Candypants Brunch at XL, Habtoor Grand
CANDYPANTS has recently been named ‘The Best Party Brunch Dubai 2016' by TimeOut Magazine. In addition to being the brand behind the UAE's first MEGA Brunches....so we thought we would pop down to check out their latest installment and add any additional thoughts to our original review, conducted last year...read on to see what we thought:
This is definitely party season. Having been to 3 new players on the Party Brunch Scene in very quick succession, all of them aiming to pinch the crown from Dubai's perennially raucous favorite: Saffron, which had been previously unopposed when it came to places to go if you truly wanted get your "parteee" on.
The Food
Whilst Candypants' are proud of their food selection, when they first started they freely acknowledged that it is not their main area of focus for the day. Rather than a pure foodie experience, the total party package is what sets this place apart from your standard Friday brunch time meal with a few drinks and a splash of background music thrown in for good measure. All will become clear by the end of the piece.
The buffet, which had been extended to include an indoor area and one outside to cater for the increased number of guests set just off to the side of the main tables and party area used to feature an array of salads and cold starters such as Hummus with Pomegranate, a Pumpkin Salad, Greek Salad, and an Egg Plant & Tomato salad and what we had described as an adequate, albeit fairly mundane selection of hot plates offering Meat Samosas, Fried Cheese Rolls & Spinach Fatayer. Whilst we made a point of trying each one, there was no compelling force driving us back to delve in for more, however as party snacks go, they certainly did the job of lining the stomach for the main events to come.
This time around, although the Cheese Rolls and Salads remained, a number of additional Salads & dishes had been introduced, such as the Fried Calamari and Fried Chicken Wings, and notably hot entree's containing an inviting looking Paella del Mar, Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce, Lasagna and Roasted Chicken Provencal. There was also a novelty Hot Dog station, a Cheese and Bread section and a medley of tiny dessert bites to choose from, such Tiramisu's, individual Chocolate Cakes, Mini Carrot cakes and a fresh selection of vibrant Fruit Cocktails.
All of which are in keeping with the uncomplicated, unpretentious and generally playful theme of the rest of the food, and at this point you would not be surprised to see a pic n mix and candyfloss machine staffed by a rainbow-wigged clown, on roller skates, throwing cream pies into guests faces, and nor would you mind, such is the vibe created.
The Drinks
Now this is where Candypants really comes into its own…Shortly after being escorted to our table we were greeted by our friendly waiter, who confidently explained the inclusions of our package: Beer, Wine, Spirits , Sparkling and a healthy array of cocktails which we were told to take full advantage of later on. In true Mr & Mrs Brunch style, we opted for a traditional and crisp white wine to start proceedings, and had barely taken more than a few intrepid sips when our waiter had already twisted our arms enticingly into trying their legendary Mojitos, which arrived at our table, accompanied as you do, with some tantalizing pink Vodka shots. A sign of things to come…
Last time around, we were treated to Mojito's and the Infamous "To To" shots: containing Vodka, Olive Oil and Tobasco Sauce! Certainly not one for the faint hearted, but luckily those were not to be seen today! Instead, a large water pistol full of "something" was being toted by the legendary and playful Candy Girls and having been ordered to kneel, obediently opened up and received a violent but surprisingly pleasant shot to cheers from the watching crowd who were eager to have their turn next.
Far from exhausting our quota on the drinks front…Candypants were just getting started and to our delight, a giant fish bowl soon arrived at our table. Red in color, venomously strong and a taste which transported you back to that seminal first holiday you experienced abroad with your friends in your teenage years. We were in our element and were certainly feeling the Candypants Love. In terms of the quantity, quality, frequency and exuberance of the service, they are outstanding and go over and above to ensure that everyone keeps apace with the chic beats resonating loudly from the speakers to your eardrums.
The Mega-Brunch has added 2 additional outdoor bars catering to regular beverages as well as speciality cocktails and seemed to handle the increased footfall with ease, although the Ice based beverage stations were empty on the 2 occasions we visited them so had to return to our table empty handed.
