The Saturday Brunch Olympics: Dubai’s Favorite Sport
If you live in Dubai long enough, you realize something: brunch isn’t just a meal. It’s a sport. An endurance challenge. A glamorous rite of passage with more strategy than a Formula 1 race. Forget the World Cup or the Olympics—the true spectacle of competition in the UAE takes place every Saturday afternoon between noon and 4 p.m. in the glittering ballrooms, rooftops, and beach clubs of the city.
The Training Regimen
The best brunchers know you don’t simply show up. Oh no - this sport requires intentional training. Some veterans fast from Friday evening, others swear by a late-night shawarma ‘car load’. There are warm-up stretches (usually disguised as a Friday night out that ends at 2 a.m.), hydration strategies, and even game-day pep talks. Brunch in Dubai isn’t for amateurs—it’s for elite athletes of appetite.
The Opening Ceremony
Unlike a traditional sporting event, there’s no national anthem. Instead, the opening ceremony is heralded by the soft clink of champagne flutes and the unveiling of buffet tables that look like they’ve been curated by the United Nations of Gastronomy. A kaleidoscope of expats - Brits in linen suits, Lebanese influencers in oversized sunglasses, Indian families, and American tech bros - swirls around the spread, each bringing their own flair to this culinary coliseum. Sushi chefs slice sashimi with surgeon-like precision, while towers of oysters glisten on ice. A roast beef carving station stares down a falafel cart, and somewhere in the corner, a pasta chef is twirling tagliolini like he’s competing on MasterChef.
The Arenas of Glory
Every great sport needs its stadiums, and in Dubai, the arenas are the brunches themselves—each with its own flavor, personality, and rules of engagement. Fair warning: the price tags for these feasts could make your wallet weep—think AED 400-700 per person, or the cost of a small car payment—but in Dubai, excess is the entry fee.
Josette’s “Open Brunch” (DIFC)
This isn’t brunch; it’s a Parisian stage show disguised as lunch. Beneath chandeliers and velvet drapes, Le Brunch à la Parisienne serves decadent plates like Escargots de Josette, truffle-laced pastas, and golden towers of pâtisserie. Between bites, the entertainment explodes: live singers, musicians, and DJs transform the dining room into a cabaret. It’s less about eating and more about performing—on stage or at your table. The crowd? Equal parts fashion show and food marathon.
Chic Nonna’s “L’Estate Chic” (DIFC)
Across town, Chic Nonna hosts a brunch that feels like stepping into Florence for the weekend. “L’Estate Chic” invites you to dress all in white and bask in old-world Italian elegance. Antipasti spreads, hand-rolled pasta, and wood-fired pizzas flow endlessly, while guests lounge beneath crystal chandeliers with Burj Khalifa views. No dancers or champagne towers here—this is the marathon event, where pacing yourself through courses of burrata, risotto, and tiramisu is the only way to reach the finish line with dignity.
Bubbalicious at The Westin Mina Seyahi
The original gold standard of Dubai brunches, and arguably the Olympic stadium. Three restaurants open up into one sprawling feast with live cooking stations from every corner of the world. There’s lobster, roast duck, sushi, curry, and at least six kinds of dessert before you’ve even arrived at the chocolate fountain. It’s indulgence at a gloriously hedonistic level.
Saffron Brunch at Atlantis The Palm
The undisputed heavyweight of the party brunch category. Over 200 dishes, free-flowing cocktails, live DJs, and a dance floor that looks more like a nightclub than a dining hall. If brunch were gymnastics, Saffron is the floor routine—high energy, show-stopping, and occasionally resulting in questionable acrobatics.
The brunch equivalent of fencing: refined, precise, and elegant. Guests nibble their way through endless robata grills, sashimi, and black cod miso, all perfectly plated. Less about how much you can consume, more about style points.
CÉ LA VI’s Sky High Brunch (Downtown)
The high jump of brunches—literally. Perched above Dubai with the Burj Khalifa as the backdrop, this brunch delivers modern Asian plates with panoramic views. It’s as much about the Instagram story as the food, and the crowd knows it.
The Sprint, the Marathon, and the Relay
No matter which “arena” you choose, the competition follows a familiar rhythm: The Sprint: The opening rush to secure the good stuff—think oysters, caviar, and that one tray of truffle sliders that disappears in minutes. The Marathon: Hours two and three, where the wise pace themselves. This is where Chic Nonna’s slow Italian feast shines. The Relay: The final hour, when dessert tables open and friends band together to tackle chocolate fountains, kunafa, and one too many espressos.
The Medal Ceremony
By 4 p.m., champions emerge. Some are still upright, sipping their last espresso martini with poise. Others are slumped in the back seat of a taxi, whispering the famous last words: “Next Saturday, I’m taking it easy.” But everyone knows the truth: Dubai brunch isn’t a one-time event. It’s a weekly tournament, and the training for the next round starts as soon as you recover.
About the Author
Paul Scribner is a corporate leader and communicator with over two decades of experience in global finance, strategic investment, and organizational leadership. In September 2024, he expatriated to Dubai, where he continues to explore and write about leadership, culture, and the lessons found in both successes and failures.