Breakfast @ La Brasserie - Le Meridien, Abu Dhabi

I like hotel breakfast buffets. Am I allowed to admit that, or is it up there, no pun intended, with saying you like airplane food? But I do. I think one of the reasons I like is that is hard to mess up breakfast, surely, so you are bound to have a satisfying experience. Recently, as part of an overnight stay, I had breakfast at Le Meridien's La Brasserie, their all day dining restaurant.

The hostess was very friendly and efficient in welcoming us. It is quite a lively affair, and when we arrived, there were only a few tables free. The assistant manager was very quick to find us a table near the window. We were offered coffee, and I expected a cup of coffee poured at the table from a pot, but was pleasantly surprised when I saw a French bodum press with coffee. Fresh. Nice touch, I thought!

Wide variety of juices added to the pleasure.

The buffet spread is huge, but the layout is such that long lines are easily avoided, with the exception of the omelet and crepe station, but that is more about the popularity of the eggs and crepes than the layout. It was a pleasure watching the chef manning the omelet station. He was so dexterous in everything he did, I could have watched him for hours.

Chef at the omelet and crepe station served many happy guests,

It was a thrill watching Chef ply his trade.

The bread station served up some interesting treats too. Apart from the usual breads, there was green tea bread and pumpkin bread - both created by Chef Jean Georges and both enjoyable in taste and creativity.

Loved the originality at the bread station.

Looked and tasted delicious.

The fresh fruit juice station was worth a few visits, with a very good variety of juice. I thought the watermelon, freshly squeezed, was superb.

There were a few interesting things very evident. Firstly, the chefs inspected the food on the floor regularly, to check on portions, Also, the manager himself was waiting tables and clearing. He really lead by example. He was supported by a wonderfully hard working staff. However, if there is one area that needs fine tuning, it is ensuring that plates are cleared efficiently and timeously throughout breakfast. Other than this, it was really a pleasure watching the staff work.

Pancakes 

Banana smoothie. 

Sorry, I could not wait for the picture. I had to tatse. My favorite 'dish' .

So, what were the stand-out items? I would have to say the green tea bread, the mixed berry sauce that was just amazing with the yogurt, the omelets, banana smoothie and watermelon juice.

La Brasserie, to sum up, served a wonderful breakfast. The staff were engaging and the buzz about them created a buzz among the guests, making it a lively breakfast. The two hours there went by so fast.

The low down

La Brasserie,
Le Meridien, Abu Dhabi
02 644 6666
Suggestion: Book bed and breakfast