From Time Out Abu Dhabi Eating Out 2010
Set on the ground floor of the grandiose Emirates Palace hotel, the skyscraping ceilings, marble columns and curtains swathed over the floor-to-ceiling windows mean that Diwan L’Auberge can make you feel positively dwarflike. Created by the Charaf brothers (bit of trivia –they opened the capital’s first Lebanese restaurant in 1973, this refined Lebanese restaurant is in a word: huge, with a substantial shisha menu and an oud player creating that quintessential Levantine ambience.
At first glance, the menu doesn’t read any differently to your stock standard Lebanese eatery – all the old favourites like houmous, kibbeh, fattoush et al are present and correct. The decadence lies in the seafood and grilled meats, which are expertly cooked and delivered by genial staff. Particularly the L’Auberge seafood platter – a medley of marinated lobster, calamari and various chunks of fresh fish. Being a fairly swanky venue, prices are wallet-stretching, and it’s best to leave the flip flops at home – the calibre of clientele and the cursory head to toe scan delivered at the entrance suggests an unwritten dress code is in place.
