Features

A Kingly Feast in Dubai

16 Oct 2017 by Neha Gupta Kapoor
Breakfast in Dubai

It is a known fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It helps to begin your morning with a big serving of nourishment, rather than a small one — simply because it keeps you full for longer hours. This is especially beneficial when travelling for business, and when lunch hours are uncertain.

Recently, we were in Dubai for Arabian Travel Market. Having stayed at different properties through the week, my colleagues and I had a chance to sample some of the more elegant spreads in this emirate. Here is a list of five such breakfast buffets you may want to indulge in.

Dunes Cafe

Dunes Cafe

Though Dunes Cafe, at the lobby level of Shangri-La Dubai, is an indoor restaurant, its large windows, plenty of natural light and stone flooring with sand wave pattern make you feel otherwise. I particularly enjoyed the flavoured waters in jugs buried in an island of ice at the breakfast buffet. It was a hot summer morning and this was refreshing to say the least. I took the table by the window that was closest to the dessert counter. Despite my sweet tooth, I enjoyed the savoury dishes here more. The assortment of dim sum — vegetarian and non-vegetarian — is unmissable. Every few minutes, due to popular demand, they arrived piping hot from the kitchen. The rice flour wrapping was thin and almost translucent, letting the taste buds enjoy all flavours of the stuffing. I decided to go for a full-Asian breakfast and ordered a soup at the Chinese noodle station, which was customised by noodle type and a variety of fresh vegetables. The Indian station that is just as popular here includes dosa (savoury rice pancake) and spiced chickpeas — walk past them and you will be hit with a whiff of tempting aromas. Other counters offered cold cuts, seafood, and hot European and Arabic dishes.

Open daily, breakfast timings are 6am-10:30am; the buffet breakfast is priced at AED 145/2,545;
shangri-la.com/dubai/shangrila/dining.

Giardino

Giardino

The mosaic patterned restaurant has direct access to the East pool of Palazzo Versace Dubai. The best seat, according to me, is by the open doors that lead to the swimming pool. It doesn’t matter if the weather is warm, the air conditioning inside the restaurant keeps you cool. You may want to save the dessert and cheese island for later. Cakes, pastries, chocolates and tarts, and soft, hard and flavoured cheese — there is enough to make a debauched meal out of these. Amongst these is also a gluten-free spread that includes madeleines, muffins and creamy cakes. Leave the best for the last, and instead, head to the waffles counter. They were absolutely crisp, and brought hot to our table. The butter simply melted into the waffle. Compotes and jams here make for good bread spreads too. I skipped the Indian breakfast items altogether — they didn’t quite appeal to me — and went straight for the eggs Benedict, along with small tastings of hash browns, dim sum, sausages and cold cuts. A hot cup of cappuccino with cocoa powdered on top was a sweet end to this satiating meal.

Open daily, breakfast timings are 6:30am-10:30am; the buffet breakfast is priced at AED 150/2,624;
palazzoversace.ae/en/restaurants.

Kitchen6

Kitchen6

Located on the first floor of JW Marriott Marquis, this dining hall has a delightful international feast. Counters are spread out in all directions, and if you reach early, you should grab a table by the dishes that please you the most. Despite its size, Kitchen6 gets crowded rather quickly. We sat bang in the middle of the restaurant because we wanted a little bit of everything, even second helpings. The first counter had Middle Eastern bread and dips with olives and other hot items. You could make a meal of this — I started with hummus, lebaneh and pita bread. Unfortunately the bread was cold from lying out for a while, and the waiter said he couldn’t do anything about it. I chose the lavash instead. The other counters had European fare, and Asian and Indian local picks. Live counters ensured our eggs were cooked exactly to our liking. As for the pancakes that accompanied the dessert buffet, they were soggy, but if you ask, the staff are happy to make you fresh, crispier ones.

Open daily, breakfast timings are 6am-11am; the buffet breakfast is priced at AED 140/2,449; jwmarriottmarquisdubailife.com/dining/kitchen6.

La Farine

La Farine

The selection of eggs at this restaurant at JW Marriott Marquis is heartwarming. There are at least four different varieties, in addition to the regular omelette and scrambled versions. Start with a bread basket that is served fresh out of the oven. In fact, for a full spread that includes most of what’s on the menu, visit on a Friday or Saturday for the Baker’s Breakfast. It is a three-course value meal that allows you to sample a large part of La Farine’s offerings. You start with freshly baked croissants, Danish bread and jams, in addition to a charcuterie platter: cold cuts, cheese and olives. For the next course, you can choose eggs, a crepe or a croque. I opted for the eggs Benedict that came with turkey ham. The creaminess was just right, and the taste of turkey wasn’t overpowered by the hollandaise sauce. For the sides I ordered the lyonnaise potatoes — with crispy and soft bits. The last bite was chased down with a generous serving of a double shot cappuccino. Even my hot cuppa was full of flavour, smoked and strong, just as I like it. It was indeed a sumptuous breakfast, one that didn’t have me regret missing the fruit platter, also part of the special menu.

Open daily, breakfast timings are 8am-1pm; Baker’s Breakfast per couple is priced at AED 210/3,674; jwmarriottmarquisdubailife.com/dining/lafarine.

Tresero

Tesoro

This space at Taj Dubai invites plenty of natural light through its large windows, glass doors and mesh ornamentation — also allowing an uninterrupted view of Burj Khalifa. Tesoro, with its gold, copper and lime green colour tones gives off a mix of Indian and Mediterranean vibes. The hot buffet spread includes Indian, Western, Oriental and Arabic cuisines, as well as live counters for waffles and pancakes. Dosas, parathas and eggs are made to order as per your taste. Accompanying these dishes are over a dozen varieties of homemade bread that change daily, much to the delight of long-staying guests. The healthy corner has gluten-free delicacies such as plain and flavoured yogurts, nuts, homemade granola and flavoured honey to list a few. Milk categories include camel, soya, full cream and low fat. The highlight would be choices of hot chocolate that can be customised to your liking.

Open daily, breakfast timings are 7am-10:30am, Friday-Saturday until 11am; the buffet breakfast is priced at AED 125/2,187; taj.tajhotels.com/en-in/taj-dubai/restaurants.

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