The world feels a little further away at this wonderful Red Sea restaurant.
A table overlooking the Red Sea comes with a certain risk: dinner might end up playing second fiddle to the view. At Tilina Steakhouse, The St. Regis Red Sea Resort’s overwater restaurant, the kitchen gives us good reason to turn our attention to the plate.
The journey to Tilina Steakhouse is only a short buggy ride away from your villa, but it feels like a complete change of scenery. As we leave the main island behind and head towards the overwater restaurant, a stronger breeze greets us over the reef. “The weather is completely different out here,” the staff like to say, and it takes little more than the crossing to understand what they mean. By the time we settle at our table, with waves gently breaking beneath the restaurant, the island already feels distant. The rest of the world feels further still.
The sea appears to have had a say in decorating the dining room. Exposed beams fan across the ceiling, while curved, iridescent tiles borrow their colours and overlapping pattern from fish scales. A champagne-toned bar with a mother-of-pearl finish continues the underwater references, offset by tall black armchairs in woven cane. There is plenty to admire before we have even opened the menu.
It is the scale-clad open kitchen, however, that catches our attention. With chefs working away inside, the structure takes on the feeling of a gastropod, its polished exterior concealing busy life within. Watching dishes being carefully assembled becomes a small pleasure between courses, occasionally drawing our eyes away from the horizon.
Even the butter is beautifully dressed for the occasion. Little seashells sit on a dark serving plate beside baskets of warm, soft bread, carrying the restaurant’s marine references right down to the first mouthful. Salted, unsalted and spiced varieties invite a little experimentation, while gluten-free bread has been thoughtfully provided following the dietary requirements we shared before arriving on the island.
A complimentary serving of baby potatoes and labneh proves an unexpected favourite. Crisp at the edges and soft within, the potatoes are neatly stacked and finished with green shoots. The labneh lends a gentle tang that has us making sure each forkful gets its fair share. A small gesture from the kitchen, and an early contender for our favourite dish.
The chicken croquette follows, its crunchy shell giving way to a soft filling, with truffle béchamel adding to the indulgence. A Parmesan chip crowned with sliced truffle sits on top, while burnt onion aioli, onion wedges and delicate slices of radish complete the plate. There is plenty of detail to admire, but it is that first satisfying crunch that holds our attention.
Then comes the cured salmon, presented with an almost painterly attention to colour. A long slice divides the plate, with a pool of golden orange dressing on one side, punctuated by deep purple beetroot circles and tiny green dots of herb oil. Pickled shallot and finely diced Granny Smith apple add to the intricate arrangement. It is quite a picture, though the first forkful gives us something better to dwell on. Bright citrus lifts the spice-cured fish, while the carefully balanced accompaniments make each bite as compelling as the last.
For the mains, we’re steered towards the najil, a Saudi favourite we had not tried before. Prepared meunière-style and served with beurre blanc, olive tapenade, chives and herb oil, it proves a memorable first encounter. Crisp skin gives way to soft, delicately flavoured flesh, while the buttery sauce lends each forkful a pleasing richness. A squeeze of the charred lemon cuts through beautifully. With the Red Sea beneath us, it feels a particularly fitting order.
Tilina is, however, a steakhouse, and my ribeye gives us plenty of reason to remember that. Ordered medium-well, it arrives exactly as requested, juicy within and nicely charred at the edges. The fat is soft and rich, melting into each mouthful, with a gentle smokiness that never overwhelms the beef. French fries and poivre au jus complete the plate, keeping the accompaniments reassuringly classic.
Our resolve to stop after mains lasts only as long as our server’s recommendation. His favourite, the Umluj Mango, arrives with cool, local mango, gently tangy yoghurt and meringue that offers a little crunch before yielding to the bite. Light, bright and rather too easy to eat, it makes short work of the richness left by the ribeye. We share one, and despite our earlier protests of being full, scrape up every last spoonful.
Tilina Steakhouse knows its way around its cuts of meat, but there is equal pleasure in discovering what else the kitchen can do. The citrus-bright salmon, our first taste of najil and even those complimentary potatoes give the view some serious competition. Add staff who make us feel like returning guests on our first visit, and it becomes remarkably easy to linger. By the time the buggy takes us back to our villa, the kitchen has delivered on the promise of the setting, a “reeftop” dining experience that capitalises upon the Red Sea’s moniker as the “Maldives of the Middle East.” We came for dinner over the water; we leave in no particular hurry to rejoin the world.
Where: Tilina Steakhouse, The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, Saudi Arabia
Contact: www.marriott.com