blue grill - yas island rotana

thebluegrill at the yas island rotana is one of those classic old school steakhouses of abu dhabi that quietly and consistently delivers a superb dining experience.

from the time they opened around 2009 we have been regular visitors and glad to say each visit was a memorable experience.

recently we got word of a new chef taking over and a new menu, so we had to go and try.

we were over last week and tried chef mokhtar tasting menu and are really happy to see he has improved on the menu and added his signature touches, making the food amazing.

it's a five-course sharing menu that can be had for lunch or dinner.

there are three starters, and we got to try them all the caesar salad is stunning with chunks of smoked chicken adding a great flavour, the tuna & crab tartar is another masterpiece, fresh and delicious and the crab balls absolutely blew us away.

the soup is next, a classic clam chowder that's assembled in front of you, the soup is light and the flavours excellent.

there are three mains to choose from, we tried the short ribs and are speechless, the meat just falls apart, and the root vegetables are perfectly braised, loved it.

there are two choices of steak, rib eye and tenderloin, both were delivered perfectly cooked to our liking, they were so juicy that no sauce was needed. absolutely amazing.

there are two desserts in the chef's surprise and both were simply divine, the highlight was the crème brûlée with the sesame tweal, the flavours are absolutely remarkable.

as we hoped it was an absolutely amazing meal, great food, superb ambiance and faultless service,

keep up the good work, and we will be back soon.

my husband and i were invited to enjoy a lovely meal atbluegrill on thursday evening. located on yas island it’s a convenient location for tourists and residents from its close proximity to ferrari world, yas beach and not to mention the f1 yas marina circuit across the street. we arrived for a 6pm meal, actually i specially requested an early reservation and they were gracious enough to accommodate us. we were the first to arrive and was greeted by evann, our friendly and helpful server for the night.

we dined at the fine dining option which isbluegrill and ordered dinner for 15 people including steaks and other meals. the steak was less than average (though expensive) and the place was clearly understaffed, and not ready to cater for an increase in visitors. we waited long for the food, service. complimentary salad bar with steak was no refilled, lacked ingredients...not recommended for what it offers.

had a good experience dining atbluegrill.
the service is excellent, the ambiance is so classy. and the server (forget his name ) is very energetic, he knows how to deal with the guest properly and he recommend yummy steak so we order it and it was freshly delivered on our table, delicious, super!!yuummm yummmm i will recommend this restaurant in my workmates as well.. definitely worth coming back..

the minute we stick a cartoon video in front of our 4 year old’s face, you can be sure we love your food. we love the ambience, service and the look and smell of the food so much that we want to give our complete attention to it and just pretend as if the brat at the table is not ours. so we dig up peppa pig or the like, distract the little one with it and sink back into the cushions smiling into a beautiful dinner ahead. that’s when you know we think mighty big of your restaurant. the dinner atbluegrill steakhouse in yas island rotana evoked those feelings in us and thus, we hereby endorse the place for the fantastic food they serve to its unsuspecting diners.

for a steak restaurant, i had the best seafood platter i have ever tasted. it included half a lobster, salmon, scallops, king prawns and mussels. all perfectly cooked and served with a lemon beure blanc sauce, which the chef made especially. i didn't fancy any if the 6 or 7 other sauces and he said he would make something special. well, he wasn't wrong. the sauce was mouth watering and a perfect match to the beautiful platter.

i knowbluegrill offers great steaks, but this really was worth going off-piste for. i will definitely be having it again!

we wanted to celebrate easter but not a fan of brunches and big buffets, so we decided to go for a steakhouse since it has been a while we didn’t eat meat. we haven’t visitedbluegrill for nearly a year, we were impressed with the menu as it changed and the steak was amazing, perfectly cooked. the service was amazing, staff were very attentive and the ambiance was really great and quiet, eventhough there were kids dining there, but you wouldn’t even realize that if you are not looking around. we will definitely visit again soon.

blue grill steakhouse offers trendy, fine-dining cuisine in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere with the calm vibe and is great for groups and couples with indoor and outdoor seating. elegance precedes comfort atbluegrill which, at first glance, doesn’t look at all like your usual steakhouse with velvet banquettes and chairs, sleek, industrial lamps and pale wooden tables. the lighting is overly dim hence mood is pretty clandestine. the best part of the whole venue experience was an open kitchen feature. a cosmetic move to make them appear more approachable, which also let the diners enjoy the fire show from behind the glass while the chefs delicately do their knife and stove kitchen stunts.

