When it comes to cities with great brunch traditions, it is hard to top New York, a place that seems to have perfected the ways in which one can eat eggs well into a leisurely afternoon. But a desert-based upstart may be looking to take over. Dubai has developed a reputation for creating some of the world’s grandest buildings, water fountains and shopping malls, and its sights are now set on becoming a premier destination for the hallowed weekend repast.
In this emirate, Friday brunch–workweeks here run Sunday to Thursday; Friday officially starts the weekend–has become a serious social and culinary institution. Locals and visitors alike indulge in their Champagne wishes and caviar dreams, and every eatery in the desert wonderland is committed to staging a foodie undertaking that will stand up to its closest rival.
Stroll into Madinat Jumeirah’s Al Qasr on a Friday and you will find 800 diners holding one thing: a map. Each and every visitor needs it in order to navigate the sprawling feast that occupies the entire first floor of the building. There are 37 stations in all, so tracking down, say, the omelets is anything but a simple mission. Depending on where you sit, you might not make it past the waffles or the Mexican offerings before hearing eggshells crack over a skillet.
Madinat Jumeirah’s weekly blowout may seem over the top, but Dubai’s brunch scene is, generally, not for the faint of heart. Restaurants such as Toro Toro and Hakkasan, for example, forgo never-ending, trip-around-the-world buffets for meals that highlight their specialties (Latin American fare and dim sum, respectively). Others opt for a more atmospheric experience like the elegant affair at Traiteur in the Park Hyatt Dubai, where menu standouts include flavorful escargot and panfried foie gras. Spectrum on One at the Fairmont Dubai gets celebratory, putting together a bubbly brunch featuring unlimited flutes of Moët Chandon sparkling rosé.
The options are endless, but here are ten Dubai hot spots that are well worth a reservation.
–Chadner Navarro
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Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah
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The labyrinthine weekly brunch that Al Qasr coordinates is so vast, it demands the building’s entire first floor, the kitchens of three restaurants at Madinat Jumeirah and a map of the spread for each of the 800 people who eat there on any given Friday. It is the biggest brunch in Dubai, with a station for most cuisines, from Malaysian to Italian. There are also eight designated liquor stations, a candy outpost and a spot devoted entirely to cured salmon. $125 (with alcoholic beverages, $150); Mina a’Salam, Jumeirah Beach Rd.; 971-4/366-6730; a href=”http://jumeirah.com” target=”_hplink”jumeirah.com/a.
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Azur Restaurant, Raffles Dubai
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The Friday Roast at Azur Restaurant focuses on traditional British cuisine, serving Yorkshire pudding, platters of smoked fish and a variety of roasted meats from the carving station. But last September, in celebration of Raffles’s 125th anniversary, the restaurant added some historical fare to its menu, pulling dishes (toad in the hole, fish-and-oyster pie) from cookbooks published in the second half of the 19th century. Some of the meatier home-cooked dishes, which rotate weekly, feature less-popular cuts like collared beef, lamb neck and rabbit offal for a unique take on brunching. The special collection of century-old dishes will be served through September 2013. $65 (with alcoholic beverages, $104); Oud Metha; 971-4/324-8888; a href=”http://raffles.com/dubai” target=”_hplink”raffles.com/dubai/a.
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Hakkasan, Jumeirah Emirates Towers
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The Friday and Saturday dim sum brunch at Hakkasan, the popular international Chinese-food chain, may not be as varied as what one would find elsewhere in town, but dim sum aficionados will enjoy the ten-dish brunch set (plus a round of homemade sorbets for dessert), which ranges from the tried-and-true (grilled vegetable dumplings, scallop siu mai) to the unexpected (baked venison puff, poached Peking dumplings served in a spicy broth). $55 (with tea), $110 (with wine), $135 (with Champagne); Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Rd.; 971-4/384-8484; a href=”http://hakkasan.com” target=”_hplink”hakkasan.com/a.
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Toro Toro, Grosvenor House
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The year-old Hola Hola brunch at acclaimed chef Richard Sandoval’s Dubai restaurant is all about bringing the flavors of Latin America to the desert. The nightlife-inspired decor delivers a hip-and-happening backdrop to Toro Toro’s sit-and-share dining style—the ideal way to savor Sandoval’s eclectic selection of dishes, which includes everything from ceviche to guacamole to chorizo empanadas to perfectly crisp yucca fries. And in the heart of it all is the eatery’s incredibly popular churrasco grill, manned by master passadores ready to serve hungry carnivores premium cuts of chicken, lamb and beef. $80 (with alcoholic beverages, $110); Grosvenor Tower Two, Dubai Marina; 971-4/317-6000; a href=”http://richardsandoval.com” target=”_hplink”richardsandoval.com/a.
