Axe House JLT
Out with the old and in with the new...
I don't think anyone could say that Cocktail Kitchen wasn't nice. It was. Although it was probably not in the right location. There’s no point harking back to the past and I guess the folk at Koji had the same feeling or maybe they just wanted to try something different. Who’s knows how Axe was born.
Whatever the case, the Axe House is Cocktail Kitchen's very grungy replacement and it's a winner. Taking cues from London's artsy inner city locales, the Axe has ditched the oh so cliched, refined cocktail feel and restyled the joint as a scuffed up, reclaimed wood tabled, graffiti trashed venue that offers a sense of realness and accessibility that few other new entrants to Dubai's nightlife scene have delivered.
The seating and food style is based around London's Borough Market.
In a further tip of the hat to some of London's finest produce markets the menu is divided into either - Billingsgate (Seafood) or Smithfield (Meat) and features a range of items that are sure to tickle your fancy. This is honest pub grub done well.
Upfront there's a stack of small bites that reflect the eclectic dining scene of Shoreditch and its' surrounds with everything from Reggae Chicken Wings to Fresh Oysters and an amazing Beef Brisket. By the way, the oysters are pretty darn good and great value for money compared to many other places in Dubai. For the Vegetarians out there there's a whole section just for you called Columbia Road based on the Sunday Markets in East London.
Oh and on Saturdays there's some seriously good Roasts with all the trimmings.
As far as clientele goes, during the week you'll see young creatives and would be trendsetters while on Thursdays the after work crowd is immense and on Tuesdays the ladies fill the place to the brim. Be warned - on these days the place is packed and even though there is a pretty large semi outdoor area, the venue can turn into a smoke den. So if that offends your doctor or your dry cleaner then probably steer clear. #justsayn.
One of the major pluses that the Axe has up its sleeve is the service. The staff are excellent, super down to earth and easy to chat to. They know what they're doing and they seem happy to look after their guests and because of this the place has a great feel to it. There's no pretension and no lame music either so you could definitely scoop yourself up a new Shazam playlist here.
Overall the Axe is decidedly underground and it's a pretty clever approach that well and truly does away with Red Phone Boxes, Union Jacks and Big Ben. On the beverage side of things there is a very large Hops line up as well as some nicely crafted Cocktails that can be enjoyed as you play billiards during one of the city's best Happy Hours.
It’s grimy, funky and offbeat. Just the way we like it.
*NOTE: The venue has closed down :(
