You’d be hard pushed to name a more iconic hotel in Abu Dhabi, or even the UAE, than the W Hotel Yas Island – Abu Dhabi.
First, there’s the stunning façade, visible from most vantage points on Yas and lit up in the evenings with it’s distinctive shell illuminating the night sky.
Take a step inside the hotel and it’s as stylish as they come: everything from the entrance to the rooms, all the venues and even the reception area are modern, chic and oozing unmistakable style and class.
Then there’s the small matter of Yas Marina Circuit’s turquoise track that meanders through the hotel adding another reason to check out the hotel year-round.
When we arrive at the venue on Friday afternoon for brunch there’s already a good vibe in the room. We’re among the first to rock up but it quickly fills and there’s something of a party atmosphere already.
Almost immediately we’re handed our first drink and we’re taking in the sights from the outdoor terrace overlooking the race track.
Inside it looks like an Instagram shoot, and some diners are already snapping pictures of the dangling vegetation, modern, industrial fittings and vibrant seating areas that all differ to the next. It’s a stunning dining room.
At Brunch In Garage there are five different cooking stations to visit, each specialising in its own cuisine – from steamed dumplings to meat, seafood to dessert it’s all laid out, looking appealing and made to order so everything you eat is as fresh as possible.
We start with Asian bites, luscious lobster spring rolls, crispy gyoza and the stunning, bright purple Chinese chicken and cabbage rolls. It’s all great, the latter especially.
Next, we enjoy pillow-soft dim sum, delivered by a chef to our table on a passing cart followed by a butter chicken burrito, which is, as you would expect, great.
An hour in and we hear the unmistakable sound of engines roaring as the F3 cars take to the track. Throughout the afternoon more supercars race round the world-famous circuit adding another level of excitement and making your brunch pics on social media all the more jealousy inducing.
For the mains, our pick of the bunch are the pulled beef burgers that are both belly busting and as pretty as a picture. There’s loads more to tuck into but we’re saving room for dessert.
Speaking of which, we admit defeat after eating an Oreo tart topped with coffee ice cream, which is every bit as good as it sounds.
Overall, the food is great, the dishes innovative and perfectly presented, the venue is stunning and the vibe upbeat. This is a stellar brunch, there’s no doubt about it.
If we have to pick a fault we’d say that a little more variation from the mains would be welcomed but really most of the bases are covered. You best believe we’ll be coming back for this one, hopefully sometime soon.
Dhs250 (soft drinks), Dhs365 (house beverages), Dhs525 (bubbly). Fri 12.30pm-4pm. W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island (02 656 0000).
