Palazzo by Versace

 

The journey to the newly opened Palazzo by Versace is far from catwalk chic. Nestled in between the shoreline of the Creek and soon to be up and coming address of Dubai culture village, the rough terrain and off road entrance to the palatial hotel and adjacent residences contradict its sparse urban/dessert surroundings. We encountered total sensory overload as we moved from the traditional regal theme of the lobby and hallways to the entrance of Giardino restaurant, where the brunch was to be held and encountered a wacky yet truly Versace-esq Indoor jungle.

 

We were met by 2 members of staff at the entrance whose shirts matched the jungle wallpaper, which proved quite amusing as they disappeared from site when they inadvertently stood too close to the wall. One of the camouflaged waiters handed us a refreshingly green welcome drink and lead us through the expansive space toward our seats.

 

THE FOOD

 

The first thing that struck us about the food was that there was not an overly intimidating selection to choose from, which was not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes a manageable selection of quality over quantity prevails over the promise of an unending expanse to traverse, leaving us with more time to enjoy our food and our company at the table.

 

The brunch features all of the favourites you would expect at an Italian themed restaurant, from Ravioli with Tomato and Basil, Mushroom Canneloni, Ossobucco Milanese and freshly baked Pizza's to our dish of the day which was brought round on a trolley and served by the chefs at your table a fresh Tortellini served with Chick Peas, Prawns and Rocket…pasta-gasmic! (or any other word).


The cold seafood selection of Oysters, Scallops, Razor Clams, Lobster Claws, Sushi and Sashimi was impressively stocked, as was the Rotisserie opposite which whilst small, contained everything that eager overeaters such as ourselves could want for, including Salt Crusted Salmon, BBQ Lobster & Grilled Prawns from a seafood perspective, and Roasted Lamb, Chicken and Beef for the meat eaters.



The next dish to spark our wow-o-meter came as complete surprise with a run of the mill name. the "Slow cooked Eggs" were anything but unremarkable. The eggs were slow cooked in a sous vide machine for 2 hours at 58 degrees, leaving them looking raw to the naked eye but perfectly gooey and cooked through. The resultant egg was then poured into a cocktail glass and topped with either hollandaise or parsley sauce, seasoned with salt & pepper and a sprinkling of caviar to add that extra bit of delicious decadence. This is how eggs should be done!



Desserts were set against a dramatic backdrop in the central island, with the artiste behind Versace's designs really coming to the fore with a Chocolate leaning tower of Pisa and a huge replica of a gladiator's auditorium. Both had layers upon layers of intricate detail which meant that even if they were edible, we would not have been able to bring ourselves to destroy. Luckily, the miniature and equally attractive White Chocolate Cheesecake, Panacotta shooter and the indulgent Dark Chocolate Fudge and numerous other desserts posed no such problems to our conscience.

 

 

THE DRINK

 

Our server Melasia, complete with his matching jungle emblazoned shirt, tie and perma-grin informed us of the 3 packages on offer at Brunch. The non-alcoholic package includes hot and cold beverages, water and juices. The house beverage package includes white wine (Pinot Grigio, Italy) red wine (Cabernet, Italy), Sparkling Wine (Prosecco, Italy) Beer (Heineken or Birra Moretti), House Spirits (Russian Standard, Sauza, Famous Grouse, Bacardi Superior, Bombay Sapphire) and a selection of cocktails from a separate bar known as Giardino Elixir sips. (Amaretto Sour, Aperol Spritz and Classic, Strawberry or Passion Fruit Mojito's). Finally, the Champagne package features Ruinart Brut from France.



THE OTHER STUFF

 

The music at the start of the brunch was a big plus. The DJ spun a mélange of old school funk, soul, Michael Jackson and S Club 7 tunes which took us back to our school disco days. Unfortunately, this changed part way through to a brand of nondescript, repetitive house music which ended up fading into obscurity like a background drone rather than adding anything to the atmosphere as his previous selection had done. Such a shame.



One of the more endearing features of this brunch are the staff who bound around joyously (in their amazing green shirts) with an attentive yet carefree attitude, knowing just the right time to top up your glass or clear your plate. The modest size of the buffet takes nothing away from the sheer quality and level of detail involved in each of the dishes. From the pasta dish which makes its way around to guests early on, which is replaced by a sorbet & ice cream trolley which comes around later with a cream cheese or tropical sorbet, either to be enjoyed in a bowl or a cone. The Versace designed and heavily branded crockery is some of the finest we have seen anywhere, and even the champagne flutes had the words Palazzo Versace inscribed onto the bottom. Add all of this to the fact that you are able to saunter down to the pool both before and after brunch to make full use of the facilities with Palazzo Versace branded towels ofcourse…and this highly fashionable brunch just became a foodie and fashionista's day out.

 

Every Friday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm

 

AED 390 per person including soft beverages

AED 570 per person including selected house beverages

AED 720 per person including champagne

Children between 6-12 years dine at AED 175

For reservations, please email giardino@palazzoversace.ae call +97145568840

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