It probably hasn’t escaped the attention of chefs and restaurateurs at Abu Dhabi’s Ritz-Carlton, Grand Canal that some of their biggest rivals are right on their doorstep. Indeed, the Venetian Village, a collection of independent restaurants within the hotel grounds, has stolen a march on its five-star landlords, presenting some of the finest food the capital has to offer.
Those who have sampled the excellent Japanese outlet Inakaya would doubtless concur – and its French neighbour, Brasserie Flo, is better still. If our visit was anything to go by, it might be the best meal you’ll eat all year.
We have high hopes for the nearby Barfly and Olives, too – look out for our reviews of both in the coming weeks.
Aiming to create an alfresco European vibe with its waterside terrace – a facet shared by several of the adjacent Venetian Village venues – Brasserie Flo boasts a Breton chef in the shape of Sébastien Pinson, a solid, jovial fellow who looks like a physical testament to the tastiness of his food. He cheerfully tours the tables throughout our meal, greeting diners with an unforced friendliness that is so often missing from the service industry here.
And the service, it should be noted, comes a close second to the food in elevating Brasserie Flo to one of Abu Dhabi’s top chiens.
The two waiters who tend to our table were charming in entirely different ways. One was another Breton, who jokes that being from Brittany doesn’t entirely equate to being French – “It’s like the English and Welsh,” he points out. When I laughingly apologised for my attempts at a Gallic accent while ordering, the other, a likeably self-deprecating Serbian woman, cheekily admitted her pronunciation was similarly lacking, then stayed to chat at the end of our meal. An actual conversation is rarer than you might think in such circumstances.
The aforementioned individualistic Breton attitude is tangible across Brasserie Flo’s menu, with subtle embellishments to classic French fare that subtly enhance your experience rather than attempting culinary showboating.
Case in point: my dining partner’s starter, velouté de potiron luté au mile de sauce (cream of pumpkin soup), arrived piping hot beneath a domed puff-pastry crust, with a scoop of sage-honey cream on the side, to be stirred in as desired. It was hearty, flavoursome and perfect portioned.
My ravioli de homard et sa bisque (lobster ravioli), doused in a moreish lobster bisque at the table by our waiter, was equally well-proportioned – the single parcel of filled pasta initially appeared miserly, but the weight of its seafood would make a whole plateful terminal for anybody’s appetite.
And you wouldn’t want that, because you’d miss out on some truly fantastic mains. What my partner’s boeuf Bourguignon lacked in visual wow factor was ably compensated by the generous chunks of fall-apart braised beef, while the side mini-dish of cheese-laden Alsatian pasta gratin complemented it surprisingly well.
My whole sole de Douvres salvage (Dover sole) was even greater. Our waiter recommended it cooked in “meunière” style, rather than grilled. The outcome couldn’t have been any better, lending a lightly fried bite to the flat fish, which was expertly filleted next to our table and presented on a slate. Sides of pommels dauphine and creamed spinach sealed the deal.
Brasserie Flo’s flair for hijacking the norm continued right up until the last bite of dessert. The millefeuille with pears and salted caramel rounded off the French pastry’s corners in favour of a circular creation that delivered everything its flavour combination promised. The Paris-Abu Dhabi, a knowingly UAE-inspired update of the Paris-Brest patisserie favourite, pulled the opposite trick, piping light date cream into four choux-pastry spheres lined up in a row, rather than the traditional ring formation.
Our evening was coincidentally rounded off by a fireworks display across the water – but Brasserie Flo doesn’t need to rely on such pyrotechnics. It is a must-visit restaurant on any night of the week.
Our meal for two at Brasserie Flo, at Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Abu Dhabi, cost Dh686. For more information, call 02 404 1931. Reviewed meals are paid for by The National and conducted incognito
aworkman@thenational.ae
