To my mind, all the best restaurants should require exercise to reach. All the better to work up an appetite on the way there, and wake yourself up on the way home.
I wouldn’t call 15 minutes from London’s Victoria Station a long walk, but it was certainly enough on a brisk November evening to build excitement for the opening of Amelie, a new French-Mediterranean offering in the well-heeled Belgravia.
On entering through the bright white neoclassical pillars, which adorn the facade of the gargantuan Pantechnicon building on the small but classy Motcombe Street in Belgravia, we were met with beaming smiles of a team eager to show off their new workplace. All three of the building's establishments were having their opening night after a renovation and reconfiguration, with cool Japanese spot Sachi celebrating a move from the basement to the top floor and rooftop, and late night lounge Luum welcoming its first crowd.
Where to sit and what to expect
To reach Amelie, a door off the large entranceway gives way to an intimate bar and restaurant area, with raised circular banquette seating for groups and tables for two in a pleasing line. Then it is on up a chic spiral staircase to the main dining room, which offers views of the quiet street below through large windows, but facing inward is more rewarding.
The pretty dining room is fresh, with comfortable orange-hued velour chairs nestled against crisp white tablecloths. The tables are well spaced, with a lamp perched on each to counteract the atmospheric dim lighting and assist with reading the art deco-inspired menu. The crowd is varied – from well-heeled retirees trying the latest neighbourhood opening with shopping bags in tow, to a group of young men in lively conversation. It made for an inclusive atmosphere, marred only by the playlist, which felt inauthentic and scattered, lunging from instrumental to soul music.
The ambience gives the easy-going exclusivity of a members club, without the need for an invite. Perhaps that makes sense when you consider head chef Steve Raveneau’s background at membership clubs Annabel’s and The Arts Club. He says he aims to bring the warmth of the Mediterranean coast to the city with Amelie, “like a mini-getaway right here in town”.
The menu
As winter draws in and the nights get longer, a break from the bustle sounds attractive. The menu is an encapsulation of Raveneau's childhood in Brittany savouring home-cooked food, later moving to work in Michelin-starred restaurants in the Cote d’Azur before a hop over the channel to London more than 10 years ago.
"It’s honest and grounded in tradition," he says of his cooking style. "My mother taught me that cooking is about bringing people together, and that’s exactly what I aim for at Amelie. I want it to feel like a second home where you can gather with friends and family over familiar, comforting dishes."
Usually I only order scallops when I am close to the ocean, but the lure of Saint Jacques served with a citrus butter was too much to resist. We also order Japanese amberjack, a fresh yellowtail carpaccio to keep the vibe light and not overfill our stomachs. For the less seafood inclined, the burrata with truffle seems a great option.
The presentation of both dishes is impeccable, the scallops seared and halved, their pert yet soft texture a familiar and welcome beginning. But the yellowtail is the winner of the course, melting in the mouth as one expects, but without the sometimes overpowering zing the accompanying citrus can leave behind.
Never able to visit a French restaurant without ordering a steak, we selected the wood-fired New Zealand rib-eye, one of a few steak choices on the menu. The steak was tasty as expected, and cooked perfectly, but the accompanying parsley dressing lacked flavour. On the side, truffle mash does as truffle mash does, but the star was the broccoli – lightly charred with a delicious crisp but still feeling like you are doing your body some good.
Diners can also choose dishes to share, from whole grilled sea bass to lobster orzo or even a Wagyu beef rib.
As my dining partner and I chat, the food and ambience do indeed feel like an escape from our busy lives. It’s clear we are on opening night, as the service is at times stilted, but always with a smile and enthusiasm for the menu.
Fittingly for its home in the capital’s embassy district, Raveneau suggests sharing a pot of caviar (starting at £90 for 50g of Oscietra Caviar) across the courses of the meal at Amelie, saying: “it elevates each dish in a subtle way, and I'd happily enjoy it at any meal – even breakfast”.
We brought the meal to a close with Basque cheesecake. "It’s honestly the best cheesecake I’ve ever had, and it doesn’t last long when it’s in front of me," says Raveneau, and I tend to agree. There was no need for coulis, cream or any other accompaniment, as the flavour was rich and creamy, but – almost unheard of in Basque cheesecake – the slice wasn't too heavy.
Dessert may have been light, but the accumulation of courses had certainly filled me up. We felt satisfied but able to walk ourselves back to the station rather than being rolled home.
Standout dish
The red mullet and tomato provided the true wow factor of the meal. Raveneau has elevated his favourite fish to new heights here. The plump, rich taste of the fish with a hint of a crisp, was complimented expertly by tomatoes sourced from Italy.
Price point and contact information
Starters range from £12 to £28, mains £28 to £68. Sharing dishes from £48 to £260. Amelie is open daily from midday.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The%20specs
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more from Janine di Giovanni
I Feel Pretty
Dir: Abby Kohn/Mark Silverstein
Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
