During our stay at Courtyard by Marriott in World Trade Center, Abu Dhabi, we were booked to enjoy their Friday Brunch. After a lazy morning, we headed downstairs around halfway through the brunch and were seated in one of the booth tables. I love the decor of the restaurant. Its mainly colored with a dark bronze and has splashes of lime green; its lively and gorgeous!

After ordering fresh watermelon juice, we headed over to check out the buffet selection. Most of the dishes are placed on the island-kitchen area thats in the center of the restaurant. You see the chefs freshly prepare the dishes.

Being that its December, the whole restaurant has Christmas-inspired decor. There’s gingerbread houses and holiday-themed ornaments placed all over the buffet area.

There’s a variety of starters, including salads, ceviches, cold cut meats and even cold seafood appetizers including crab legs, lobster, calamari, clams and a delicious seared scallop topped with caramelized onions. The scallop is definitely a must-try!

Along with that, there’s a long display of Arabic starters including hummus, stuffed vine leaves, fattoush, a unique beetroot mouttabel and so much more.

The spread of mains, (although it may not look like it when you first get there), is extensive!

There’s slow roasted beef, a live pasta-cooking station, a shawarma station, jumbo grilled prawns, dimsum, freshly made pizzas, different kinds of rice and noodles, a whole table for breads of all kinds, etc. What really impressed me was that there were many different dishes from several kinds of cuisines including Arabic, Western, Italian Asian and Indian.

I really loved the braised beef; it was so tender and juicy. To go with it, there are different vegetables and even a selection of jus and gravy.

What’s great about this brunch is that there’s also a room for kids to play in. It’s an open room, and you can even be seated and have your meal there in case you need to keep a close eye your little ones.

Now, for desserts– there’s a huge spread of cakes, mousses, baked yogurts, cookies, fresh fruits, cupcakes, specially made chocolates, tiramisu, and even the traditional Arabic desserts including Umm Ali and baklava. The chocolate mousse is so divine and you just cannot leave the brunch without trying this one, even if your full off of all the starters and mains.

There are three things that I especially loved about this brunch. First of all, its very laid back and family-friendly, so you don’t have to get super dressed up if you don’t feel like it. Secondly, the variety of the food is a lot more than what I initially expected when we came in and the quality is good as well. Thirdly, I love when there’s a good brunch happening at the same hotel we’re staying in because once your done stuffing yourself, you can just take an elevator right back upstairs to your room and relax. And that’s exactly what we did!

The Friday Brunch at Bistro Restaurant is 157 Dhs inclusive of soft drinks and fresh juices.

Ratings (0-5): 

• Staff/Service: 5
• Ambience: 5
• Food: 4.5
• Presentation: 4
• Cleanliness: 5
• Value for money: 4

Overall Rating: 4.83

Worth Trying?: If your looking for an unpretentious brunch with good food and a nice set up for the whole family, this is your spot. The price is also really great!

For more information, call Bistro at +971 (0) 2 698 2222.