You wouldn’t expect to sit outdoors at the end of May by the pool for brunch. The kids were quite happy to play by the pool and eat off the low tables without being restrained to a chair, which made it a lot more comfortable for us grown-ups as well. I guess that’s what made the brunch so easy……. and there we were, so happy with our glasses of wine and food, so smug that it was all good…………. and then the sweat started to pour. Alright, let’s not pretend anymore. Let’s move indoors 🙂
So, Playa Nomade have recently launched a new brunch, collaborating with Chez Charles (based in D3) – and we were happy to try it out, to review it with the family. Here’s a rundown so you know what to expect should you decide to go, and a few little pointers on what could be better.
Food – Starters are served to table – a nice combination greens, raw, and fried. The kids devoured the chips (please don’t judge… it’s a weekend), we all loved the fried calamari, and our favourite? The mediterranean platter – feta, olives, served on pita bread – such a simple appetiser that works (and healthy too)! The yellow tail tuna with guacomole, served with soy, ginger and sesame was delicious – would be good to have some wasabi to give it a bit of a kick!
With mains, you get 3 live stations. Two choices of pasta – creamy carbonara, and penne arabiatta. We loved the salmon lettuce wrap – prepared for you at the counter from a giant grilled salmon fish. Again, this was served in bite sizes, great for sharing. Love that we didn’t have to use cutlery all too much here. Similar concept with the lamb – we watched it being grilled all afternoon, and then prepped into little wraps with lots of herbs – absolutely delicious.
With desserts, you’ll get refreshing fruit platters , and freshly baked chocolate brownies (I could have 5 of these in one sitting..)
Drinks – As we were having to look after little people, we didn’t go overboard with the drinks (as much as we wanted to……….. maybe next time 🙂 ).
With the alcoholic package, you get house wine (red,white,rose) and sangria. I forgot to ask about beer (watch this space). With the non-alcoholic package – you get fresh juices as well (orange and watermelon was available today), on top of the usual soft drinks. Yes, iced coffee, cappuccino, tea, still and sparkling water are all included (Take note, all other brunch venues!)
The Crowd and Ambience – As it is Ramadan, it wasn’t too crowded today. They had party music playing in the background, and it wasn’t too loud. The kids were dancing to the music 🙂 Note : Fridays are usually the ‘adults’ crowd – though we did we see quite a few little people today. They do have another brunch on Saturdays called the ‘La Familia Brunch’ which is more targetted at families 🙂 I would say the Friday Brunch will definitely be a good one for a big birthday party – especially with the pool and beach access. The indoor and outdoor space are both beautiful. I would even go so far to say, you could book this place for a wedding party!
Alright, onto the fun part. What could be better? Note that most of these points have already been passed onto the PR Manager on the day of the brunch.
- As this was a newly launched brunch, we could not find enough information on what to expect other than their promo video. Suggest to expand on the description on the website so guests have some sort of expectation (or hey, if you’re already reading this blog, you know exactly what you’re paying for 😉 ). Some people might be expecting a extensive buffet spread, and will therefore be disappointed if they did not see one. I guess it’s all about managing expectations – if you know what you are going to get, you’ll be fine. The next stage is just ensuring the food is up to standards, and that service flows (which they seem to have covered!)
- For 490AED for the alcoholic package – suggest to have more drink options. Maybe prosecco/sparkling wine? A few more cocktail options – possibly just the basic ones that would suit a beach atmosphere – mojito, pina colada, margarita, instead of just one sangria option.
- Would be good if at least a tiny portion of the pool was shaded during the brunch time. Staff tried to move umbrellas for the kids when they were playing by the pool steps, but it didn’t really help. Suggest to get more umbrella stands that could be placed right by the poolside (if guests asks for it)
All in all – I would recommend their Friday Brunch for a get-together with friends for a special occasion. A big birthday do, a celebration of sorts. It’s so pretty there, you feel like you’ve been transported to somewhere else. Now that it’s summer time – it’ll be nice to eat and drink, then jump into the pool …….and drink some more 🙂 It’s a brunch that puts more emphasis into quality than quantity, and note that you are paying for pool and beach access, hence the premium price. I’m also really glad to see a brunch who requests for payment upon entry (click here for a post I did a long time ago) – this is perfect to avoid disputes when everyone is intoxicated. If you do plan a get-together with friends here, please let me know what you think.
- Nomade X Chez Charles Brunch
- Price : 350 AED for non-alcoholic package, 490AED for alcoholic package ( including beach and pool access )
- Playa Nomade, Rixos The Palm
Disclaimer : We were guests of Playa Nomade to review their Friday Brunch. All thoughts are honest – if you can believe me! 🙂