Understanding the Dubai Definition of the Word “Brunch"

If you’ve landed on this thinking you will be discovering relaxed, late-morning cafe-style brunches consisting of fluffy pancakes and fresh coffee, think again. Like some of you, that was my understanding of the infamous Dubai brunch scene. However, that is not the case. Unlike the western-style meaning of the word, the ever-expanding Middle Eastern city of Dubai has taken the concept and flipped it on its head.

Typically, Dubai brunches are held on Saturdays and start at around 1:00 pm. The menu usually consists of three courses: starters, mains and desserts, and is accompanied by free-flowing alcohol and a DJ set. As most are hosted at luxury five-star hotels, guests have access to their private beach and pool facilities.

Back in October of 2023, I went to Zenzi Beach, which is in the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel on Palm Jumeirah. They offer various different packages, ranging from the cheapest of AED 450 (roughly $125) per person which doesn’t include alcohol, all the way up to the AED 800 (roughly $220) per person package which includes champagne. As a non-alcohol drinker, I opted for the soft drinks package, which included beach and pool access for the afternoon.

The first platter you are served is your starters. This included four sharing platters; the seafood platter, kale salad, guacamole and crispy baby squid. I was taken aback by the size of the dishes - you really do get a lot for your money! But do not make the mistake of eating as much as you can at this stage, because there is much more to come and you do not want to miss out!

As you can imagine from the starters I described, the main course consists of about double the amount platters as well multiple sides; one meat platter which consists of pollo a la parrilla, chuletas de borrego, bife de ancho and salmón a la brasa as well as a spinach and ricotta tortellini pasta dish. They also had a wide variety of sides like roasted pumpkin, potato puree and roasted broccolini.

The final platter was the dessert platter, which consisted of paletas, traditional churros and al fajores cookies. At this stage, I was struggling to eat anymore, but the desserts were right up my street, so I had to try them (and I can say it was worth it).

After that, we took the opportunity to use the beach and pool facilities, as the hotel has its own private beach. It was the perfect setting to relax after an afternoon of eating.

So there we go. Dubai-style brunch is a phenomenon that has completely changed the meaning of the word. My number one tip is to pace yourself! You truly do get your moneys worth with the amount of food that is presented, but if you go all in during the starters, then you will struggle to complete the desserts. Most large hotels in Dubai offer a Saturday brunch service with different themes, so be sure to research a few before you go to find the best one for you!