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Nobu, Atlantis, The Palms
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Like at any of chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurants around the world, you will want to dress to impress when opting for the High Brunch at Atlantis, The Palms, where the interior’s cutting-edge style provides a dramatic setting no matter the meal. (Nobu is hands down the city’s most glamorous destination for Asian food.) Expect access to some of the masterpieces that have made the chef an international superstar, such as sashimi salad with soy-sauce dressing, squid pasta in a light garlic sauce and black cod in miso. And unlike most of what goes on in the city on Fridays, Nobu’s brunch is a short, three-hour operation (noon to 3 p.m.). $100 (with alcoholic beverages, $150); Crescent Rd.; 971-4/426-0760; a href=”http://atlantisthepalm.com” target=”_hplink”atlantisthepalm.com/a.
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Peck, Armani Hotel Dubai
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The highlight of this all-day affair (brunch is served from noon to 9 p.m.) is that guests are treated to some of the best Italian products found in Dubai. Modeled after Milan’s Peck deli, a 125-year-old Milanese gourmet icon, the place offers freshly baked bread, rich cheeses, perfectly cooked pastas and more. Chef Francesco Dimonte and his team’s menu of made-to-order dishes (saffron risotto, melt-in-your-mouth osso buco, sinful white-chocolate cheesecake) changes weekly and—like at any table in Italy—is meant to be shared. $70 (with alcoholic beverages, $100); Sheikh Zayed Rd.; 971-4/888-3888; a href=”http://armanihotels.com” target=”_hplink”armanihotels.com/a.
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Rotisserie, OneOnly Royal Mirage
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While the menu here is of the international variety, pay close attention to the Arab-inspired specialties like tagines and sambouseks. The restaurant’s signature, however, is a slow-roasted whole ouzi (lamb prepared with a special rub of Middle Eastern spices), imported all the way from New Zealand and cooked over a wood-stoked fire on a spit—just as tradition requires. It is served over fragrant Arabic rice, more local spices and dates (the fruit of the region), with the sounds of traditional tablas and ouds playing in the background. From $45; Al Sufouh Rd.; 971-4/399-9999; a href=”http://oneandonlyresorts.com” target=”_hplink”oneandonlyresorts.com/a.
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Spectrum on One, Fairmont Dubai
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The brunch service at this Dubai institution features eight different interactive cooking stations that whip up dishes derived from cuisines hailing from India, the Middle East, Thailand, Europe and more. And while the dishes certainly deserve praise, what puts this Friday afternoon meal on the city’s culinary map is the pink Champagne option, offering an unlimited supply of Moët Chandon Rosé, plus a wide selection of other beverages that the restaurant has in stock. $95 (with beer and wine, $125; with Moët Chandon Champagne, $155; with Moët Chandon Rosé Champagne, $182); 308th Rd.; 971-4/311-8316; a href=”http://fairmont.com” target=”_hplink”fairmont.com/a.
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Splendido, Ritz-Carlton Dubai
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In an attempt to stimulate the senses, the Ritz-Carlton Dubai’s Splendido restaurant (its usual menu focuses on Italian cuisine) has scoured the globe for a feast that touches on the colors, flavors and scents of all four of its corners. And while the entire spread (from the Australian meat barbecue to the crêperie) is a proven crowd-pleaser, the biggest draw might just be the made-to-order risotto and pasta station, which makes a simple yet delicious tagliatelle with pesto sauce. To top it all off, the brunch boasts quite a dessert selection, featuring no less than 20 different pastries, cakes and sweets, including baklava, poached pears and profiteroles. $75 (with alcoholic beverages, $100; with premium and vintage liqueur, $190); Plot B-95 Jebel Ali; 971-4/399-4000; a href=”http://ritzcarlton.com” target=”_hplink”ritzcarlton.com/a.
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Traiteur, Park Hyatt Dubai
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Quite possibly the most elegant dining room in the emirate, Traiteur at the Park Hyatt Dubai provides a complete culinary experience at any time. An exciting fine-dining menu at brunch, which celebrates all things French (succulent escargot, Châteaubriand steak), matches the restaurant’s striking, design-forward decor. Guests will also find Dubai’s only panfried-foie-gras station and suckling-pig spit roast. From $115 (with alcoholic beverages, $135); Flora Creek; 971-4/317-2222; a href=”http://hyatt.com” target=”_hplink”hyatt.com/a.
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