more, it was easy to forget any sense of propriety in what is really a rather classy establishment. My friend enjoyed the tamale en cazeula short rib, e.g. sweet corn stew and slow cooked short ribs, which as expected were also cooked to tender perfection.
After a filling main course, we decided one dessert was enough to share and after a quick debate between baked Alaska and churros, we opted for the latter, a classic. Drenched in chocolate, guava, and caramel sauce, these were some serious snacking. Our server recommended we finish off the meal with Carajillo, a sweet drink that dates to the Spanish occupation of Cuba that has coffee in it, making it a perfect way to end the evening.
I’m not a smoker, but looking at other patrons puff on a thick Cuban roll added to the feeling that we had for the evening stepped out of the sweltering Dubai summer into another time and place in Cuba.
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