It’s rare to encounter an iftar that’s worth a return visit within the same season: so many iftars, so little time, and so, so much biryani and Umm Ali.
But Abu Dhabi’s Ritz-Carlton charmed us with a few unique treats the other night in its Giornotte restaurant, with a stand serving the freshest felafel (shaped and fried as you wait), a date/avocado smoothie (quite possibly the smoothest smoothie ever) and a man pouring jalab and other juices from a tap attached to a decorative metal cooler strapped to his back (the ice jangling around inside as he walked around, like a human musical ice cream lorry).
From destination brunch to destination iftar, the Ritz-Carlton is definitely worthy of a return.
Iftar at Giornotte is Dh215 (or Dh65 for children 4-12 and Dh161 for children 13-16). For reservations, call 02 818 8282.
