As you are zooming away at 100km/h on Sheikh Zayed Road, mesmerized by the urban jungle made up of towering sky scrapers, it is very easy to miss some of the best restaurants Dubai has to offer. However, if you are up for an “authentic French and Alsatian bistro experience”, I would highly recommend you set the coordinates to Bertin Bistro and Restaurant on your Sat Nav and head over for their Friday Brunch.
Last week, following the obligatory Friday prayers at nearby Al Fattan Mosque, my family and I made our way to Bertin Bistro and Restaurant. With the weather so beautiful in Dubai right now, we spotted a few families enjoying their meals in the outdoor seating area, while we made our way indoors to our table. The restaurant is very spacious and even has seating space available upstairs. The staff were all smiles from the moment we entered and even brought some colouring sheets and crayons for the little ones.
I couldn’t help but notice the walls covered with a few black and white photographs and what looked like snippets of an adventurer’s story. It was indeed the story of Bertin, a young boy from Strasbourg who aspired to have his own restaurant. Flash forward, and here we were, ready to taste some of his beautifully crafted dishes. The casual bistro-like atmosphere with revolving ceiling fans, marble topped tables and dishes served up in earthen pot ware certainly created a wonderful ambience. The open bakery meant we could view, and smell, the chefs working their magic. Some were busy piping custard on biscuits and topping it up with a raspberry while others were seen preparing the famous Flammekusche, an Alastatian version of an oven baked pizza with a very thin base.
The spread for the Friday Brunch looked A-mazing! We started with our plates at the Salad station, offering a variety of vibrantly colourful fresh vegetables tossed together and jars of various dressings. My favourite was the Marbella Salad, made up of fresh lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, pomegranate, feta cheese, walnuts and molasses dressing. Ofcourse, Azmu couldn’t help but grab a few of the pink pomegranate seeds from my salad plate. We also grabbed ourselves a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, which was completely refreshing.
The Roast station was offering warm succulent slices of beef roast with oven roasted potatoes and gravies to accompany. Moving on to the Mains stations, there were a total of five dishes and one kids special, which may not look a huge spread according to Dubai standard, however, with just one bite from these lovely dishes, you would surely be going for second rounds. Each of those dishes had a “home-cooked” feel to it and the portions were nothing less than generous. The Chicken Tajine was cooked to perfection, the Meatballs in spices was aromatic and the Roasted Seafood was serving up crusty oven-baked salmon with jumbo prawns. And boy, do I love me some jumbo prawns! For me, the Vegetable Lasagne, with its rich and creamy tomato sauce, was a winner. The Chicken strips and fries for the kids went down a treat with Azmu…along with the prawns. Like mummy-like daughter!
Bertin Bistro also offers a wide selection of Egg dishes, perfect for lazy morning brunches. We tried the Omelet with Mushroom and Herbs and Omelet with aged Brie Cheese and Beef Bacon. Each Omelete was served with half a tomato, lightly grilled, and a slice of brown rye bread. The couple sitting opposite to our table were enjoying an Eggs Benedict and it certainly looked appetizing. Maybe one to try for the next time!
Finally, it was time for dessert. The Dessert section had a display of colourful meringues, croissants and pastries. However, you can’t come to Bertin Bistro and Restaurant and not try their famous Pain Perdu, a fresh baked dough topped with sugar powder, served with caramel and rock salt on the side. It was baked to order and still steaming when hubby-bi dug his spoon into the soft dough, while I poured the sweet sticky caramel sauce all over and sprinkled a bit of the rock salt. It tasted divine and was perfect for sharing!
The Friday Brunch is available from 11:30 to 3pm at AED 75. So, if you are looking to try a new place serving brunches with a “home-made” feel to it, or even to try their various guilt-free dishes from the A La Carte menu, make sure to head down to Bertin Bistro. Personally, I might be back for their pastries again!
Disclaimer: We were invited by Bertin Bistro and Restaurant to try their recently opened Friday Brunch. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own. For more information please visit their website www.bertinbistro.com. Special thanks to Zeyna (@mummyonmymind).