The whole fish arrives at the table inside a cracked tomb of salt, deboned in front of you a few steps from the water. That is the set piece at Red Sea Grill, the open-air seafood restaurant on the beach promenade of the Mövenpick Resort Aqaba, along King Hussein Street on the Gulf of Aqaba. The kitchen cooks the local catch over live coals, the menu refreshed when the room reopened in 2018, and a dinner for three with wine runs about 135 JOD, near 45 JOD a head. It is a sunset room first and a restaurant second.
The Kitchen
Red Sea Grill is the seafood room of the Mövenpick Resort Aqaba, cooked by the resort's kitchen team at live coal stations rather than under a named head chef. The format is simple and built around the catch: grilled seabass, prawns, lobster, calamari and reef fish, finished with Mediterranean herbs and olive oil. The signature is the whole fish baked in a crust of salt, cracked and deboned at the table, and the kitchen also runs garlic prawns, a spicy fish harrah and the Levantine fish sayadieh with its caramelised onions and rice.
Beyond the fish there are premium steaks, chicken skewers and vegetarian platters, with a list of Jordanian and international wines. The room reopened on 1 March 2018 with a refreshed menu and runs as an open-air restaurant on the beach promenade along King Hussein Street. A dinner for three with a shared starter, three mains, a bottle of wine and a dessert came to about 135 JOD, which puts a head at roughly 40 to 55 JOD depending on whether you order lobster. It opens for dinner in the summer season.
The Room
Red Sea Grill is open to the night air on the resort's beach promenade, tables set along the Gulf of Aqaba with the lights of Eilat across the water. The setting does the work: a sea breeze, the sound of the water, low lighting and the glow of the coal grill. It is relaxed rather than formal, a resort room where the view and the salt-crust theatre matter more than starched service. Tables are spaced for couples and families, the dress code is smart-casual resort wear, and the mood is calm and unhurried. Because it is open-air and seasonal, it runs for summer dinners and depends on a clear, warm evening.
Best for Proposal
Book Red Sea Grill for a proposal because the setting carries the moment. An open-air table on the Gulf of Aqaba at sunset gives you the view and the privacy of the water's edge, the salt-crust whole fish cracked tableside makes a small piece of theatre to mark the night, and the relaxed resort service will help if you arrange something quietly in advance. Picture a corner table on the sand, the lights of Eilat coming on across the bay, the fish opened as the sky goes pink. For a proposal on the Red Sea, this is the room. See more restaurants for a proposal.
Not for a winter trip. Red Sea Grill is open-air and seasonal, so a cool or windy evening can close the room or strip away its best asset, the setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Red Sea Grill in Aqaba worth it?
Yes, mainly for the setting and the seafood theatre. Red Sea Grill sits open-air on the Gulf of Aqaba at the Mövenpick Resort, and the salt-baked whole fish cracked at the table is the dish to come for. The cooking is good resort seafood rather than fine dining, so the value is in the beachfront view and the catch. Come for a clear summer evening at sunset.
What is Red Sea Grill known for?
Red Sea Grill is known for whole fish baked in a crust of salt, cracked and deboned at your table, served on the beach promenade of the Mövenpick Resort Aqaba. The menu runs grilled local catch over coals, fish sayadieh, garlic prawns and spicy fish harrah, plus steaks and vegetarian platters. The open-air setting on the Gulf of Aqaba is the draw. See the Aqaba dining guide.
How much does Red Sea Grill cost?
Expect roughly 40 to 55 JOD per person. A reported dinner for three with a shared starter, three main dishes, a bottle of wine and a dessert came to about 135 JOD. Lobster and premium fish push the bill higher, while the grilled catch and skewers keep it lower. It is a resort restaurant, so prices sit above the town's casual seafood spots.
Is Red Sea Grill good for a romantic dinner or proposal?
Yes. The open-air tables on the Gulf of Aqaba, the sunset over the water and the tableside salt-crust fish make Red Sea Grill one of the more romantic rooms in Aqaba. Ask the resort to arrange a quiet table by the water and time the booking for sunset. It runs in the summer season, so confirm it is open. See our proposal dinner picks.