If you have been in Dubai for more than 5 years, chances are you have done the Fork and Cork brunch at some point or another. It’s Anantara the Palm’s big brunch. The last time we did this – we didn’t have any mini versions of ourselves at the table to attend to. It was us, and a group of friends, and a lot of cocktails. Now – we have 3 very adorable little people to attend to.

How is Fork and Cork Brunch, with kids? What shall you expect? Read on.

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Where is Crescendo?

Crescendo is Anantara the Palm’s all-day dining restaurant, which you can access via the lobby by going down their grand staircase. If you have buggies, don’t worry – there are lifts as well to take you down one level.

Yes – there is complimentary valet if you are driving to the Anantara.

Tell me more about the brunch.

We first went to Fork & Cork brunch when it launched, many years ago now. It’s good to see it’s still doing so well – with the place packed on a Saturday afternoon, mid June.

Food is served buffet-style, with different stations all throughout. There’s sushi & sashimi (yes, there is salmon). A live cheese ravioli station, as well as pasta – to your liking. There’s a huge salad section, with a sign stating that “all salad leaves are hyper organically grown on the hotel premises.” Impressive!

There’s an asian section right by the kid’s buffet corner – with dim sums, and our kids’ favourite – prawn crackers. You’ll be amazed how much prawn crackers little kids can eat.

There’s lots of Arabic as well, such as moroccan spiced lamb t-bone with gremolata, and orecchiette puttanesca with chickpeas, amongst others.

What about food for kids?

We chose to sit close to the kids buffet which was placed next to the kids corner. Sweets with savouries, unfortunately haha. That’s your pasta, chicken nuggets, alongside as much marshmallows, muffins, meringues, and popcorn as you would like.

Were there any kid’s activities?

Crescendo’s play corner is still there should you want to drop your little one in there to play. There are a few wooden toys, and bean bags for them to lazy around on if they want to watch cartoons.

There are two attendants present for face painting as well, when we were there.

If you have Privilee – you could make use of it and drop the older kids (age 4 and above) in their Kid’s Club halfway through brunch. We did just that, and joined them afterwards.

And….. drinks?

As you would expect from a brunch of this size – there are drink stations……. everywhere. You can walk around the whole dining hall and pick up a gin & tonic from one station, espresso martini from the other, and margarita from another.

From the crowd present – it wasn’t just families. There were lots and lots of large groups of adults, making the most of a 3-hour eating and drinking fest 😉

Overall Thoughts

It’s no surprise that the Fork & Cork brunch has been around for such a long time. It’s one to do if you prefer a huge buffet spread with a little bit of different cuisine. From a kids’ entertainment perspective – it’s simple, and okay for very young kids. Try and get a table close enough to the kids corner for that. There isn’t too much for the older kids, so you’ll definitely need to bring something to keep them occupied. There’s always the kid’s club as a backup if you have Privilee! 🙂

Enjoy Fork & Cork with the family!

• Fork & Cork Brunch @ Crescendo, Anantara the Palm
• Every Saturday 1-4pm
• Typically Buy 1 get 1 free on Entertainer – check current app.
• Details on Anantara’s website

For other options, have a look at our Family Brunches in Dubai Listing

Disclaimer : We were guests of Anantara the Palm to review the Fork & Cork Brunch