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| Best Dubai brunches: The good, the very good and the 'drunch' Posted: 08 Oct 2013 09:09 PM PDT The multi-hour banquet has become quite the Dubai institution  It's Friday in Dubai: the first day of the weekend (the break runs Friday-Saturday in the UAE) and the clock's struck midday. The distant call to prayer forms a somewhat ironic soundtrack to the (mainly) expat revelers making for the week's main event: brunch. But don't get confused: a Dubai brunch is not a "meal eaten between breakfast and lunch." Rather the best Dubai brunches are an all-inclusive, multi-hour banquet frequented mostly by glammed-up expats and held at hotels citywide one day a week, every week. More on CNN: Penguins, golf courses, waterslides... six things that shouldn't exist in the desert The big come-down"People work so hard in Dubai they come to rely upon brunch as an extended come-down after a heavy week," says Sally Hawkins, an expat for six years. British-born James Leetham agrees: "Dubai is very transient: there's a welcome party, a leaving party, a birthday party virtually every week. "Brunches are an easy way to get lots of people who don't necessarily know each other in one place." Risqué image
But, says another expat, John Roper, for some that's exactly the point: "It's a rebellious streak in place of the UAE's restrictions and tight rules." Come 11.30 a.m., then, all over Dubai, it is not uncommon to see gaggles of foreign girls in thigh-skimming dresses tottering out of apartment towers to flag down a cab to brunch. "Everyone always puts in more effort when going for brunch," Hawkins says. "It's a great opportunity to eat like a pig and have a drink or three while pretending to be classy." It's not uncommon for good-time Harrys or Jemimas to spend $100 plus on a brunch -- the limitless drinks quota ups the entry price. It's important to note that the food spread put on at many of Dubai's best brunches stands up on its own. But if drinking, be aware of the culture and tight regulations around alcohol in Dubai and the UAE. Dubai has a reputation as a cosmopolitan city that boasts Western influences, where visitors can drink at bars and restaurants and unmarried couples can share hotel rooms, do remember the country adheres to Islamic laws and traditions. Having sex outside of marriage and public consumption of alcohol are both violations of the law in the United Arab Emirates. More on CNN: CNNGo in Dubai: The extravagant edition "Your Louboutins look cheap"Some brunch-goers handle the atmosphere better than others. "At Yalumba a fight broke out between two girls after one told the other her Louboutins looked cheap," recalls Belinda Harrington. "Everyone headed out to the terrace to see what the ruckus was all about but first I remember stepping over a tattooed man who was sitting on the floor crying." While Dubai brunches often carry with them a less than appetizing reputation for debauchery, they also serve an important social function for lonely expats. What follows is a selection of the best Dubai brunches -- aimed to please all sorts of wannabe brunchers and presented in no particular order. Please feel free to cheer or diss the selections or suggest your own favorite. Saffron
Favored by groups keen for a good old-fashioned knees-up, a DJ blares out disco beats while the food (Time Out Dubai estimates 220 dishes) is as abundant as the product at the manned drinks stations. The watermelons filled with punch give a taste of the mood. Saffron, Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; 12.30pm-4pm; +971 4 426 2626; Dhs435 ($118) More on CNN: Best falafel in Dubai -- and the woman behind it TraiteurThe classiest of Dubai's brunches, you won't catch any exile depravity here, rather linen-clad Europeans swanning about the upscale food counters (eggs Benedict, snails, lobster...) with flutes of Veuve Cliquot while, outside, yachts bob on the harbor. Traiteur, Park Hyatt hotel, Deira; 12.30 p.m.- 4 p.m.; +971 4 602 1234; Dhs495 to Dhs670 (around $135-$182) Toro ToroThe sit-down style and a la carte menu at this slick Latin outfit make it one of the less raucous -- but no less glam -- brunch options. Fare spans quality ceviches and churassco-style meats, while the drinks are limited to quality South American wine and cocktails. Toro Toro, Grosvenor House, Tower 2, Dubai Marina; 12.30 p.m.-4 p.m.; +971 4 399 8888; Dhs400 (approx. $109) Al Qasr
Life-size gold horses line the hotel's driveway, while inside the colossal brunch spreads itself over three restaurants. There's also a chocolate room and a huge, sea-facing terrace where cocktails are an added extra to the free-flowing bubbly. Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai; 12.30 p.m.-3.30 p.m.; +971 4 366 6730; Dhs525 ($143) Double DeckerHeld in a British pub, the menu here tickles the taste buds of homesick Brits: Yorkshire puddings, roast beef, sausages -- but unlikely to be washed down with tea. The rowdy atmosphere and cheap as chips prices mean it's mainly a brunch for the young crowd or people with an undying appetite for tomfoolery. As James Leetham recalls: "At Double Decker, someone threw my flip flops over the wall, I tickled a fat man and stole a watering can." Hmm. Double Decker, Al Murooj Rotana, Downtown Dubai; 12:00 p.m.-3 p.m.; +971 4 321 1111; Dhs170 ($46) Yalumba
A clue can be found on the back of Yalumba waiters' uniforms that records the number of bottles he or she's uncorked so far. Balloons, party hats and noisemakers line the tables, your less snooty variety of Brit makes up the crowd and a DJ gets under way at 3 p.m. You get the picture. Yalumba, Le Méridien Dubai, Garhoud, Dubai; 12.30-3.30pm; +971 4 702 2455; Dhs499 ($136) Mina A' SalamBilled as "family friendly" (read: an indoor kids' zone packed with games, sugary snacks and manned by nannies), this waterside haunt attracts a mixed crowd. With fish and chips on the menu and a room dedicated entirely to pork (yes, really), the food is geared to the expat. Drinks perks include Slush Puppy-style machines spawning icy cocktails. Mina A'Salam, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai; 12:30-4 p.m.; +971 4 366 6730; Dhs465 ($127) WarehouseThis good-time venue sells its brunch in one word: "Drunch." Need we say more? Inside it's like a noisy nightclub where it is not uncommon for punters to lose the plot by lunchtime. The staff happily gee on revelers until 4 p.m., when the post-brunch crowd spills over in more ways than one on to the dance floor. A sobering spectacle for anyone beyond their mid-20s. Warehouse, Le Méridien Dubai, Garhoud, Dubai; 1-4 p.m.; +971 4 702 2455; Dhs299 ($81)      |
| CNNGo in Dubai: The extravagant edition Posted: 08 Oct 2013 07:00 PM PDT This month's CNNGo show goes glam with a tour around Dubai's extravagant gold markets and record-holding skyscrapers  In addition to the city's obsession with gold (think 24K gold facial treatments), the gravity-defying and extravagant experiences to be found in Dubai have proven its appellation "City of Gold" true. From skydiving in Palm Islands to the city's first desert conversation reserve, CNNGo explores the luxurious side of travel in Dubai this month. Al Maha Resort, Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
The purpose of the national park is to protect several endangered species -- including the white Arabian oryx, which is indigenous to the Arabian Gulf. The Al Maha Resort is an eco-friendly hotel complex based within the national park. Al Maha Resort, Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, Dubai; +971 4 832 9900 More on CNN: Penguins, golf courses, waterslides... six things that shouldn't exist in the desert
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