This was my first Ramadan in Dubai and I was very excited to see the iftar scene here. I received loads of invitations for reviews and this made me very happy because my love for food comes right after my love for the sweetest one. But (there is always a but, right?) after going to four iftars in five days I realized that this was not sustainable. My flat stomach wasn’t flat anymore and even hubby asked me if I was pregnant and did not tell him. So I stopped with these ultra abundant dinners and luckily left for Europe soon after so there wasn’t any space left for temptation to tempt me.
Here are some highlights of the three iftars I went to. The fourth one was with a couple of friends I just met so I didn’t want to scare them with my paparazzi version. Did it even happen? Since I don’t have any photo proof I can’t guarantee it.
Chival at La Ville Hotel – the iftar consisted of a set menu and buffet with any kind of dates and nuts you could imagine. They even had the macadamia! The food was traditional with cold and hot mezes from the region and huge meat portions as a main. Surprisingly, along with the traditional desserts there was also a tiramisù, a happy moment for us since we don’t really like the local sweets.
The Loft at The Opera – this is one of my most favorite restaurants in Dubai. Just when I hear the name of the restaurant I know that whatever they do it will be fabulous. The iftar didn’t deceive for sure. It’s a buffet with different sections. Usually I focus a lot on the apetizers but this time my attention switched to the succulent slow cooked lamb with rice and the grilled salmon. I might have had a couple of portions of both. The pasta with parmiggiano and porcini was exceptional too.
Butcha Steak House – I will remember this place for the kindness of the restaurant manager and the steaks of course. There is a small buffet with apetizers, homemade cold cuts, shawarma and delicious Turkish meat balls. There are a few mains to choose from and they are served at the table.
