Showdown at Marina Village
Marina Village is a beautiful area located just across the road from Marina Mall with stunning views of the beach. You enter the village through a fort, a wonderful illusion of the past only broken by the valet which is a little backed up usually, and in one case, full- I had to drive across the street and risk my life as I crossed what is essentially a highway (to be fair, UAE drivers treat just about any road like a highway). So was the food worth the risk?
Walking into Casper & Gambini’s I immediately noticed the modern décor with wood and marble pieces accentuated with yellow and grey elements. The service was good throughout the night. Craving sushi, I ordered a couple of rolls off the menu and I was pleasantly surprised with each bite as it was absolutely delicious, especially the crispy shrimp. My main course was a chicken roulade which was decent. Dessert is one of my favorite courses of any day and I tried the red velvet cake which was quite disappointing, after a good meal, it was difficult to end on a low note.
Bill’s Farm has a completely different vibe as it’s more rustic and the décor relies heavily on wood and low lighting with a hanging table in the middle of the restaurant and a glassed kitchen to showcase the freshness of the ingredients. I had called to make reservations but when I showed up they didn’t have any record of it but they seated us immediately. This is a meat-lovers restaurant as most of the menu revolves around meat-based entrees. The presentation of the lamb rack is a crowd-pleaser as it is sliced table-side and it is quite scrumptious. I ordered the tiramisu for dessert and for some reason they brought it over from Casper & Gambini’s- not sure if this was a miscommunication or if they don’t make their own dessert but I was again unimpressed and stopped by Baskin Robins on the way home.
I would return to both restaurants both for the location and the food. Although I have been to Bill’s Farm more often because my family and friends like steak places, I would personally choose to go to Casper instead.
