The Park Grill is Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi’s signature restaurant. It used to be a fine dining spot but has recently undergone complete rebranding and become a more casual steak and seafood spot that still guarantees the same high quality of ingredients and food but has just let it’s hair down. Whether it was the softest bread, the sublime Oysters from Europe,the Fois Gras and Beef Shortrib Ravioli, Alaskan Crab, Grilled John Dory or juicy Striploin Steak; they all verified how seriously the chef and his team take their food at the Park Grill.

We sat outdoors in a clean, simple and very welcoming ambiance, and enjoyed a variety of exquisite oysters. Our favorite though, was the Muirgin Oyster, which had a most unique flavor as it is grown party in Ireland, and then finished off in France for 2 weeks. This oyster hence has the flavors of two different seas, and was absolutely delicious.

According to M, the Beef Shortrib and Fois Gras Ravioli was the best ravioli he has ever had in his life. Tall claim coming from someone who isn’t quick to hand out awards. It was served with a thyme gravy sauce which I was quite fond of myself, but I must admit that I have trouble stomaching Fois Gras in general. Every time I take a bite, all I can think of is a tortured, obese duck :/

The Grilled Alaskan Crab Legs were fresh, sweet and meaty but the piece de resistance was the chimichuri sauce they came with as it’s tanginess cut through the sweet meaty crab like a knife through butter. I wiped clean two entire bowls of that sauce and wish I could have request for a jar to be packed up for me to take home. This was the best Chimichuri sauce I have ever had and can’t stop missing it since. Just in case you’re wondering, this sauce that originates from Argentine is made of parsley, tomatoes, onions, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. If I had made this sauce, I would be very, very proud of it- and the chef should be too.

I thoroughly enjoyed the John Dory with braised white beans and beef chorizo while M tucked into his juicy Striploin steak.  The beans had a lot of depth as the chorizo had imparted layers of flavor to them, and the fish was perfectly cooked with the exception of the skin being soft rather than crispy. That doesn’t bother me though, as I never eat the skin anyway.  The succulent steak came with roasted garlic, grilled asparagus, sautéed mushrooms and mashed potatoes. I am not exaggerating in the least, when I say that every single item on our table was made to perfection, but what really stood out (amongst the sides), were the sautéed mushrooms. Why, you may ask? Because the fine brains behind this menu decided not to insult the diners by putting forth a plate of Button mushrooms. These mushrooms were an assortment of Button, Chimeji, Portobello, Porcheni, and sometimes even Morello mushrooms. Another thing we loved was the variety of sauces that came with our meal, which was more generous than a Mexican restaurant.

Dessert was an indulgent Chocolate Fondant, and a Strawberry Vacherin. While the former is self explanatory and was served with some delectable Tahiti vanilla ice cream, the latter was a more ideal dessert after a heavy meal and I couldn’t get enough of it. It comprised of merengue sticks, rhubarb compote, strawberries and a vanilla semifreddo.

Our server was extremely friendly and I almost wish I lived in Abu Dhabi so that I could frequent this restaurant more often. It is a largely underrated, undiscovered, hidden gem which is a great option for a quiet, even romantic meal. Thank you so much for having us, Park Grill.