Fridays are brunch days! I’ve been MIA from the brunching scene of late. A change of jobs, a hectic lineup of weekdays and I find myself snoozing well into the first day of the weekend.
I decided it was time to get back into the foodie groove last Friday, and found myself at The Garden Grille. Located in the lobby level of Hilton Garden Inn (just a 5 minute walk from Mall of the Emirates), this is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant catering to a wide variety of cuisines from around the world.
The Friday brunch runs from 12 to 4 pm, costing AED 175 per person, and goes up to AED 220 with the addition of unlimited house beverages and cocktails.
The interiors are bright, spacious and flooded with natural lighting. A beautiful young lady croons to popular tunes in one corner, and the ever-smiling staff give us a tour of the elaborate spread after we settled into a table by the corner.
The buffet offers an endless variety of tantalizing options. From a salad counter boasting of every type of Arabic mezze, Mexican dips, Russian salads and French pickled condiments, I was already in a semi food comma from my starters round!
Alcoholics rejoice. At The Garden Grille, they have free-flowing mason jars of different forms of sangria, and a whole variety of house beverages. For those preferring a healthier sip, the buffet has a juicing section with ready-cut fruit where you can create a refreshingly fresh cocktail of your own.
The Asian counter here has a variety of dimsums, and you can also get your noodles stir-fried with your choice of proteins.
Or perhaps you prefer pasta? At The garden Grille, they use the finest of ingredients from Italy, and can whip up the pasta combo you are craving in no time.
Carnivores will have a feast at The Garden Grille. From live grilling stations to carved meats, marinated in flavors from across the globe, it really is quite impossible to try everything here.
I for one always save space for dessert, and at The Garden Grille, the dessert counter was brimming with absolutely beautiful treats.
They also have a live waffle-making counter, and just look at this monstrously large treat that was whipped up for me!
My personal favorites from the buffet included a soulfully flavorful, spicy Thai seafood curry, a thick creamy French-style seafood chowder, and the freshly grilled salmon (I guess I was on seafood mode that afternoon!).
From the desserts section, I highly recommend their creamy, coffee-infused Tiramisu and their absolutely divine Chocolate Eclairs.
Best of all, The Garden Grille is so kid-friendly! They have a daycare service where a staff-member is present at all times to watch the children, and to help them with some nifty arts and crafts. My little girl was gone for most of the time we were there! She had her fill of cotton candy, created a tinkling beaded bangle, and even got her face painted.
An idle afternoon with an endless smorgasbord of yumminess, flowing drinks and the little one away in her own corner happily entertained… my kinda Friday brunch for sure!
The Friday brunch at The Garden Grille runs from 12 to 4 pm, and costs AED 175 per person (with unlimited soft drinks). The alcoholic package goes up to AED 220. For more information, give them a call on 04 307 0707.
The Tezzy Files 