There are lots of different kinds of brunches out there in Abu Dhabi these days. The dress up in fancy clothes and dine with white table cloths kind, the forget to eat because you’re enjoying the beverages and DJ kind, the activity-packed fun ones with chicken wings, burgers and hops kind, plus many more in between. We brunch almost every weekend to bring you the honest reviews you expect from us, but we don’t always want to join a party or spend our Saturdays feeling a little fragile.
Offering what is perhaps the most relaxed, family-friendly and chilled brunch in the city is the Grand Millennium Al Wahda’s 90 Centigrade. We make our way here with small children to enjoy a leisurely affair. We’re thinking less house music and more of back in the house before 5pm, thanks.
Plus, 90 Centigrade is incredible value for money, with three courses, and two house beverages for Dhs135 per person. As far as the pricing goes, this one is hard to beat.
When we arrive, half an hour early, because children live by their own timetable, the staff are more than welcoming, and accommodate us even though we aren’t expected for a while.
The venue is small and cosy with a café vibe and the smell of fresh coffee in the air. There are also lots of people typing away on laptops, doing a bit of work out of the house.
We take a comfy seat indoors and check out the menu on our phones after scanning the QR code. The appetiser is a sharing platter, then you have your choice of main course and a dessert. You can also enjoy two beverages, including hops and grape, but we opt for ginger ale because it’s not really that kind of brunch.
There’s a lot on offer with the starter, making it perfect for sharing. On the platter is some small bruschetta, topped with chopped tomatoes, a basket of warm, freshly baked bread, chicken liver paté, olive tapenade, parmesan chunks, artichoke and olives. So if you are going for a glass of grape, you have the perfect accompaniment.
Everything goes down well. In fact we clear the lot, but we especially enjoy the rich paté, punchy olive spread with the bread?
For the mains we order a Caesar salad and a sea bass and pasta dish. The salad is enjoyable, with crispy croutons, avocado chunks, crisp bacon, plenty of lettuce and tender salmon. The sauce, however, is a little too much like mayonnaise for our liking.
The sea bass is not what we expected. Arriving deep fried and in chunks, it sits on top of a bed of orzo pasta in an orange cheese sauce. It’s a lot more dense than we anticipated. It’s just one bum note in otherwise enjoyable afternoon that is topped off by some excellent pastries.
