Is A Brunch A Good Enough Reason To Head To Abu Dhabi?… We Think This One Is!

We are very vocal about our love of Dubai and all the city has to offer – so we believe if you’re going to leave our lovely Emirate you’ll need a seriously good reason.

Is a brunch a good enough reason to head to Abu Dhabi? We think this one is!

We were invited to brunch at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort last Friday. I lived in Abu Dhabi when I first moved to the UAE and I’ve tried a few (*cough* nearly all) of the brunches down there, this is hands down this is the best Abu Dhabi has to offer.

What Makes This Brunch Stand Out?

Everything. The exterior of the hotel, the most amazing huge windows in the lobby that offer uninterrupted clear blue sea views, quality food and drinks, a hoppin’ band, attention to detail in every aspect and a reasonable price. This is the perfect mix of everything you want from a good brunch.

For those who go for the food…

It would be boring to list everything that’s on offer and it would take some time to list everything we ate….I will however, give a small list of what we loved.

We started with a great eggs benedict served on some to-die-for waffles. We loved the butchers station where we stocked up on mini-hotdogs and mini-calzones and from the carvery we loved the tender lamb accompanied by dauphinoise potatoes and some steamed veg…a superb third main course!

We didn’t get to the oyster shucking station, the foie gras station or the station that gave blind wine tastings…how did we miss this?! The fish cooked in salt was an interesting sight, it didn’t whet my appetite but it was apparently very succulent!

And for the ones there for the drinkies…

Abu Dhabi has a lot to learn from Dubai when it comes to drinks at brunches. The St. Regis however, could give the lesson. You’ll love the Eatini station, where they recreated the Martini drink adding jelly and in some cases cool smoking effects. The tropical twist cocktails were unreal, something special to look at and not to sweet which is key when the serving is nearly a liters worth!

Let me not forget the bloody mary station, the whiskey station, the chili spiced infused vodka, Raphael’s gin infused with fresh fruits…as with the rest of the brunch the attention to detail here is spot on.

For The Ones With A Sweet Tooth

Seriously Willy Wonka would be proud of this one. S’mores (which you toast yourself!), sweet shop candy, made up on the spot ice cream concoctions to rival Cold Stone; the dessert space has something for everyone. Each particular dessert was so incredibly detailed, more like works of art than delicious desserts.

We REALLY recommend the macaroons with gold leaf, I’m not a huge macaroon fan but these were ridiculously good!

For those who are feeling cheesy…

Whether you’re a fan of cheese or not it’s hard not to be impressed with the spread of cheese on offer.

The room is on a floor of it’s own above 55&5th, when we visited there were over 42 different cheeses available. Don’t brie(!) afraid to try a few when you visit.

What Brought It All Together?

Nothing can make or break a brunch like a good band.

The music which was a great mix of new and old was curated by Naz Holland & Band. There was a bit of everything being played and the tunes suited the day perfectly.

Is It One For The Kiddies?

I hate to say ‘yes’ because I don’t want my new favourite brunch turning into the kiddies favourite too… but yes this is one definitely one for them. They’ll LOVE Wonka’s factory and there are a few entertainers and a cool kids room to keep them very occupied through out the afternoon.

What are your options?

Spend the weekend here. Really.

A Saturday at the beach is just what you need after such indulgence! We chilled out at the ‘after brunch party’ at Turquoiz bar on the beach and it really is endless white sand and clear blue sea every where you look.

Dip your toes in the sand (maybe loosen a belt buckle of two) and just chill out.

In comparison with competitors on the Abu Dhabi brunch scene, and for what’s on offer we think the price point is very reasonable.

Silk Package at AED 300 inclusive of non -alcoholic beverages

Pearl Package at AED 395 inclusive of house beverages

Diamond Package at AED 495 inclusive of food and bubbly

Check out their site for more information on weekend packages.