Brunches have been on hold UAE-wide since mid-March. However, at some Dubai restaurants, the Friday dining ritual is back with safety precautions in place.
As per municipality guidelines, buffets are currently only allowed to be served to the plate, with many Friday brunches offering an a la carte menu instead.
"It’s been a challenging process over the past couple of weeks, but it’s brilliant to see the city opening up again," says Julien Pilard, co-founder of Bistro des Arts and Publique restaurants.
Pilard says the two restaurants have made changes ahead of reopening. "Over the past few weeks we’ve gone through a rigorous deep-cleaning process, implemented new procedures and guidelines, changed the layout of the venue to adhere to social-distancing regulations and we’ve also had to make temporary changes to our menus."
Here, we round up the brunches that have announced they're running in the emirate from this weekend:
Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters is reopening on Thursday, June 25, just in time for weekend brunch. Now at the earlier time of 1pm to 5pm every Friday, guests can enjoy an afternoon of music, food and drinks as the sun sets over Dubai Canal.
Packages start at Dh199 for food and soft drinks, Dh349 for food and house drinks, or Dh449 for the premium package.
Fridays, 1pm-5pm; from Dh199; Seven Sisters, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road; 056 775 4777, www.sevensistersdubai.com
Distillery Gastropub
This Downtown Dubai gastropub has introduced a new Friday brunch to its weekly offering, now taking place every Friday from 1pm to 4pm.
The Friday Distillery Brunch will offer diners three hours of unlimited food and beverages, all served to the table in a casual setting. Starters include wagyu beef tartare, popcorn prawns, a pound of wings flavoured to your liking, beef brisket fries with peppercorn gravy, spicy tomato bruschetta, or Caesar salad with veal bacon. For mains, there’s a choice of burgers and hotdogs, chilli con carne, fish and chips, chicken Parmesan and mushroom risotto. And, of course, no brunch would be complete without a selection of sweet treats.
Fridays, 1pm-4pm; Dh149 (soft drinks), Dh279 (house beverages); Distillery, Shop 01, Souk Al Manzil; 054 998 2003, www.distillerydubai.com
Tasca, Jumeirah Beach Road
A Portuguese-style brunch is back on the menu at Tasca. The Friday event will serve guests a feast of Portuguese favourites including a variety of seafood, grilled meats and desserts, washed down with a selection of specially created drinks.
Prices start from Dh350 including soft drinks and Dh450 for house beverages.
Fridays, 12.30pm to 4pm; from Dh350; Tasca, Mandarin Oriental, Jumeirah Beach Road; 04 777 2231, www.mandarinoriental.com
Nobu, Atlantis, The Palm
Famed Japanese restaurant Nobu is back with a new Weekend Brunch, taking place every Friday and Saturday from noon-3pm. Packages start at Dh345 per person, guests will get a selection of a la carte signature dishes, and drinks will be served to the table.
Dishes on offer include the famous black cod yuzu miso, chicken and avocado tacos, yellow tail jalapeno, shiitake salad with truffle dressing and assorted Nobu sushi and rolls.
Come dessert, there will be mochi ice cream, Nobu cheesecake and assorted fruits.
In line with the Dubai government guidelines, tables will be limited to a maximum of five guests, with limited occupancy and social-distancing measures in place.
Fridays and Saturdays, noon-3pm; Dh345 (soft drinks), from Dh435 (house beverages); Nobu, Atlantis, The Palm; 04 426 0800; www.atlantis.com/dubai/restaurants/nobu
Bistro Des Arts, Dubai Marina
The little French restaurant's classic breakfast brunch is a popular weekly affair. The Un Brunch a la Marina is coming back this Friday, offering a selection of pastries, a breakfast main dish, a traditional crepe and a hot drink of your choice for Dh99. There is also the option to upgrade to a three-drink package for an extra Dh75.
Adhering to all government guidelines, guests will notice that some tables aren’t in use to ensure a two-metre distance between customers.
Brunch will be served in three seatings, the first at 10am, the second at 11.45am and the third at 1.30pm.
Fridays and Saturdays, from 10am; from Dh99; Bistro Des Arts, Dubai Promenade, Dubai Marina; 04 551 1576; www.bistrodesarts.ae
Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen Dubai, Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai
Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen brunch will be back up and running from Friday, May 29. It's known for its grand buffet and live cooking challenges, however these will not be on offer for the time being.
Only customers aged 13 to 59 can dine at the restaurant, which is offering an a la carte brunch menu.
Fridays, 12.30pm-3.30pm; Dh295 (soft drinks), Dh395 (house beverages), Dh445 (sparkling); Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen Dubai, Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai; 04 556 6466
Lah Lah, Zabeel House by Jumeirah, The Greens
The Asian fusion neighbourhood restaurant is reopening its Friday brunch offering this weekend – it is already fully booked for May 29, but you can book for June 5. With the recommended two-metre space between tables (inside and out) and no buffet offering, the a la carte brunch, which includes dim sum, sushi and grilled dishes, will run relatively "as normal".
Of its social-distancing measures, the restaurant has outlined that there will be temperature checks for staff and guests before entering the hotel, all employees will wear gloves and masks and guests are to wear masks throughout their time at the hotel.
Table capacity is limited to groups of four (or five if the group live together), larger groups can book, but their tables will be two metres apart.
Guests will be permitted in the venue for a maximum of three hours, and only those between the ages of 13 and 59 are permitted to dine. The location will be fogged with sanitiser before and after service.
Fridays, noon-4pm; Dhs295 (soft drinks), from Dhs375 (house beverages), Dh450 (sparkling); Lah Lah, Zabeel House by Jumeirah, The Greens; 04 519 1111