the atmosphere could only be described as bleak and drawn out. the staff were kind, but sluggish with the food taking at least half an hour to be served. me and my partner had the aus wagyu and the tomahawk steak. i will admit the meal was very aesthetically pleasing but the flavor could only be rated below average; the tomahawk steak had no flavor and came raw (even though medium was ordered). additionally, the wagyu was a very small portion, very tough but definitely a medium steak and absolutely inedible for this price point; when complaints were given they took, as expected, an hour to respond only to cook the steak slightly more. i am disappointed with the flavor, atmosphere and the response time in thebluegrill - with an astounding 730dhs bill. i will, however, commend their excellent batter that is served as 2 fried potato pieces and an onion ring with each dish, absolutely excellent. yet, i will definitely not be a returning customer and i will recommend this to my ultimate nemesis for a waste of money and a destruction of sensory tastebuds.

this was my second visit tobluegrill. in summary, the steaks are really good but the rest of the menu needs some improvements. in general, a recommendation to the staff is to go easy on the oil and avoid overcooking.

we ordered the.pan seared fois gras, which unfortunately was overcooked and slightly dry. however the accompanying salad and caramelized granola with the white vegetable puree was excellent.

next we had the butternut squash salad which had way too much olive oil. the olive oil covered the flavor and texture of the fresh greens and we stopped eating half way because it was too oily.

as for the steaks, we ordered the dry aged irish tenderloin which unfortunately both arrived very dry and overcooked. the staff replaced the orders and the new steaks were really good and juicy (just like it was during my first visit). as we waited they provided us with lemon sorbets.

as for the sides, the grilled asparagus and grilled vegetables were drenched in oil. it made the overall feeling of the meal too heavy and covers the subtle flavors of the vegetables.

as we left the restaurant, the chef came out to bid us goodbye with a smile and thanked us.

blue grill remains among some of the best steakhouses in town in terms of steak, but the side items could be improved to make the overall experience more balanced.

nothing beats good old steak, especially when you are famished, which i was when i arrived atbluegrill.the restaurant is located in the yas island rotana hotel ( , it is open from 6pm until 11:30pm. there are soft jazzy notes playing in the background as you enter, this place has an air of elegance and sophistication-not so common in steak houses.

this wasn't our first trip tobluegrill, but it was potentially the best trip so far. the restaurant was quite busy for a wednesday night, but the atmosphere was still quite enjoyable. we got a nice table by the window and settled in for a meat heavy meal.
the menu is fairly simple and everything you would except out of a steakhouse. we decided on the scallops for a starter and then a 600 g porterhouse and a wagyu fillet. all of the offerings were very good and both steaks were cooked perfect. i tend to like my steakblue(ultra rare) and to my delight it was not over cooked at all.
i'd say the service was excellent, and my only complaint was potentially a lack of choices for sides.....other than that it was a great meal and we will return soon.

is it crazy to say that we’d go driving all the way to abu dhabi just to eat atbluegrill again?!
we had been meaning to come here but october has been crazy busy for us so we only got to visit recently. it’s a cozy, jazzy place located at the yas island rotana. it’s got a quiet and calm atmosphere that instantly gets you comfortable and feel right at home with the dimly lit interiors and relaxed seats. children under 8 aren’t allowed though, and understandably so as they serve wine with a wide selection of both classics and contemporary choices.
the hotel itself is very serene. outside ofbluegrill, at the entrance, the wall is decorated with pictures of chefs with their achievements and specialties.
upon entering, you are greeted with good blues music, a warm welcome and a pre-dominantbluetheme in lighting around the tables. we also loved the fact that the kitchen is well-visible to everyone which makes the food all the more exciting to anticipate.
there’s a designated bar area if you’ve just come for a couple of drinks.
you also have many seating options of which we loved the separate booths as these were couch comfy with the pillows and ideal if you’re looking for more privacy in a way. dress code is smart casual.
the staff are well trained and very attentive. they pay good attention to detail and are quick to replace whatever is needed – napkin, cutlery, more water. very accommodating, friendly and all with such pleasant demeanor – such a stark contrast to other similar places with staff which are less well-mannered. we make it a point to ask the staff for recommendations, popular picks and ingredients and all of them showed a good knowledge of the menu and the dishes.
blue grill is basically a steakhouse which offers a variety of other options in their menu besides your essential beef. some of their recent additions to the menu includes wild mushroom risotto with truffle essence, seafood platter and beef charcuterie. the seafood platter consists of lobster, prawns, mussels, crab and oysters along with a selection of dips. the beef charcuterie has soppressata, carne fumada, cured cecina, pastrami along with artichokes, roquette and olives.
the menu conveniently specifies dishes that contain alcohol and vegetarian options as well which we found most useful.