Atmosphere
A party brunch with one rule…come with an open mind for indulgence and be prepared to have fun (OK so that's two rules). For fans of hedonistic havens such as Marbella, Ibiza, Miami and Las Vegas, Candypants re-creates their wild scenes impeccably, ableit with the added panache and regulated flamboyance expected within Dubai. Hosted by the stunning Candygirls, fuelled by pumping music from their resident DJ's and then throw the infamous fancy dress box into the mix (including novelty glasses, oversized blowup instruments, hats and Hawaiian necklaces) and you have a recipe for mayhem, carnage and full throttle fun.
It seemed to be someone's birthday, or some other Mardi Gras-like celebration every 30 minutes which was greeted with regular explosions of noise and bursts of sparklers, confetti, gargantuan rainbow cocktails and strutting staff who look like they are having just as much fun as the guests. As the music builds to a crescendo in the final hour of the brunch (where did that time go??) the unmistakable frenzy of the party atmosphere is there for all to see, hear and feel. The waiters have miraculously morphed into superhero costumes and are bounding around the place, happily posing for pictures with guests and ensuring that there is no one left behind or feeling reticent as they slowly but assuredly usher all of the revelers through to the main part of XL nightclub. Here, the party is definitely in full swing as the wall of sound and action really smack you in the face like an exploding car airbag.
DJ Andy Swift, in particular on deck duty riles up the frenetic crowd with his mixture of dance/urban favourites and swagger. We were dazzled by stunning dancers on the bar, the confetti showering from the roof like a New Years Eve in Time Square, and the Ice Cannon which explodes with a release of euphoria only echoed by the boom of the bassline.
Overall
Our feelings on the food, whilst not a million miles away from those on our previous visit in terms of the variety have been improved vastly in terms of quality. A natural caveat of attending any brunch with the "party" as star attraction is that you cannot and should not expect Michelin style dining. Candypants makes no apologies for the balance they have chosen between Food and the Party Atmosphere and they do not pretend to be all things to all people, with assurance and dexterity of it's delivery seeming to keep the droves flocking back week in week out.
Whilst Brunches usually fall off into that sleepy final hour of fullness and preparation for a food/booze coma, Candypants really ramps up the intensity and injects you with a new lease of life which lasts through to the early hours of the morning (if you are able to last the pace). The happy hour from 4-9pm is also a very welcome touch and helps keep the party flowing in style. This party is not for the feint hearted, nor the pretentious amongst us, and the only thing you need to take seriously is your partying, oh and how good you look in oversized glasses and a wig.
The Mega Brunch we attended had a sports day fancy dress theme, and we would say 97% of guests attended in fancy dress. (perhaps to take advantage of the discounted entry price). All of the elements are provided for you and your guests to have a great time, you just need to turn up and let the Candypants team take care of the rest. We dare you not to have a great time.
Brunch runs from 1pm-4pm in the restaurant and on the terrace before they move into the club for the Brunch Afterparty from 4pm-9pm. There are two Brunch packages available. Standard Brunch - 325AED which includes access to a buffet along with house spirits, wines, beers and selected cocktails. Sparkling Brunch - 375AED which includes all of the above plus house champagne. *Emirates FACE Card holders Standard Brunch - 295AED Dress code is smart casual. Strictly no sportswear, trainers or flip-flops. (Or fancy dress...depending on the particular theme) The brunch after party is then open to everyone, whether they have been to brunch or not and has no entrance fee. Emirates and Etihad cabin crew receive a 40% discounts on drinks bought at the bar. VIP tables and Private Cabana's are also available. If you wanted a better idea of what Candypants party brunch is all about here is a video from their Halloween MEGA Brunch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpVOKKZP24gTo book: Contact: info@candypants-events.co.uk
Candypants is a UK party brand that has spread its wings to playboys paradise Marbella and now to Dubai, and has set itself a clear mandate of providing a brunch experience like no other, where customers are really able to let their hair down and have fun.
