The location
Tucked inside the recently opened Courtyard Marriott World Trade Center, Abu Dhabi on Hamdan street, this new brunch is a hidden gem. Relaxing tones of cream and brown are accented by bright green décor and large windows offer a view of the bustling street life in Abu Dhabi. Along with rows of tables lining the windows, there are eight booths in the centre of the restaurant that each seat eight people. They’re separated by heavy, golden beaded curtains which adds to the intimate vibe.
The atmosphere
The Bistro seats 135 people and it feels like even less. No table in the restaurant is more than a 10-second walk to the buffet. The downsized food spread is a refreshing alternative to expansive venues offering way too much food (leading to way too much food waste). Often those bigger brunches come with music that overwhelms the space, making conversations at the table difficult at best. There is music here, but it’s soft, slow background music that allows for easy chats with family and friends. On the day we visited, The Bistro was filled with young adults, couples and there was even a table or two of singles — businessmen no doubt. It is a kid-friendly brunch but there were fewer than 10 kids there during our visit (and two were mine).
The food
Where many brunches pride themselves on the vast number of dishes to try, The Bistro prides itself on doing a smaller variety of signature dishes well. Standouts include: baked Arabic fatteh made with ample bits of pita bread along with aubergine, Arabic spices, a mix of peppers and a creamy, slightly tangy yogurt/tahini sauce; razor clam shells filled with fresh clam ceviche (my favourite of the day); the fresh-baked parsley and Brie-cheese bread and the bread infused with capers and blue cheese; and the surprisingly simple — yet delicious — baked yogurt (reminiscent of the best part of a cheesecake). Don’t miss the pineapple salsa next to the grill section or the six sauces in the Asian section. The Bistro’s chefs have mastered the art of sauces and salsas — go out of your way to taste them all. For kids, there were two different pizza selections on display, but there were no chafing dishes filled with nuggets, chips and dried-out potatoes. This is a big plus in my book. Instead of overheated, shrivelled up hot dogs, the chef told us kids’ meals can be made to order. Options include nuggets, pasta, macaroni and cheese, eggs Benedict and more.
Who’s it best for
Families, couples and small groups of friends will feel most comfortable here. This isn’t one for the loud crowd. Families will love the kids’ corner — a large separate room just off the side of the buffet that’s easy to see from most seats in the dining area. There are two dining tables in the kids’ room as well, but best to leave the littles on their own and enjoy your meal at the adult tables. There was a supervisor in the kids’ area the entire brunch and she did well to keep the few kids there corralled. Entertainment included face painting, colouring books, Disney movies and fun gummy lollies as treats.
The verdict
This brunch serves up quality food on an easy to navigate buffet. At just Dh135 a head, it’s one of the least expensive brunch options we’ve seen in the capital. It’s just three hours long but that should still be plenty of time to fill your belly.
Note: You can valet for free at the hotel but be forewarned: if you leave your car parked overnight, you must have you brunch receipt to retrieve it the next day — or risk a Dh150 parking charge.
• The Bistro's Friday Brunch Dh135 per person with soft drinks every Friday from 12:30pm until 3:30pm. For reservations, call 02 698 2222
sjohnson@thenational.ae