what we had:

complimentary:
bread : something like a no knead semolina bread, provides a distinct sweet flavor and aroma, fresh and great with the butter
polenta canape : rustic taste, very neutral flavors and evenly balanced, tasted perfect with the balsamic accent as the sponginess of the texture absorbs the acidic flavor
sorbet wrapped in chocolate rounds : the chocolate rounds tasted like dark chocolate and the contrast of the stark, tangy, lime flavor of the sorbet inside was a great palette cleanser after all the food, nicely presented inside the hollow of what seemed like an ice flame sculpture (would make sense as afterall, the place is named ‘blue grill’)

appetizers:
lobster bisque with crispy lobster cigar : had a strong, earthy, peppered, smokey flavor, if you’re a big fan of lobster you’ll certainly love this because the flavor of lobster is unmistakable – very evident, creamy yet far from being overly thick, you’ll enjoy dipping the lobster cigar in as it provides a contrast of texture with the crunch
crispy calamari with togarashi lemon dip, fries & parmesan : the calamari had no smell and was far from gummy, just the right kind of chewy, the batter was light and fresh, tasted great with the togarashi lemon dip as opposed to your average tar tar dip that’s more commonly used with this option, it was lovely to indulge in the fries too as they were just the right size, airy and nicely seasoned with just enough salt
hand-cut angus beef tartare with capers, mustard, cornichons and shallots : this was one of our absolute favorites from the night – sort of like a rare steak but not bloody at all, made up with high quality, raw, soft, tender and very beefy morsels (think carpaccio), cleanly done and far from bland, well balanced and seasoned, the savory, tangy, spicy taste blended well the with mayo

mains:
300 g australian wagyu beef tenderloin with gratinated parmesan potato and creamed baby spinach : we always go for medium rare – the beef was bursting with flavor, tender, very juicy with a rich texture, loved it most with the sweet & sour red grape mustard condiment and velvety mushroom sauce, like a chameleon in terms of flavor when mixed with the creamy gratinated parmesan potato or the freshly creamed baby spinach, the spinach is worth noting as it was far from soggy and not overcooked
the butcher platter – grilled us tenderloin, striploin, lamb chops, chicken skewer, onion rings, mushrooms : great selection and a must for all major carnivores out there, all the meat were thankfully far from dry, retained the succulent factor especially for the lambchops, lightly seasoned, onion rings tasted good and crispy, best eaten with the garlic & parsley mustard along with the french bearnaise sauce

available condiments we tried:

english mustard
dijon mustard
whole grain mustard
honey mustard
shallots & chevril
garlic & parsley
red grapes
forest mushroom sauce
french bearnaise

dessert (ordered separately on an ipad instead of a menu hard copy) :
blue grill bannoffee – biscuit base, rich butterscotch base, fresh bananas : not overkilled with bananas as some would mistakenly do, very crumbly and had a thick cream topping, had the good kind of butterscotch aftertaste, sweet but not too dulcet, not so heavy and buttery
lemon cheesecake – crunchy lime meringue, blueberry sauce : great accent with the glass candied sugar, however, wasn’t too crazy about this, very solid and velvety thick, tasted quite bland, a bit on the heavy side, the blueberry sauce was alright with it and provided what was lacking in the taste department since we would have liked a bit more of the lemon flavor to have shone through, the lime meringue was very sweet and had only but a faint taste of the lime
chocolate souffle with tahitian vanilla bean ice cream : the chocolate souffle arrived and it had already caved in, it seemed to have failed to rise or wasn’t able to sustain the structure, lacked that fluffiness, but it was nonetheless very smooth and rich in flavor and texture, very reminiscent of molten lava chocolate cake in a way with the addition of ice cream and the contrast of warm and cold temperatures
ice cream & sorbets – coconut cherry chocolate, white chocolate & passion fruit sorbet : absolutely loved this, very refreshing, usually hating on coconut but the combination with cherry was genius as it contradicts that sickly sweet flavor that coconut tends to give, the sorbet wasn’t too frozen or icy, loved that the overall dessert was characteristically far from being dense, but instead – airy and light

overall verdict:bluegrill is most ideal for a more intimate dining set-up. you’re in for a treat if you’re looking to have a tranquil dinner night-out. the place itself is well preserved and unperturbed by the masses. this steakhouse is a must visit for those within the area or folks looking to take their guests somewhere cozy and soothing.

this was one of the few dinner dates we've had since we had our kids. my husband and i wanted to bring them with us, but the restaurant doesn't allow children below 8 years old to dine here. we didn't have a choice but to leave  our kids behind. we have stayed at yas island rotana two times before, but we've never tried dining atbluegrill. glad that we had a voucher for a complimentary dinner for two, so we were able to try whatbluegrill has to offer. the restaurant is dimly lit, quiet and has beautiful decors. the manager and the staff were accommodating. i would like to thank charlote for recommending the best dishes we should try. the grilled seafood platter and the butcher platter were definitely scrumptious. she didn't only help us in choosing what to eat tonight, but she has also served us well. i can say, this was one of the best dinner dates we've had so far. everything was just perfect. #zomatosummer

i lovebluegrill and when ever in yes island i do my best to give it a visit... my favourite is their irish steak and australian wagyu... this time i tried their australian onyx which was good but not like the rest... i had once their salmon and i do recommend it as well... the side dishes are all good and yummy... the main thing is their complimentary desserts which is a lemon sorbet covered with chocolate... yummy yummy