2022 Update : Renaissance Hotel is currently St Regis Downtown Dubai

Kid-free. They should have used that as their promo-tag. I had to check with Bleu Blanc as it was not mentioned anywhere on their website or social media platforms that this was a kid-free brunch. Imagine how excited I was – a chance to leave the little people at home, get dressed up and go for a nice grown up brunch! 🙂

So, a dear friend of ours was having her birthday do, and Bleu Blanc was the chosen spot. It was in the Entertainer, and reasonably priced at 325aed for non-alc (for two). Add on 100AED if you want a couple of drinks. A bit of googling around and I found no reviews of this said brunch, except for some nice promo videos on their instagram page, lots of influencer insta-stories, and a couple of repeated press-releases. How was it for me? 

Place, ambience – Described as “a southern french farmhouse-style bistro, providing a sensory culinary experience that appeals to even the most discerning palates.” And then you have “rustic blue doors, floor-to-ceiling lavender garden and vintage-inspired decor.” Basically – one of those places you put on a nice dress (and shoes), and take a lot of photos in front of a chair, a ladder, and some plants. Yep, works for me! 🙂

It was buzzing when I arrived 20mins past 1pm. Fully-booked, apparently. We had two tables at the corner, properly spaced out to adhere to current regulations. There were a few groups, and lots of tables with couples on brunch dates as well. Yes – no little people! For those of you who don’t know me (which is everyone reading this) – don’t get me wrong – I love my kids to pieces. It’s just nice to take a break once in a while, and this is the first adults-only brunch with friends that I’ve been to…. this year.

Food – Serve-to-table style, so you can sit all afternoon to catch up with your friends. For starters – we were served celery and apple salad, fresh oysters  on ice, and beef tenderloin tartare. Yep, that’s the one served with raw egg yolk. Not my usual cup of tea, but hey – when you’ve had a few glasses, it was actually quite good. The mussel pots was a winner with most, with extra serving requested. There was also mini wagyu cheeseburgers – which I didn’t want to take part in, as I was saving my tummy for the main deal.

For the main fare – there was prime rib with yorkshire bread, charred king prawn served with chilli herb oil and delicious boneless baby chicken (yes, corn-fed). Sides came aplenty – roasted mushrooms, potatoes and chargrilled broccolini.

I could not find fault with the food – presentation, pacing, and overall taste. I might have expected a bit more theatrics – and that’s simply because I haven’t been ‘out’ for awhile (blame it on the disease that shall not be named, plus 3 kids). It did what it promised to be – serve ‘farmhouse’ food – and it did that well.

Drinks – The drinks package comes with 4 cocktails, and the usual white, red, house spirits and beer. Oh, it also includes sparklng, hooray. I must have tried 3 out of the 4 (sorry, not a fan of tomato juice – with alcohol or not). Presentation was basic, but happy with what I had.

Pricing – For 262.50aed for an entire afternoon of good food and drinks – I thought that was pretty reasonable. Note – 325AED/2 + 100AED for the drinks package. If you’re planning to be good, that’s just 162.50 for the afternoon.

General consensus – I highly recommend it for groups of friends having a special celebration.  Especially for worn-out parents who wish to take a break from their little ones, have some good food and drinks for the afternoon. Happy birthday again to our friend L, cheers for organising. And to the Bleu Blanc team – thanks for taking care of the troupe.

Ps – Suggest to mention on the website that the brunch is adults-only. That way you won’t get people emailing, calling and messaging on fb, insta etc asking the same. And pps – if someone does ask on social media, proceed to check with them if they will be keen to make a reservation or if you could help with anything else. 

• La Belle Vie Brunch
• Bleu Blanc, Renaissance Hotel Business Bay
• Fridays – 1-4pm
• Pricing : 325aed for two for non-alc package, add on 100aed for the drinks package
• Deal : 241 in the Entertainer

Note :

1. This is not a sponsored post. We paid for the Friday brunch at Bleu Blanc.
2. This review was done in September 2020. Please check the venue website for all current offering and details.