Ready to step into the jazz age? Gatsby Brunch at Ray’s Bar is bringing the roaring ‘20s to Abu Dhabi and – well, old sport – you don’t definitely want to miss it.
Ray’s Bar is located on the 62nd floor at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers. Step out of the ear-popping elevator ride up on a Friday night and you’ll hear live jazz music mixed with chattering voices as the Gatsby brunch heats up. This is about as buzzy as it gets in such a lush location.
As soon as you walk into the bar there are feather boas, fedoras and masquerade masks that are free to use for the night, plus funny sayings on sticks to give you the ultimate photo-op. Once you take your pick of the accessories (and snap that all-important picture for the ‘gram) take your seat in front of the jazz performers and start ordering.
The brunch is served sharing-style to your table and there is no soft package, so if you’re not drinking the many mixed drinks on offer, you might not feel you’re getting your money’s worth.
The “old sport” package is Dhs379 per person and gets you the usual house drinks, bottled hops and some fantastic mixed drinks (we’ll get to those in a minute). If you want to order red, white, pink or fizzy grape on top of that, the “bees knees” package is Dhs479 per person. Or you can truly party like Jay Gatsby and plump for the “prohibition” package, which costs Dhs679 per person with all the previous options plus bubbly.
The server will need to explain the mixed drinks, since they are creatively named on the menu and don’t actually say what’s in them. Go with your gut and order whatever sounds good, since each of the drinks is a quality shout.
Onto the food, the focus of this brunch seems to be mainly on atmosphere and drinks, with just three courses and a smaller menu than some other brunches we’ve been to. If you’re only looking for a purely foodie brunch experience, you’re better placed elsewhere. But that’s not to say the food isn’t great.
First up, the cold starters arrive with a lobster Newburg po’ boy, Waldorf salad and potted mud crab. Everything comes in a little glass container or plate, and whatever you like you can order more of. The lobster is the winner from this course and comes poached and stuffed in French bread with creamy herb sauce. Try to hold back from ordering too many, there are a couple more courses to get through.
The hot courses come with short rib mac ‘n cheese (incredibly moreish) and oysters with Roquefort cheese (a bit of an acquired taste). The lamb wellington and spinach and artichoke tart are both nice enough, if not particularly memorable.
Finally, be sure to save room for dessert, which includes four different dishes. There’s a rhubarb and apple pie with vanilla sauce, chocolate torte with candied orange, wild berry Eton mess with honey whipped cream and sticky toffee pudding. Yeah, you heard us.
All of that steeped in a fun atmosphere and upbeat jazz music in one of Abu Dhabi’s best bars? It’s no wonder the Gatsby Brunch at Ray’s Bar is one of the most fun Friday evenings to be had in the capital.
Dhs379 (house, mixed), Dhs479 (grape), Dhs679 (bubbly).
