One of the many benefits of living the Expat life is enjoying brunch on a Friday afternoon. As a parent of two small children, I don’t get to enjoy brunch too often. My husband and I were recently invited to a brunch at Nahaam which is located in Jumeirah Etihad Towers across from Emirates Palace. We haven’t had a chance to go to any restaurant at Etihad Towers since they opened so we were excited to try out this restaurant.
Nahaam is located poolside with views overlooking the pool and the beach. We had a table on the terrace which was perfect to enjoy this wonderful weather. The restaurant was full but because it is so bright and airy it did not feel crowded. It is a lovely atmosphere for any special occasion.
Starters
If you love seafood, you will be in heaven. There is a wide selection of fresh fish, lobster, oysters, sushi, prawns, and mussels. I don’t eat any sort of seafood myself, but everyone told me how delicious it was. Believe me, I didn’t feel like I missed out -the salad bar was INCREDIBLE! It had a wide selection of vegetables, salads, grilled peppers, artichokes, eggplant, cheeses –I could go on and on. This is, by far, the best salad bar I have seen in a long time. Everything was so fresh, green, and flavorful.
Mains
The grills are outside where you will find a wide variation of food to cover all taste buds. You could get roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, duck pancakes, shwarma, hamburger, pasta, paella, mixed grill. it had the usual buffet staple of delicious sides dishes of rice, mixed vegetables, roast potatoes. The only challenge I found was deciding how many times to go up to the main buffet.
Desserts
It doesn’t matter if you are already stuffed from the previous courses because the desserts on offer are so appealing. It is impossible to pick one favorite. My favorites were the creme brûlée, the tiramasu and the chocolate fountain. This was the first time that I had seen a chocolate fountain with orange flavored and colored chocolate.
Cheese and Port
So apparently one should have either dessert or cheese. Not this lady. I love both. The cheese selection could not be ignored. I had to try with fresh baked pretzels. Fresh baked pretzels! I haven’t seen that in a bread selection before.
Kids Buffet
Should you decide to come down as a family, there is a whole buffet dedicated to children. This buffet includes all sorts of kid favorites such as chicken tenders, pasta, french fries, and other picks. Your child will not leave hungry.
Overall it was a wonderful afternoon spent in good company. I definitely overindulged in all of the delicious food. The food is magnificent. I was not surprised to find out that Nahaam was awarded the Time Out BEST BRUNCH in 2013.
Whilst you can bring your family I would not recommend for small children. The restaurant is right next to pool and if your kids are like mine and don’t like to sit still for 3 hours, you will be chasing them away from the pool most of the afternoon. The brunch ends promptly at 3:30. There is no ordering coffee at 3:35, however, should you decide to stay longer, your group can have drinks at the pool bar before heading up for some sunset cocktails at Ray’s Bar on the 62 floor which opens at 5pm.
Prices:
495 Champagne
385 House Beverage
285 Soft Drinks
If you would like to book at table for your next brunch, contact Nahaam at 02 811 5666
