Have you ever had a 15-course meal in Dubai? You can have one at the Carnival by Tresind restaurant in DIFC. My wife and I had dinner there and spent at least 3 hours to finish all the courses served to us. For 375 AED, you get an extraordinary meal experience that we would definitely recommend.

Also Read: Extraordinary Dining Experience at Tresind Dubai

Located at the Burj Daman Building in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Carnival by Tresind offers a post-modern Indian cuisine, by reintroducing Indian food in a modern and eccentric way. Every meal is a presentation, every food is a show and the staff demonstrates a creative display of their menu while also sharing trivia of each dish.

Carnival by Tresind reception desk

bronze-colored trees

Carnival by Tresind Restaurant at Burj Daman Building in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)

As you enter the restaurant, the first thing that stands out are the shiny bronze-painted trees in a colorful carnival-like surrounding. The restaurant has dim lighting which creates a private setting when you’re dining in your table.

My wife and I have been watching Chef’s Table on Netflix and we’ve wondered when we’d be able to try out dishes with unique presentations and meals that run at least 7-courses long. We were delighted to have experienced it ourselves in Carnival by Tresind. The dishes were served in no rush, as the restaurant aims for you to enjoy each course one by one.

colorful and carnival-like dispay

Bar area inside the restaurant

The meal started with a shower of bubbles to set the mood of an amusing and entertaining visual culinary feast. Let me just say that this post is going to be photo-heavy. ;p

the meal started off with a shower of bubbles to set the “Carnival” mood

Degustation Menu Non-Vegetarian (375++ AED for 15 Courses)

Here’s a list of the 15-course meals that they’ve included in the menu. Do take note that they also have an 8-course vegetarian menu.

1. Sita Phal – sweet and sour pumpkin dabeli
2. Mahkhan Phal – cacao nutter hive, avocado and lime cream
3. Dal Phulka – yellow lentil capuccino, phulka cookie, fresh truffle ghee, cumin cocoa
4. Life is Short Eat Dessert First – jalebi chaat, yogurt mousse, potato and chickpea
5. Thai Tanic – Thai chicken burhee, sweet basil, lime pav
6. Pulliinji – South Indian ginger prawns, palm sugar caramel, curry leaf crisp
7. Meatalious – grilled lamb hops, mysore masala, mini dosai crisp
8. Utterly Butterly – sliced wagyue tenderloin, amul butter, cheese toast
9. Vada Pav Service – classic vegetarian snack of Mumbai mill workers
10. Malai Baraf – litchi garnita, raspberry rose water, milk skin
11. Carta Farta – steamed seabass en papillote, malubar style bouillabaisse, lemon rice
12. Mutton Dressed as Lamb – mutton galouti chop, lamb jus nihari, fermented dough bread
13. Gajak – caramel, peanuts and chocolate-done the alinea way
14. Betels – South Indian paan macaron
15. Palate Changer

Here’s the pictures of each dish that they served us.

Sita Phal – sweet and sour pumpkin dabeli

Mahkhan Phal – cacao nutter hive, avocado and lime cream

Dal Phulka – yellow lentil capuccino, phulka cookie, fresh truffle ghee, cumin cocoa

Life is Short Eat Dessert First – jalebi chaat, yogurt mousse, potato and chickpea

Thai Tanic – Thai chicken burhee, sweet basil, lime pav

The first 6 items on the menu, the servings were bite-size small. We were able to sample a portion of each Indian cuisine. Some of the highlights were the Makhan Phal, Life is Short Eat Dessert First, and Pulliinji.

Pulliinji – South Indian ginger prawns, palm sugar caramel, curry leaf crisp

Meatalious – grilled lamb hops, mysore masala, mini dosai crisp

Utterly Butterly – sliced wagyue tenderloin, amul butter, cheese toast

Vada Pav Service – classic vegetarian snack of Mumbai mill workers

Malai Baraf – litchi garnita, raspberry rose water, milk skin

The small portions made me wonder if we would ever get full if the servings would go on like this towards the end. However, the restaurant team has carefully planned the menu. By the time the main courses were served, I wanted to take back what I initially thought and hoped for small servings of our lamb and seabass dishes. This 15-course meal was definitely a feast to satisfy!

They also served us a chicken biryani which is not originally included in the menu. The chef wanted us to try the colorful dish.

Carta Farta – steamed seabass en papillote, malubar style bouillabaisse, lemon rice

Chicken Biryani – this was not included in the 15-course menu

Mutton Dressed as Lamb – mutton galouti chop, lamb jus nihari, fermented dough bread

One of the main highlights was this Gajak dessert where a mat covered our table for the chef to ‘paint’ his food masterpiece. This is an ice cream dessert with peanuts, caramel, and chocolate done the alinea way – definitely a striking design we immediately associated from one of the episodes of Chef’s Table.

The chef breaking the shell that contains our ice cream – Gajak dessert

Gajak – caramel, peanuts and chocolate-done the alinea way

Betels – South Indian paan macaron

Palate Changer

Drinks

Food is not the only thing that’s served in a fancy style as the drinks also had their distinctive presentation. The restaurant has a bar and you can order both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from them. We had servings of mystery tea, royal, 3-wood smoked barrel, and the boiling skull. I am delighted by how the staff present the orders with skill and artistry. This is definitely something you can look forward to when dining in the restaurant.

Mystery Tea – 80 AED
Ciroc, Elder Flower, Dried raspberries, vanilla

Royal – 80 AED
Creme de Cassis, champagne

3-wood Smoked Barrel – 80 AED
Cognac, amaretto, jim beam, 3-bitters and 3 wood’s smoke

The Boiling Skull – 80 AED
Ciroc, Passion fruit, cranberry and mixed berries

‘Carnival by Tresind’ is a gastronomic fiesta, a gala, a mélange of fun and food – a dining experience that pushes the boundaries of fine dining to transcend into a nostalgic culinary experience which revokes childhood memories and takes you back to your days of yore.

At ‘Carnival by Tresind’ the entire team of talented chefs under the guidance of Head Chef Himanshu Saini are revisiting the culinary history of Indian fare and reviving various long forgotten dishes with their own unique, modern day twist and interpretations – by interplaying with various aspects of ingredients, textures, color, spices, flavors and presentation.

center area

outside the restaurant

If you’re looking for a dining experience like no other, Carnival by Tresind would have to be one of the restaurants in Dubai we would recommend. The restaurant also offers an a la carte menu, but if you want to have the ultimate experience, we would suggest you try the 15-course meal.

Contact Information & Address:
Carnival By Tresind
Address: Unit P5-03/01, Level POD, Burj Daman, Dubai International Financial Centre
Phone: +971 4 421 8665 / 052 242 4262
Website: www.carnivalbytresind.com
Opening Hours: 12PM–2AM

How to Get There
The nearest metro station is Emirates Towers metro station (Red Line). From there you can take a taxi to the Burj Daman Building.

Google Location
Here is a Google location map of the Carnival by Tresind restaurant in Burj Daman, DIFC