Five star food for less than ninety dirhams? Abu Dhabi Week happily investigated ...
Amid the big-chain hotels and the downtown traffic chaos stands Cristal hotel. Its arrival in the capital was a rather quiet affair back in June this year, but we think it’s high time it made some noise.
As well as offering the usual hotel rooms and a soon-to-be-launched spa, Cristal is home to a restaurant called 2.35 – an all day diner which has already made itself extremely popular with office workers and locals alike. The restaurant was originally planned for the top floor of the hotel, but a late design change brought it to the mezzanine level and gave the venue its name; 2.35m is the restaurant’s ceiling height – a generous space which creates a wonderful light and airy atmosphere.
But it’s the food that really sets this restaurant apart. With international cuisine on a vast buffet, picking just one dish is near impossible – and will often result in a rather unusual combination on the plate! As it happened, we ended up with a mixture of seafood, Arabic grilled meats, pasta and even duck. We reluctantly passed on the freshly-made Yorkshire puddings, but only because we ran out of room.
There wasn’t a single item on our overly piled plates that we didn’t enjoy. Highlights? Definitely the tender sliced duck and the creamy, sauce laden pasta.
The duck – still ever so slightly pink in the middle – was accompanied by duck-fat-with-orange gravy and practically melted in the mouth. The pasta won a second visit to the buffet station, high praise indeed since one of the eating team knows proper Italian cooking from her upbringing. Light and full on flavour, and with a tomato and cheese sauce featuring a bouquet of perfectly placed herbs, the dish proved that the simple route is the right way to serve pasta.
As we pushed the table forward to make room for a final trip up to the buffet to choose dessert, the blueberry pie was recommended. We still managed to sample cheesecake and carrot pudding as well. Being a fan of baking we instantly wanted the recipe for the pie; blueberries oozed out of the centre of a light, crisp pastry case, and it needed no saucing to make it complete (though we had the option of five different sauces to accompany it, including chocolate and mango).
The cheesecake, topped with a strawberry, was another hit. The carrot pudding was a different matter. With a mousse-like texture and hints of cinnamon, the delicate sweet is a popular dessert in India; but for others it’s an acquired taste. While we like a slice of carrot cake, we weren’t too convinced about either its texture or its flavour – which was probably beneficial for our expanding waistlines.
Cristal is one of the few hotels around Abu Dhabi that is completely dry, and that’s a pleasant surprise in the middle of downtown Abu Dhabi. The service was impeccable; from the moment we pulled up at the main entrance, to leaving the restaurant after our meal – polite and attentive staff made us feel really rather special.
The huge, wonderfully presented buffet offers a great alternative for those wanting to dine (or to impress) without spending a fortune. There are theme nights planned along with a Friday brunch and even another restaurant coming in the near future. And we think we’ll be at the front of the queue.
What? 2.35 Restaurant
Where? Cristal Hotel, Electra Street
How much? AED 89 inc soft drinks
Why? There’s a dedicated, experienced, heard-working chef in the kitchen – and boy does it show
Why not? Because you won’t leave the venue until you feel physically ill from over-consumption
Rated: 9 out of 10
Contact: 02 652 0000
