Akiba Dori review

Tucked away in the corner of Dubai Design District, Akiba Dori stands out thanks to its Bladerunner like neon signage. The futuristic restaurant has been a mainstay of D3 for a while now. It follows the style of Tokyo’s bustling Akihabara district that is famous for its anime and gaming haunts.

The interior doesn’t give off your typical restaurant vibe. It’s cobble pathway, which is flanked by tables and leads to lovely outdoor terrace, fits the street food vibe that the menu is packed with.

Akiba Dori’s uniqueness extends to the cuisine. It’s primarily Japanese but with an Italian tilt. So, as well as classic sashimi, you can grab a Neapolitan style pizza cooked in the enormous pizza oven stood loud and proud in the kitchen.

We’re advised of the sharing concept that the menu has to offer, so sample quite a varied selection. Alongside the delightful wagyu beef gyoza and Akiba rock shrimp was a 5 Formaggi pizza and fries. In most other places in Dubai, a selection like this would draw curious reactions from fellow diners. But at Akiba Dori the mix is encouraged and the relaxed atmosphere fits the carefree ordering style.

Mix-up

Obviously, the risk with a restaurant trying to do a couple of cuisines in one venue is that one is inferior to the other. Thankfully, this isn’t the case here. The plump gyoza are exceptional, the deep-fried shrimp is very moreish and the pizza is as good as any you’re likely to find in the UAE. Yes, it’s that good. It’s also light enough to manage and still squeeze in another dish off the menu… the miso black cod.

Again, the cod was perfectly cooked and flaked into delicious chunks with every prod of the fork. It had that melt in your mouth texture and rich flavours to make it the stand out dish of the entire evening.

If there’s one thing we would change about our visit, it’s that we would’ve gone for two Lotus cheesecake desserts instead of one. With a Lotus biscuit base and more crumbled over the top of the fluffy cheese centre, it has to be one of our favourite desserts in Dubai. We almost felt sorry for the tasty panko-crusted brownie and ice cream we ordered. But by comparison, the cheesecake was outstanding.

With a well-stocked bar and casual vibe, Akiba Dori is a great place to gather friends for a night out. It’s one of Dubai’s best comfort food venues and just like the neon signage, it’s not to be missed.