Iftar at the Bal Al Qasr Hotel

The Experience Team

4 years ago

This Ramadan travel back in time and relish the culture, taste and authentic customs at The Artisan Kitchen Iftar Buffet.

The onset of the Holy month of Ramadan bring exciting culinary adventures in the form of a variety of Iftar and Suhoor Buffets across all the hotels and restaurants with each venue doing their best to offer the most extravagant and unique options to the hungry guests who have been fasting all day.

With iconic architecture and an exclusive address on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, Bab Al Qasr impresses on all levels. Luxurious guest rooms, suits, and residences offering premium comfort and amenities. One of the capital’s largest private beaches and a sumptuous Spa provide guests with the ultimate in urban relaxation. The hotel’s multiple restaurants and cafes extend from signature dining to authentic Arabic coffee experience

The Iftar Buffer at Bab Al Qasr takes place at the classy Artisan Kitchen and this Ramadan the hotel promises a journey back in time to relish the culture, tastes and authentic customs, with its stunning Arabesque décor commemorates the beauty and grandiosity, while the Ramadan lights bring to life the serene ambience of a traditional Moroccan Culture.

We arrived just in time for the Iftar and the place was completely full with a gentle buzz as guests broke their fast with the traditional dates and got ready to head to the buffet. The tables are well spaced apart and all the food is behind glass with helpful servers on had to make you a plate.

We start with some of the salads and a traditional Arabic drink made of tamarind which was deliciously tangy, the salad variety is extensive to say the least covering the traditional Arabic salads with a mix of western along with a variety of olives and cheese.

There is an extensive array of hot mezze to choose form along with traditional Arabic soups, the manakeesh is made fresh to order, piping hot and the fatayer are decadently light and fluffy.

There are rows and rows of dishes with a myriad of classic Arabic dishes that are waiting to be tried. we start with samples of the mixed grills, the kebabs are decadent, soft moist and falling apart tender. The plump grilled shrimp are next and there are whole grilled fresh fish delicately spiced waiting to be sampled.

The classic Harees is just fantastic and there are decadent koftas in a tomato gravy that are perfect for the aromatic rice that is sitting right next to them. The lamb Ouzi we loved, the lamb was just fork tender and the flavor of the rice was perfect with the mix of nuts and spices making each bite crunch and decadent.

There are some really interesting dishes that we have never tasted before like the one that had a mix of seafood and mussels like an Arabic version of a Paella but without rice and there was this fantastic layered rice dish that was simply divine.

The variety of food is just amazing, there is something for every taste and the exotic mix of seafood, chicken and lamb dishes just leaves you wishing you could keep on eating but we had to restrain ourselves or there would be no place for desserts.

We head on over to the dessert section, a whole island is dedicated to desserts which are a huge part of Ramadan, there is the classic Kunefa along with piping hot Um Ali then you have a variety of Baklava with decadent sugar syrup to make things extra special.

There are single serve portions of clastic western desserts as well, we loved the Tiramisu and the Chocolate Pudding. There is a delicate Strawberry Cheesecake that is begging to be tried and we just can’t resist asking for two pieces, there are so many varieties to try that we are simply overwhelmed.

We move to the fabulous outdoor area overlooking the pool and the beach where traditional Arabic tents have been setup serving classic Arabic coffee and the famous shisha. The weather is just perfect and this is the best way to end a sumptuous meal and relax with friends and family.

To sum it up Bab Al Qasr definitely lives up to its promise of taking you back in time to experience the traditional flavors of Iftar, the food is fantastic, the ambiance perfect and the service is on point, full marks to the team for an excellent Iftar.