Street Art Brunch, The Oberoi

Sometimes, the clue is in the name… For those that may not have already guessed it, the Street Art Brunch (#streetartbrunch) at The Oberoi is a celebration of two very hip, edgy, on-trend elements: street food and street art.

 

Indeed, from the moment you arrive at The Oberoi in Downtown Dubai and step through the enormous gigantic glass doors, the Street Art Brunch pulls you into its enchanting theatre.

 

The opening salvo was a guitar player wantonly strumming away on the marble steps, a sort of ‘if Dubai did busking' concept - albeit without the cash-collecting cap on the floor and having to constantly check your own wallet for pickpockets. This particular musician was very handy with the acoustic axe too, quite the talent.

 

The Food

   

Anyway, on to the dining and before you even enter the main restaurant you find yourself confronted with a plethora of intriguing food stations dubbed the Fromage & Charcuterie Walk. Quite the spread: delicious oysters, Maine lobsters, prawns, blue mussels and Moody (Bloody) Marys - all excellent by the way - as well as yet-to-sweat artisan Mons cheeses from the Rhone Valley and a bustling battlefield of cured meats (no pork but bah humbug, we're used to that). Impressive start. Throw in the huge alcohol branded backdrops (alas, we will return to this), Parisian bicycles and graffiti boards and it really was selfie paradise.

   

Inside the main venue and, we have to say, the experience evolved into something resembling a culinary carnival. Keeping this short will be problematic so we will do our best to wrap things up as concisely as we can… Street Art Brunch has everything.

   

The food options covered five continents and as we hopped, skipped and jumped from stall to stall we genuinely felt like we were travelling. Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Japan, the USA, India, the Middle East - it was tremendous. And not a passport or moody immigration official in sight.

Consider the countries and regions listed above and the food options were often quite generic, occasionally bordering on commercial. The excellently prepared, packaged and presented food was sublime and, when required, diligently explained by the restaurant staff. Personal favourites for Mr. B were the Som Tam from Thailand he prepared himself, the Kentucky fried chicken burger, South African Bunny Chao and Mexican tacos. For Mrs. B it was lamb meatballs with foie gras, the fish fingers and chips (you can take the girl out of England) and the South American ceviche.

   

And then there was the dessert section… I think the kitchen team used more nitrogen on the day than Vin Diesel has used in seven (maybe he has only been in six) Fast & Furious movies. Dozens of sweets, sours, cakes and pastries were scientifically explained - quite literally - by extremely knowledgeable staff. We prefer to think of them as cuisine physicians - they were that good. The sort of team that are so passionate about what they are serving that you literally want to try everything. Overall, we found the service immeasurably beyond excellent.

   

   

The Drink

   

Ironically, for a concept where the alcohol partners play such a visual role, the only downside was the alcohol selection. Put more accurately the lack of any genuine selection at all. Following the token glass of Prosecco on arrival, choice was restricted to Martini Bianco, Bacardi and Bombay Sapphire for the entire afternoon. While we are well versed in rustling up rather delicious cocktails and mixer combinations with each of the above liquids, sometimes you just want a beer. "Sorry, Sir - not available." Was a strange and all too familiar response from around the tables. What about a glass of wine for Mrs. Brunch to enjoy with her fish fingers. "Sorry, Mrs B - not available." Lets' just say we were less than impressed.

   

   

The Atmposhere

   

Away from the food and the graffiti theme continued outside where a spray paint artist created bespoke caps for kids and adults - a truly novel activity that gave diners a personal momento of their day. If you can stomach the notion of an alcohol company giving away branded caps to kids, which we just about can when the logo is covered with spray paint, it was a fantastic brand awareness exercise.

   

   

Overall

   

Now, please allow us to set the record straight: Mr. & Mrs. Brunch fully understand and wholeheartedly appreciate the importance of commercial partnerships for venues and events such as the Street Art Brunch at The Oberoi. At every brunch we have the pleasure (and very occasional displeasure) of attending, we see the monumental amount of effort that goes in and realise that the finer details and value add ons for the customer - many of which have nothing to do with the F&B come at a cost for the outlet. Put plainly, the additional experiential content can have a massive effect - positive or negative - on the restaurant's margin and bottom line.

However, when such commercial agreements end up having a detrimental impact on the ultimate experience of enjoying quality food and drink, common sense should prevail. Sadly, on our experience at the Street Art Brunch it did not.

   

In a city where the sheer volume of brunch options - and trust us, we know - mean thousands of patrons consider beverage and culinary offerings as the most influential of factors in their decision-making process, the self-inflicted limitations on the beverage selection at the Street Art Brunch were extremely self-defeating. Put in terms this otherwise fantastic, fun and novel play on global street food, art and culinary adventure may understand: it is the equivalent of running over your own toes in a Martini branded tricycle.

   

Every Friday 1pm - 4pm

Soft Drinks Packages from AED 299

House Beverages from AED 399

Bubbly package from AED 599

To Book: Call: +971 4444 1407 or e-mail: restaurants.dubai@oberoihotels.com