SHAKE UP YOUR SATURDAY: GARDENS OF BABYLON BRUNCH AT SHANGRI-LA
With summer knocking on the door and plenty of brunches moving indoors, this one is already in its element: plenty of space and a fabulous musician in the thick of it all, she gets tables up and dancing with hit after hit - a true one-woman-show.
The buffet selections are plentiful, and the good stuff just keeps on coming. From freshly shucked Dibba Bay oysters to a huge sushi offering - really excellent nigiri will have you going back for seconds - onto a wave of grilled-to-order fresh seafood, our seafood lovers are very well looked after.
Home comforts and nostalgia take hold at the roasts: epic portions, tender cuts of meat, the most aesthetic beef Wellington with taste to match (it feels like a crime to ask for the first slice, but do it!) and Yorkies that put many a Sunday roast to shame in both size and crispiness. Don’t sleep on the chargrilled Indian selection, your favourite meat cuts grilled-to-order, a top-notch Italian pizzeria in the corner churning out crispy pizza and focaccia and a very respectable Asian selection - we rate the siu mai, gyoza and DIY bao buns in particular!
Dessert will have your second stomachs working over time, and it would almost be quicker to list what they don't serve up! Honourable mentions go to the cookie pizza (ok, it isn't technically a pizza, but it is delicious), nitro ice cream whipped up in front of you amidst a cascade of dry ice, waffles and crepes made to order, two flavours of chocolate fountain and cake pops that you'll be looping back for a third helping of on the way out.
Save room for the pièce de résistance: the longest mille-feuille in Abu Dhabi! The chefs gather front and centre, tables are laid and the countdown begins: frantically piping in a race against time, the mille-feuille is concocted before your eyes, everyone clapping and cheering for what is a brilliant spectacle and tons of fun.
If Gardens of Babylon is conjuring images of fresh, exotic drinks, you’re not wrong: the cocktails are some of the best we’ve had at a brunch recently. Fresh, beautifully presented and with delicious layers of flavour, they were a treat - the Palo-ma’s tequila, hibiscus and grapefruit flavours are topped with a grapefruit segment filled with tequila jelly - clever.
As well as ethically-sourced, eco-friendly grapes and self-serve buckets of beer to compliment the table service, the DIY gin & tonic station is a fun touch, and the on-tap prosecco and Aperol a fabulous but dangerous addition if you're sitting nearby!
Perfect if you have a big group with something to celebrate, it’s equally fun for a Saturday afternoon date, and the singer will get the kids (and parents) up and dancing between trips to the chocolate fountain. Not one to miss this summer, we really rated everything from the views across the water to the wonderful staff as we ate, drank and danced our way through a Saturday afternoon that simply flew by.
Timing: Saturdays | 1PM - 4PM
Price: AED328 soft beverages | AED428 house package | AED528 bubbly
Bookings: +971 2 509 8555
Paid Partnership
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Danika Stay
5/21/2024
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