As soon as you step inside the Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi, you know you’re in for a treat.
There’s the grand entrance, the Cinderella-like staircase and just an overall feeling of royalty. It’s all a lot to take in.
I brought a friend and my 5-year-old daughter (dressed in a princess ball gown) to sample the iftar, which was a maze of culinary delights. I took a look around and thought I’d seen everything — so I started to fill up my plate. But then I stepped just outside the main dining area and found many more dishes to explore.
The food on offer consisted of the usual iftar suspects, but there were some surprises as well. This is the first iftar I’ve been to that offered baby camel. Thankfully, it was already half devoured by the time we saw it so I didn’t have to explain anything to my daughter.
The fresh fruit counter was a welcome sight in the scorching UAE heat and I made repeat trips to it.
The star of the evening, though, was the dessert section. There were dozens of unique sweets on display, like blueberry mousse and pineapple tarts. Kids and adults both were glued to this section much of the evening. There was the ever popular chocolate fountain, but instead of milk chocolate, this one was oozing strawberry chocolate (pink chocolate is a delight for little girls in princess ball gowns).
The staff was attentive and very helpful. At the end of the evening, our kind waiter came over to offer my daughter a pillow for her weary head. It was as busy as a typical iftar you’ll find in the capital, but this one has an air of elegance about it that is worth a visit.
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal iftar is served from sunset to 9pm at Giornotte. The cost for adults is Dh215. Children ages 4 to 12 are Dh65; ages 13 to 16 are Dh161 and those under 4 eat free. For reservations, call 02 818 8282 or visit www.ritzcarlton.com/abudhabi.
