Captain’s Arms’ ‘Irish cheesecake: Now, quite where the ‘Irish’ comes into the equation with this delicious little concoction is anybody’s guess: the main flavours are provided by a zingy lemon and lime zip. No matter though because it’s downright delectable, with its creamy filling and nice biscuity crunch, and that’s all that matters.
Le Méridien Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club Area (02 644 6666).
Heroes’ Eton Mess: Massive fists of meringue are crammed into a ceramic bowl overflowing with what looks like shovel-loads of sweet cream and lashings of fresh fruit. Impossibly sweet and pretty much impossible to finish, but if you’re anything like us you’ll have a ton of fun trying to.
Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Hamdan Street (02 616 6132).
Quest’s five lychee dessert: We cannot resist the five lychee dessert at this Pan-Asian restaurant, which consists of fruit prepared in, you guessed it, five ways. Jellies, ice cream, sorbet, candy floss and, of course, fresh lychees served on a delicious vanilla custard. Very good indeed.
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Corniche Road West (02 811 5555).
Le Café’s blueberry cheesecake: It’s always hard to say no to cheesecake and you’ll have an even harder time saying it to this one. A perfect serving of the richest, creamiest filling sits atop a buttery biscuit base topped off with fresh blueberries and a sprinkling of gold leaf. Need we say more?
Emirates Palace, Ras al Akhdar (02 690 7999).
Pearls & Caviar’s crème brulée: The crème brûlée comes with a clever twist at this ever-so-chic seafood restaurant. No ordinary dessert, the rich crème pistachio filling sits with raspberries, chocolate and frosted pistachios with gold leaf. It is really a knockout dish and the presentation is nothing short of fabulous.
Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri (02 509 8777).
Brasserie Angelique’s crêpe suzette: If the smell of crêpe suzettes cooking on a portable trolley doesn’t make your mouth water then nothing will. A simple mix of butter, sugar and orange are flambéed into a delicious syrup, which is then used to flavour a fresh, warm pancake. Presentation is beautiful and the taste is just amazing.
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Corniche Road West (02 811 5555).
Sofra Bld’s chocolate fountain: Quite frankly, these days a brunch just isn’t a brunch without a chocolate fountain. Sofra Bld have three (dark, milk and white) and their milk chocolate fountain is still our favourite. The options for dipping are fresh, plentiful and unusual and the chocolate itself is sweet and not gloopy or oily.
Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri (02 509 8888).
Toki’s tempura ice cream: Ice cream lovers simply have to try this special creation at Toki. A large scoop of vanilla is covered with tempura batter and drizzled with dark chocolate sauce. The dessert is presented with whipped cream and slices of fruit and is an ideal portion for sharing. Make sure you finish off your meal here with one of these!
Hilton Abu Dhabi, Al Khubeirah (02 678 7700).
Scott’s honeycomb chocolate bomb: A chocolate ball is served, and a waiter brings a pot of piping hot dark chocolate which he pours over the ball causing the structure to slowly cave in. Not only is each bite an explosion of rich chocolate, but there are actually parts that pop on your tongue, making this a truly memorable dessert experience!
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Corniche Road West (02 811 5555).
The One Café’s carrot cake: Although nearly everything on the menu at this venue is yummy, you should always leave room for some of their carrot cake. A hefty slice with a thick layer of icing is served with a dollop of whipped cream. The cake is the perfect blend of fluffiness and sweetness.
The One, Al Khalidiyah (02 681 6500).
Zaatar w Zeit’s Nutella manoushe: Most sugar-heads will agree that there is something undeniably powerful and satisfying about plain old Nutella. Banking on this fact are Zaatar w Zeit, who offer a Nutella manoushe as a dessert. As if Nutella wasn’t perfect enough, this version is warm, making the experience a little more special.
Abu Dhabi Mall, Tourist Club Area (600 522231).
Hanoi Café’s fried bananas: Even though fried bananas probably aren’t all that good for you, they still count as fruit in our books! The fruit pieces are served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Let the ice cream melt on the bananas or enjoy the difference in temperature – this is a simple dish that adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
Khalifa Street, Al Markaziyah (02 626 1112).
Bord Eau’s chocolate extravaganza: The chocolate extravaganza is an ample-sized sphere of chocolate which comes filled with chocolate mousse. On top sits a piece of gold leaf. It looks stunning. Rich chocolate sauce is poured on the top and then the whole thing melts and collapses, leaving you with an overload of rich, yet mouthwatering chocolate to devour.
Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri (02 509 8888).
Sho Cho’s ginger ice cream: This little number is simply heaven. The key to its success is the copious amount of real, shredded ginger stirred into the creamy ice cream. It’s the perfect way to cleanse your palate after your main and is also great if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth.
Souk Qaryat Al Beri, Bain Al Jessrain (02 558 1117).
Sevilo’s semifreddo: Served in a tall glass and filled with a fantastic cold and thick vanilla custard, with little lumps of soft meringue snuggled within the depths and topped with chocolate sauce. It is big enough for two but it will be difficult to share once you have that first taste.
Millennium Hotel, Khalifa Street (02 614 6000).
Cantina Laredo’s skillet apple pie: A big square of apple pie served warm on a hot skillet with a butter sauce drizzled into the skillet at the table, turning it into a gorgeous, gooey caramel sauce. The apple pie itself is delicious, but the sauce shoots it into the stratosphere.
Khalidiya Mall, Al Khalidiyah (02 635 4877).
Silk and Spice’s mango sticky rice: One of our top desserts, and in Abu Dhabi this is one of the best. It is served in a copper dish on top of a burner that keeps the rice warm, which the absolutely fantastic coconut ice cream slowly melts around cubes of ripe mango. You’ll find it difficult to stop eating until there is nothing left in the dish.
Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche, Corniche Road East (02 813 7777).
Sontaya’s molton chocolate cake: It’s all about the goo in the liquid centre with this one and the chocolate manages to be rich, dark and creamy all at once. Sweet without being sickly and beautifully presented.
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Saadiyat Island (02 498 8888).
