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The definitive list of Dubai’s best brunches

Friday brunch is favourite pastime in Dubai (the weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday). Involving a four-hour all-you-can-eat marathon and hundreds of acclaimed restaurants across the city, here are the best breakfast buffets to start your weekend.

Latitude

Located at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Latitude is a firm family favourite with a special focus on keeping tiny diners entertained with a separate kids’ play area and buffet.

 

Parents will be equally impressed by the Japanese, Malaysian and Thai taste sensations available, as well as the relaxed atmosphere and extended timber terrace.

 

Address:

Bubbalicious

Three restaurants at The Westin join forces to dish up almost every food imaginable at Bubbalicious.

 

Featuring a sizeable sushi station, cheese section, oyster bar, live Asian cooking stations, British grub, mammoth dessert options and live entertainment, Bubbalicious is arguably one of Dubai’s most popular brunches.

 

It’s little wonder why this brunch-time spectacle has earned so many awards and accolades, including the BBC Good Food Awards and Time Out Restaurants Awards.

The Observatory

Located on the 52nd floor of the Dubai Mariott Harbour hotel, city views don’t get much better than from The Observatory restaurant, with magnificent 360-degree views across Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah.

Located on the 52nd floor of the Dubai Mariott Harbour hotel, city views don’t get much better than from The Observatory restaurant, with magnificent 360-degree views across Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah.
The Observatory restaurant.

Directing the attention from the windows to your plate, there’s an impressive à la carte menu to order from, as well as buffet options and a great seafood station.

Al Qasr

The ‘Big Friday Brunch’ held weekly at Dubai’s Al Qasr hotel in Madinat Jumeirah is so sizeable it’s spread across two restaurants.

 

As one of the biggest brunches you will find in town, it involves 48 hours of preparation, 130 chefs, 533 kilograms of meat and seafood, 35 live cooking stations and over 280 dishes from an incredible array of cuisines from around the world.

 

Don’t leave without a visit to the Malibu station, where you can order a freshly-opened coconut, with coconut rum added to really kickstart your day.

Pierchic

Few brunches can compare to the stunning over-water experience at Pierchic at Madinat Jumeirah.

Few Dubai brunches can compare to the stunning over-water experience at Pierchic at Madinat Jumeirah.
Pierchic at Madinat Jumeirah.

There’s an exquisite buffet selection encompassing foie gras to ice cream, but we suggest lashing out for their set menu and champagne packages, showcasing the best seafood in town with tiger prawns, sashimi, sea bass and lobster, paired with sparkling wine and Arabian Gulf views.

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Zheng He

Zheng He offers Dubai’s first Beijing Duck brunch, with only three items on the menu that do not feature duck.

Zheng He offers Dubai’s first Beijing Duck brunch, with only three items on the menu that do not feature duck.
Zheng He.

The theatrical tableside duck carving from the restaurant’s own barbecue duck master makes this one of the city’s most unique (and tasty!) brunches.

 

Expect pancakes, dim sum and contemporary Chinese fare, as well as experimental sharing cocktails to indulge in too.

Traiteur

Friday Brunch at Traiteur at the Park Hyatt promises an elevated show kitchen where you can watch the team of classically-trained French chefs work their magic.

Friday Brunch at Traiteur at the Park Hyatt promises an elevated show kitchen where you can watch the team of classically-trained French chefs work their magic.
Traiteur at the Park Hyatt.

There’s also live cooking stations and a decadent menu of French cuisine from oysters to pork charcuterie, as well as a ‘Temple of Cheese’ where you can sample an array of international cheese and port.

 

The lightly-caramelised scallops are a must.

 

 

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BREAKING: Australia lowers travel warning for Middle Eastern countries

In big news, the Australian government has officially changed its travel advice for five Middle Eastern countries from ‘do not travel’ (Level 4) to ‘reconsider your need to travel’ (Level 3). Here’s what it means for travellers.

Australia has downgraded its travel advice for five Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. However, some areas within Israel remain a ‘do not travel status’.

The announcement comes ahead of the USA and Iran’s formal signing of a peace deal on Friday, and is expected to have a significant positive impact on travellers’ confidence.

In a joint media release published this morning, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said that, while the security situation in the Middle East could rapidly change or decline, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has assessed the conditions and judged it appropriate to change Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to a Level 3 or ‘reconsider your need to travel’.

What does this mean for travellers?

passport
The announcement comes ahead of the formal signing of a peace deal between the USA and Iran. (Credit: Unsplash/Kit Formerley Convertkit)

With Level 4 locations highly unlikely to be covered by travel insurers, travellers from Australia can now travel through and to the Arabian Peninsula with travel insurance protection. The change clears a major hurdle for Australians transiting through the Middle East to reach the United Kingdom, Europe, India and Africa. These travellers will no longer face some of the complications that the Level 4 warning created for transit travel, particularly those related to insurance.

As a result, we may soon be seeing a surge in travellers finally setting off on the trips they have been postponing as a result of the Middle East conflict.

There could also be some welcome relief for travellers’ wallets. Middle Eastern carriers such as Qatar Airways and Emirates account for a significant share of Australia–Europe/UK flight capacity, and when concerns about regional conflict prompted many travellers to avoid Gulf transit hubs, demand shifted to alternative routes via Singapore, Bangkok and other Asian cities. This meant prices for flights transiting through Asia increased. As confidence in those Middle Eastern connections returns, increased competition between airlines could help keep a lid on airfares – particularly on popular Europe-bound routes.

middle east travel
The change in travel advice could see a surge in travellers’ confidence. (Credit: Unsplash/Rocker Sta)

Smartraveller states that Level 3 or ‘reconsider your need to travel’ means avoiding or postponing non-essential travel, and taking extra precautions to protect yourself against security and health risks. These destinations are still classed as unstable, with DFAT warning that circumstances can shift abruptly.

The government urges travellers to obtain travel insurance and ensure they have carefully read the product conditions so they understand what is and isn’t covered. Not all travel insurance policies may cover Level 3 locations.

DFAT continues to advise ‘do not travel’ to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen, and ‘reconsider your need to travel’ to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The body will continue to monitor the conditions closely and keep all Smartraveller advisories under review.