New brunches in Dubai
The weather is warming up, the sun is shining, which Dubai restaurants take as a sign to launch their brunches. Hence the flurry of releases we received this week announcing new ways to spend your money and your Friday. Brunch at the new Rib Room at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray is a la carte and starts from Dh350 per person, with three different options: Best of the Rib Room tasting menu (six courses of their British dishes); Sharing Menu (five courses of signature dishes, designed to be shared between two or four diners); Choose your Own (classic a la carte dishes). Think John Stone smoked short ribs, signature steaks and sticky toffee pudding. Music is from a jazz and swing band; beverage stations will change on a weekly basis. Noon-3.30pm starting from March 13; call 04-4530000. Sexy new spot Eden Beach Club (at the Rixos on the Palm) holds brunch on Saturdays, and it’s call Hedonistic. There’s house music, seafood-focused dishes such as salmon tartare, frutti di mare and sushi (served at your seats or by your private plunge pool) plus signature beverages. From Dh350, noon-5pm; call 04-2771477. Newly opened Delphine, at the H Hotel, is inspired by Hollywood for its Friday brunch with modern Californian bistro dishes and a live swing band. Starters and desserts are buffet-style, while mains are a la carte. The beverages are Californian, too. From Dh280, 12.30-4pm; call 04-5018623. Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina launches an evening Friday brunch that celebrates art called Sparkling @ Latest Recipe this week, from 7pm. On display is the work of Syrian photographer and poet Khalid Yousuf, who was commissioned by the hotel group to photograph the UAE through the glistening lens of a bubble. It’s from Dh375. And for the children, check out the The Westin Dubai’s new Saturday Pik-Nik, launching on March 7, 11.30am-4pm. Families get a basket full of food (breads, cheeses and charcuterie, mini salads, dips and other outdoor-friendly nibbles) while interactive entertainment changes each week, from face painting to kid’s club activities. Dh390 per basket for a family of two adults and two children, excluding beverages. Call 04-3994141.
Zuma’s brunch returns
Felt like there’s been a hole in your Friday since last June? The folks at Zuma, the consistently fabulous Japanese restaurant at DIFC, hear ya. They’re reinstating the brunch that they closed last summer, for just four months, starting on March 13, with dishes old and new. And it’s perfect for those with children that might think the buzzy Zuma experience is off-limits: There’s a supervised play area. New to the brunch are live cooking stations serving Japanese street food (takoyaki, wagyu beef shabu-shabu). Dishes such as jumbo tiger prawn with yuzu pepper; rib eye with wafu sauce and garlic crisps; and miso black cod are served at the table. It’s from noon-4pm weekly, until June 12. Packages from Dh395-595; Dh225 for children 4-12; children up to three years eat for free from the counters (one child per paying adult). Call 04-4255660.
Baker & Spice goes Capital
Love your Baker & Spice but wish you could enjoy it with a drink? Head to Capital Club in Dubai from March 8-12 for the Baker & Spice & Vine pop-up. The club, at DIFC, is usually open to members only but will be taking bookings for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the pop-up. Baker & Spice — the city’s pioneering organic, local, seasonal bakery and cafe (with locations in Downtown and Marina) has created a seasonal menu for the pop-up, and you can eat what you like, when you like. “The a la carte menu encourages Club members and guests to eat what they like: eggs, meat, poultry, fish, salads, desserts, as they like, when they like; breakfast for supper or supper for lunch,” says Emma Cullen, the Club’s general manager, “The invitation is to turn things topsy-turvy and sublimate each delicious mouthful with selections from a carefully curated Vine List.” Call 04-3640111.
