Toro Toro is Dubai’s finest Pan-Latin restaurant in the heart of the Marina, specialising in “churrasco” (hot grilled meat) served by specially trained passadors tableside, we went on a recent trip to Dubai, read on to find out what we thought of it.
Idea
The Pan Latin concept is an all encompassing proposition, serving up a variety of dishes which take inspiration from Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Colombia, in small plates designed to be shared and enjoyed among groups of friends. Toro Toro is the first of its kind in Dubai and due to this, naturally an emphasis is on meat due to the specialised churrasco grill – in other words this is a restaurant for the carnivores out there.
Location
Located in the famed Grosvenor House, in the heart of Dubai this restaurant compliments the hotels luxurious reputation and is perfect for a late night date or a long brunch. Perched right on the marina’s edge, Toro Toro certainly enjoys magnificent setting. With its modern architecture and pristine clean sidewalk, the restaurant exterior is pretty ostentatious, giving the appearance of an entrance to a nightclub rather than that of an award winning restaurant.
Style and Character
As soon as you arrive you are reminded that this place is all about the meat. Even the name, Toro Toro, means bull in Spanish. A giant golden bull greets you upon entry. A large dark wood desk stands dauntingly in the centre of the entrance, however the friendly smiles of restaurant staff behind the counters soon make you feel at ease.
Wrought iron encasing the stairs, flaming red floor to ceiling fireplaces and an luminous onyx wall gives a lava like appearance. Bull horns adorn the walls. This place certainly doesn’t do things by halves. Even the high-backed, animal-clad chairs create depth – the entire ambience is immersive, that’s for sure.
Atmosphere
A DJ situated on the top floor playing modern South American inspired beats, providing you with the perfect excuse to sit at the cahaca bar and whittle away the hours catching up with and sipping cocktails.
Master passadores (in simple terms, ‘meat waiters’) flock to customers, ready to serve hungry carnivores premium cuts of chicken, lamb and beef by carving it off the bone. Smartly dressed and each with their own charm, they are a reason just in themselves to visit the famed Toro Toro. Our passadore never missed a beat, our water glasses were always full, food served promptly and all our questions answered gracefully and in great depth. They certainly give the impression they are knowledgeable to a standard only achieved when true passion exists.
Food
“Across Latin America, food is more than a meal. It is an event. A celebration that’s shared, savoured and enjoyed with the finest spirits.” This phrase is emblazoned across the food menu and with this in mind, and with the pre-dinner cocktails starting to take affect, we found it hard to not salivate at every item listed. The menu items are categorised as ‘From the Sea’, ‘From the Land’ and ‘From the Garden.’ Whilst we deliberated over these categories, tasty warm cheese buns with a side of tomato salsa and chimichurri were served as appetisers.
The menu is created by Richard Sandoval, a famed Latin American Chef national with over 15 years’ experience across the globe. He has built a reputation for combining authentic Latin ingredients with international flavours and inventive techniques, to create new and unexpected concepts. Think Brazilian and Argentine churrasquerias full of servers delivering sizzling skewers of perfectly grilled meats, alongside dozens of small hot and cold shareable plates, Toro Toro is sure to have your insides dancing with delicious food.
The idea is to share food—the only way to savour Sandoval’s eclectic selection of dishes, which includes everything from ceviche to guacamole to chorizo empanadas. The Yuca fries, are particularly interesting, made from a starchy vegetable otherwise known as cassava, and are perfectly plump and crispy, served with olive oil, lemon and garlic; a nice combination of savoury and sharp elements.
However the real highlight is the churrasco grill where premium cuts of meat prepared by highly skilled passadors are presented to diners tableside, before the meat is perfectly sliced onto a sizzling hot plate, ready to enjoy.
Drink
Immersing ourselves is exactly what we intended to do, so having perched ourselves at one end of the infinite Cachaça Bar we proceeded to pore over the extensive cocktail list, full of Latin American concoctions. The cocktail list is split into different categories, each represented by a brightly coloured bull. From Jasmine infused spirits to rosemary, the ingredients are so vast you can even request a cocktail off menu and they make it for you. The restaurant also has an elaborate open wine cellar featuring over 100 South American labels. This wine cellar spans the two floors and is encased by floor to ceiling wrought iron bars. It is a magnificent sight which holds plenty of UAE treasures, including wines exclusive to Toro Toro.
Must try
The beef here is particularly fine, sourced from Argentina and cooked over flames to a perfect medium-rare. When sitting next to a whole host of sides and dipping sauces, you just can’t go wrong.
Why go
For the full and immersive, completely committal experience, where you’ll find some of the finest grilled meat, assertive cocktails and fiery atmosphere anywhere outside of South America, go to Toro Toro. You won’t regret it.
Website: www.torotoro-dubai.com
IDEAL dined as a guest of the restaurant