La Maison Du Caviar first opened in Paris in 1956. The stylish name conjures up images of opulent French fare and delectable caviar. Its Middle Eastern presence calls the prestigious W Hotel home, and serves not just seafood – as the name suggests – but a range of other delicacies.

As we crossed the black slate floor to the plush red velvet seats, we admired the setting. Lit by hundreds of tiny bulbs, the ceiling resembles a star-lit night sky. A black, velvet-clad bar, sporting matching red bar stools, runs the length of the restaurant and leads to a black, tiled feature wall showcasing randomly distributed gold fish. It’s an inspiring display by world famous French interior designer Jacques Garcia.

The tables are closely positioned, which could be overly cosy if the restaurant was at full capacity; however, on the night we dined, it was relatively quiet.

You can’t help but notice the paper tablecloths. La Maison du Caviar prides itself on retaining some of its unique dining traditions, one of which is that patrons are served on fine paper linen. If one wasn’t aware of this quaint tradition, it might raise an eyebrow or two as to the lack of investment in crisp white table linens.

A black, leather-clad menu holds many promising dishes, and of course caviar features prominently on the list. Beluga starts at a modest QR840 for 30g, or if you are feeling particularly indulgent and rather flush, why not order 250g for QR6,950? Alternatively, select the French caviar, which is slightly less expensive at QR362 for 30g.

If salty roe delicacies don’t do it for you, there are plenty of other tempting dishes on offer. The menu is split into two, with one side listing house specials at various prices and the other side featuring starters at QR45, main courses at QR100 and desserts for QR40. Smoked salmon, pan-fried scallops and terrine of foie gras grace the specials menu to start, or there’s an array of worthy sounding preludes from the fixed menu, including salmon tartare, goats’ cheese mousse or poached shrimps.

As we sat patiently awaiting our order of lobster bisque and terrine of foie gras, a complimentary cold potato soup was brought to the table. Served in a shot glass with crisp bread, it was rich, creamy and full of flavour; a pleasant palate sharpener. Often the amuse bouche can be a bit of a minefield: you feel obliged to finish the little freebie even if it is something you’d never order. Thankfully, that was not the case here.

Bread, meanwhile, was served in a trendy black leather basket. It was a good selection, accompanied by a moreish aubergine dip.

The lobster bisque, served in a large bowl and drizzled with cream, looked delicious, yet it was disappointingly light, with only the merest hint of creaminess. I was delighted to find two large prawns hiding at the bottom of the bowl, but found them to be a little chewy and lacking in flavour. The terrine of foie gras was more praiseworthy – rich, buttery and delicate, the goose liver came served with a sweet exotic chutney.

There are several main dishes that stand out from both menus. Beef tartare, rack of lamb or pan-seared sea bass were first to catch our eye. The Alaskan king crab with tarragon sauce sounded divine, yet my dining partner decided to go for a predictably pedestrian favourite, steak.

I went for the crab. I’d visualised a large portion of fresh crab, perhaps still resting in its shell, but what arrived were three rather small crabstick-shaped offerings. A portion of rice came with the dish. Sadly, the meat seemed a little dry, even when submerged in the tarragon sauce.

My partner’s mini chateaubriand – whilst being a fairly large medallion of beef – also appeared dry and overcooked on its exterior, underdone at its core. Not really the ‘medium’ requested, although it was redeemed somewhat by the light, creamy mash, crispy al dente beans and juicy sautéed mushrooms surrounding it.

Desserts include caramelised banana, mixed fruit berry trifle and chocolate fondant. I plumped for apple tarte tatin with cinnamon ice cream – the apples were sour and overcooked, but the base was sweet and melted in the mouth. Likewise, the ice cream was delicious. My partner’s Champs Elysées profiteroles, however, were much better. The choux pastry was light and fluffy, filled with a creamy vanilla ice cream and topped with rich, indulgent chocolate sauce.

La Maison Du Caviar is a nicely decorated and fashionable French bistro, and if ambience and décor are high on your list of priorities, then you will not be disappointed. In terms of the food, it is more a case of learning which dishes are done well, or perhaps simply deciding to stick to the caviar, especially if you are looking to impress someone with your rather expensive tastes.

The bill (for two)
1x Aqua Panna QR35
1x seafood bisque QR45
1x foie gras QR125
1x crab tarragon QR240
1x Chateaubriand QR125
1x profiterole QR40
Total (incl charges) QR610