A trip to Saadiyat Island is always a treat, and never more so than when we are heading there for brunch. The Café at Abu Dhabi’s dreamy Park Hyatt is our Friday destination of choice. Here, a substantial, yet not over-whelming, brunch greets us as we walk into the all-day dining restaurant.
The pretty terrace surrounded by green lawns with the hotel pool to one side is small, cosy and relaxed so we grab a seat at one of the bistro tables.
Venturing back inside, we discover several live cooking stations serving up international favourites including a choice of succulent-looking roasts at a carving station, complete with all the trimmings (the roast duck is a firm favourite and warrants a second helping).
The displays seriously wow, with fruit towers and vases of fresh flowers dotted in between the bowls of colourful food.
Seafood lovers will be thrilled with the shellfish selection with oysters, lobster claws and crab all heaped high in glass bowls of ice, while those following a plant-based diet can load their plate from a dedicated vegan section – though we are perplexed to see the table flanked by a whole fleshy fish, which sits elegantly on the adjacent table alongside other meaty bites.
The pizza is cooked to order and the chef is only too happy to provide us with a whole one to take back to the table to save us coming back time and again for a slice at a time, it really is that good.
Sushi, slow-cooked ribs, kung pao chicken and Japanese noodle soup (freshly-made with your choice of ingredients), plus lamb chops and pan-seared foie gras are all on offer, but it’s the Indian section that really grabs our attention. Popadoms, mango chutney and a buttery chicken curry accompanied by white steamed rice are the perfect way to bring our main feast to a close.
Realising that we haven’t spotted the kids for a while (having sent them off to find the kids’ club, and deciding that they probably need to eat), we set off to Camp Hyatt and discover we needn’t have worried.
A buffet spread wraps around one end of the vibrant play zone where kids are happily doing arts and crafts, playing board games, watching television or splashing in the kids pool – all under the watchful eye of staff who tell us our kids have gone back for thirds of the hot dogs, as well as mac ’n’ cheese.
With them evidently sorted, we eagerly head back inside for cheese, where a cheeseboard is laden with some seriously creamy, gooey fromage that we are keen to get stuck into.
Sweet treats are elegantly displayed. The vegan molten chocolate cake looks too appetising to resist, so putting any dairy-dodging reservations aside we give it a go – and are thankful we have. Don’t miss the blueberry mousse or the crème brûlée, either.
The choice isn’t as extensive as at some other big buffets out there, but what is available is brilliant, and the kids love it.
Dhs270 (soft drinks), Dhs350 (house beverages), Dhs550 (sparkling), Dhs200 (kids six-12), free (kids under six). Fri 1pm-4pm. Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, Saadiyat Island (02 407 1234).
