Outdoor iftars in the summer heat and humidity can be tricky if you’re interested in keeping your make-up intact and your shirts crisp. But if a relaxed ambience with a touch of nature is what you’re after then the Palm Garden Ramadan Tent at Park Hyatt could be your new favourite spot.
Located in a lush garden on the vast Hyatt property, this glass house-style tent (yes, it’s see-through) is surrounded by beautiful flowering bushes and trees, which would make for a lovely evening stroll in better weather. Inside, the tent is cool and comfortable.
The space itself is small but cosy. The dim lighting, rich Arabian-style decor and low seating add to the relaxed atmosphere — there are no pretensions here.
As an appetiser enthusiast, I was thoroughly impressed by the starters on offer. My favourites — cheese sambousek and kibbeh — were done to perfection. The sambousek was crisp and light with a substantial, flavourful filling. The kibbeh was moist and perfectly meaty. The hummus, labneh and baba ganoush were fresh and done very well.
Onto the mains, I was excited to see one of my favourite Arabian dishes, bamia (okra and lamb stew), in the buffet. I quickly spooned myself a portion of the dish and it was as good as I expected it to be. The meat was juicy and tender and okra was cooked just right in the rich, hearty tomato sauce.
Another simple dish that was done well was the lamb biryani. The meat was fall-apart soft and rice perfectly spiced and fragrant. I wish I had space for a second serving. But after filling up on other dishes including slightly dry chicken kebabs, a chicken tagine and some more cheese sambousek (I couldn’t help myself), I was ready to move on to desserts.
The best dish for me was the Umm Ali. The warm, creamy sauce layered with puff pastry, nuts and dry fruit is what a dessert-lover’s dreams are made of. There was also a very good creme caramel, creamy and not sickly sweet, and tiny, adorable pieces of baklava.
Even with the fancy setting, the Palm Garden Tent does itself a favour by putting the focus on simple, fantastic food. And for the everyday person just looking for a good Iftar to sit down and enjoy, that’s a very good thing.
The details
Where: Park Hyatt Dubai
Price: Dh180 per person
Call: 04-6021234
HERE ARE SEVEN OTHER IFTARS TO TRY
Ballaro, Conrad Dubai
The stylish haven in the heart of cosmopolitan Dubai, has a varied Iftar featuring a mix of mezze starters and hot buffet, and a rotation of classic Arabian dishes to celebrate the holy month, available from sunset and until 9pm, where guests can pick from six menu options including dishes such as sambousek lamb, daod basha, and dajaj bil batata. For dessert, traditional dishes including date tarts and znoud al sit. Suhoor from 9pm onwards.
Price: Dh165 food only.
Call: 04-4447111
Manino, First Central Hotel Apartments, Dubai
This one offers a special selection of dishes to replenish the spirit of those observing the holy occasion. Choice of an Iftar buffet or an a la carte set menu that include cold and hot mezze, soups, Arabian and Asian dishes, desserts and traditional Ramadan juices. In addition, there will be live cooking on certain days for Iftar. Shisha is also offered during the entire month. The Suhoor menu includes a healthy combination of dates, fruits, hummus, foul medammas, cheese platter, yoghurt, oats, cereal with hot milk, and an assortment of Arabian soft bread and croissants. Iftar: Dh65 per person while Suhoor is Dh35. Groups of five pay for only four people during Iftar, children below twelve years pay half, and its free for kids below six years.
Price: Dh65
Call: 04-4544900.
Atrium, Grand Millennium Dubai
A perfect venue to experience rich traditions of the evening meal during Ramadan. The delicacies from the Arab world offered include a variety of soups, salads and hot dishes with mezze like kebbeh, sambousek and fatayer, besides traditional Arabic delicacies of charcoal-grilled meat selections including shish taouk, shawarma, kofta, mixed-grilled meat and lamb roast. Arabic sweets and coffee are also available along with a choice between laban and fresh fruit juices.
Price: Dh140 per person including traditional beverages.
Call: 04-4299999
Ramada Plaza JBR, Dubai
Break your fast at Shores, Iftar buffet with Arabian cuisine while enjoying live entertainment along with daily surprises. Suhoor’s a la carte menu at Sama Lounge features Ramadan delicacies with various shisha selections, backgammon and traditional Arabian music.
Price: Dh149 per person
Call: 04-4398888
Right Bite
If you are watching your weight but don’t want to miss out on dessert, indulge your sweet tooth with the Right Bite Ramadan Dessert Hamper. It features six bags of low-calorie and low-fat goodies packed with nutrient-dense superfoods. The range also includes all-time favourites such as muffins, bars, tarts, pies, cakes and cookies in a variety of flavours, as well as traditional Middle Eastern sweets and pastries, including maamoul, atayef and fatayer, to name a few. Wheat-free bakery items, cookies and cakes, ideal for those with certain food intolerances, are also available. Customers must place their orders at least two working days in advance. Full skinny delites menu can be viewed at right-bite.com.
Price: Dh300
Call: 04-3388763
Tilal Liwa Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Observe the Holy Month of Ramadan in true Arabian setting, perched on the edge of Rub Al Khalil Desert in Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter. The Iftar buffet comprises of a widespread selection of Arabic and Oriental dishes ranging from appetisers and salads to traditional Arabian sweets and seasonal juices from sunset until 10.30pm at Dh150 per person and Suhoor for Dh110 per person. Enjoy shisha with Arabian sweets for Dh90, or Dh50 for Arabic sweets only. Children below six years enjoy free meals and those between the ages of six and twelve years get a 50 per cent discount.
Price: Dh150
Call: 02-8946111
Asia De Cuba, Abu Dhabi
The Chino-Latino dining lounge and beach deck offers a specially crafted Iftar menu for the holy month. A union of Asian and Latin flavours with an Arabian touch, from sundown, guests can explore a four-course menu, created by Chef de Cuisine Phillip Harbin and Executive Global Chef Luis Pous. Break your fast with a selection of sun-dried fruit and nuts, as well as stuffed dates with goat cheese, pistachio and cardamom, indulge in small plates such as black bean hummus with tahini and lime, entrees include grilled lamb chops with stuffed lamb saddle and black bean hash and a choice of bread pudding with orange blossom honey cream and pistachio or sorbet with meringue, yuzu and coconut water for dessert.
Price: Dh175 per person.
Call: 02-6993333
