2022 Update : This brunch is now renamed to 'Al Bahou The Grand Atrium Saturday Family Brunch'

We went to the Mistral brunch with low expectations, simply because we had never heard anyone else talk about it. There were no recent reviews online either, which was quite odd. But hey – the price was good and apparently there was a kid’s play area (verified with a few whatsapp photos) – so we all decided – let’s give it a shot. Add on the fact that the only other 3 family-friendly brunches that we knew of right now were all too expensive for us – ha ha. With all that in mind, we were pleasantly surprised as it ended up being a really nice afternoon out.

Here’s a brief review of the Friday Mediterranean brunch at Mistral, located in Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate – what used to be the Movenpick :

Where is Oaks?

Everyone knows the Movenpick. It’s been there for a long, long time. Sadly it’s been rebranded and is now called the Oaks. The good thing is Mistral still holds the same name, just to make it less confusing.

What sorta food do they serve?

We expected pizza pasta and nothing more. It ended up being an extensive brunch spread – literally all the good stuff is there. If you’ve been to Mistral you might have done the Surf & Turf brunch? It’s sorta that 😉

• You have fresh seafood – where you pick what you want and they cook and bring it to the table.
• There’s a live pizza station – wood-fired, and again you choose what you want, and they bring it to the table.
• Fresh pasta station.
• The usual cold station with oysters, mussels, prawns, the whole lot. Salads.
• An ‘isolated pork station’ with one pork dish… roasted pork. Mmm.
• Dessert.

It was more than what we had expected.

Kids play area?

If you’ve done the Al Bahou Friday Brunch, it’s a smaller scale of that when it comes to kids play area. It’s all set up sorta in the middle of the big hall, closer towards Mistral.

They still have the bouncy castle, all the little houses and slides which is fabulous for the toddlers. Remember the cinema room? Well the projector is now set up in the hall, and little ones can choose to watch a cartoon or three if they don’t want to run around 😉

There is an attendant that does help monitor and did do some basic arts and crafts. But for most of the time the kids were just running around because there was so much space. You know how big the main hall is, underneath the beautiful arabic lanterns. We even thought next time we’ll bring the scooters in… hehehe

Drinks?

Surprisingly a lot of alcoholic options. Draft Heineken, Bottled Amstel and Becks. House Wine, even Sparkling wine ! 4 different types of Cocktails (hooray) and the usual house spirits. Enough to keep the parents happy.

Overall thoughts?

We came with low expectations, so we were definitely surprised to see an extensive spread, considering the price-point. Three families and six kids – ages ranging between 1 to 8. Our tables were next to the play area so we could keep an eye out on the little ones – that’s always a plus.

There is no live music or entertainers so don’t come expecting that. It’s a simple family-friendly brunch – one where you can eat, and drink and chat with friends and the kids can play – safely in an enclosed, large, air-conditioned area. Good enough for the summer, right? 🙂

And the damage? See below 😉

Tip : If you call the restaurant you will likely be informed the wrong price. There is a summer promo where the non-alcoholic package is 200 AED. You cannot use the Entertainer with that price.

Happy to see another affordable family-friendly brunch in town! They are so rare these days, aren’t they…

Shout out to Ailene for taking care of us that afternoon.

• Friday Mediterranean Brunch
• Website
• Mistral, Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel
• Timing : Fridays, 12:30 – 4:00pm
• Prices
  • 225 AED for 2, with the Entertainer.
  • Add on 100 AED if you want alcoholic drinks.
  • 3-6 Years Old : 40 AED
  • 7-12 Years Old : 80 AED

Note : Non-sponsored. We paid for our brunch, using the Entertainer voucher discount.