Valentine's Night at Madeleine Cafe and Boulangerie

Ed and I had our so-called Valentine rule this year due to an upcoming holiday trip. We decided to have a frugal Valentine's Day celebration; no fancy gifts and no grand dinner in a hotel. Since it was a weekday and I wasn't sure if I could leave the workplace on time, we didn't had a definite dinner date plan. I was able to finish my work tasks, not really on schedule, but earlier than expected. So after a quick discussion, Ed and I agreed to have our Valentine dinner at Madeleine. 

Madeleine is a French Cafe and Boulangerie at The Dubai Mall. The restaurant has a romantic Parisian setting, a perfect place to be on the night of February 14. 

It was past 10 when we arrived at the restaurant. The wait staff asked us if we want to dine inside or out; Madeleine has a terrace overlooking Burj Lake. It was tad cold to dine al-fresco, so we chose a table inside the elegant French restaurant.

Madeleine's classy interior

al-fresco dining at the terrace

the awesome view of The Dubai Fountain at Madeleine's terrace

It was our first at Madeleine, deciding on what to have for dinner was quite difficult. We asked a little help from a wait staff, who was very patient with our consecutive queries. Because I have been sickly, I chose a healthy salad with goat cheese; though I really, as in REALLY, wanted to have duck confit! My Valentine Date/My Husband ordered a sandwich with salad and french fries.

Our Valentine Dinner up-close:

complimentary French bread served with butter

Left: Croque Monsieur [toasted sandwich filled with turkey ham, cheese and bechamel sauce]

Right: Chevre Chaud [pan-fried breaded goat's cheese with salad and cherry tomatoes]

 Left: Fresh Lemon Juice

Right: Parisian Sunrise Mocktail [orange, mango, pineapple with grenadine syrup]

 Dessert: Mille-Feuille [puff pastry layered with vanilla cream]

Woohoo: The location is great and the ambiance was perfectly romantic. The restaurant's interior is fabulously decorated. The outdoor terrace has magnificent views of Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain. Madeleine is suitable for lovey-dovey date nights.

Boohoo: The complimentary french bread was served cold. The food looked appetizing; very disappointing taste though. The salad had roquette leaves which was too bitter, the goat cheese was too tangy, the mocktail and the dessert were unexceptional. Although Ed said his sandwich is okay, it's still a boohoo for me! Well, maybe it's just me and my taste buds. 

Me and my plate of Chevre Chaud

My date and his Croque Monsieur

Was it worth it? Ummm, I barely touched half of my salad, so I'd say NO for the food, YES for the ambiance. Anyway, it doesn't matter where we dine; Valentine's Day would always be perfect as long as we're together!

The Bill:

Chevre Chaud: 52 AED

Croque Monsieur: 45 AED

Lemon Juice: 22 AED

Parisian Sunrise: 25 AED

Mille-Feuille: 25 AED

Total: 169 AED

Location:
The Dubai Mall
Ground Level, Fashion Avenue