Somehow we’ve managed to choose one of the few days of the year when the weather in Abu Dhabi could be described as “chilly” for our visit to outdoor pool bar Balcon Terrace.
But the area is still busy with people lounging on the cabana beds and having a bite to eat, and we soon warm up once we settle down to eat.
The menu is mainly filled with sharing-style dishes to match the casual setting, which suits us and the rest of our party just fine.
The menu at the Southern Sun venue has recently had a revamp, and now it features a number of large platters, pastas, pizzas and a wide range of Arabic dishes, as well as sushi. Pretty much all bases covered, then.
We decide to choose a mix of cuisines, and try the Indian platter and mezze tasting plate.
Our server tells us that the platters are designed for two, but there’s easily enough nibbles for three to enjoy.
We start with the Indian platter, which is loaded with meat, seafood and vegetarian bites.
We start with a classic onion bhaji, and the ball of battered vegetable is brilliant when dipped in the pot of mint and yoghurt.
Next we move on to the vegetable samosas, filled with a piping hot veggie mix that’s beautifully flavoured, and encased in a light pastry. The chicken tikka is also nicely seasoned, but we’re left feeling a bit uninspired by the bland battered shrimp, which is the only part that we don’t finish.
Our Arabic tasting plate offers us the choice of three cold mezze and two hot, and the choice includes all the traditional favourites. We settle on hummus, fattoush, labneh with mint, falafel and cheese fatayer, and again we’re impressed by the size of the portion when it arrives.
The hummus is super-smooth and it goes brilliantly with the falafel and rich cheese pastries. The labneh is also thick and creamy, and we put the bread basket to good use, dipping away and polishing both bowls off quite easily. The fattoush is the only dish that we could have done with more of. The sweet-sour dressing is a total dream, and the fresh vegetables help bring a bit of crunch and greenery to an otherwise quite carb-heavy meal.
The staff are helpful and accomodating, and with the pretty view of the pool to enjoy it’s easy to spend hours and hours here.
