The Rose & Crown ‘Brit' Brunch, The Atrium Al Habtoor City

The Rose & Crown, adding to the list of quintessential "British pub" names to grace the shores of Dubai. Other noteable entrants include the Black Lion, The Red Lion, and the Crown & Lion (notice the theme). Back to the Rose & Crown, which stands between The W Dubai and The St. Regis Dubai in Al Habtoor City at the entrance of The Atrium with a distinctive red phone box, albeit lacking in the usual "advertisements" one usually finds inside. The establishment officially opened its doors to the public last August and with an unmistakable waft of ‘real ale, sports and crisps, we felt certain certain we were in for a good old fashioned, unpretentious British knees up.   THE FOOD   Finding space in one of the red booths, we were so pleased to see that they have kept the brunch menu hearty, but simple. The pre-course/appetizer of Chips and Curry Sauce as a description alone does not do the dish justice, as the simplest things are so easy to get wrong. I would hazard a guess that the chips were triple cooked from their deliciously crispy exterior and piping hot, fluffy center. The seasoning on them was mild but definitely present with a hint of saltiness that worked extremely well with the velvety, non-spicy curry sauce. A dish that vanished in seconds but would not hesitate to re-order just as quickly.   Now for the main course, and rather than a buffet or a meal served in stages to your table, the main meal takes arrives as one man-sized whole portion. The smorgasboard of gastro-goodness that arrived on a large rectangular serving plate included crispy pork belly with apple sauce and a delicious topping of crackling, an extra portion of those delectable chips from the pre-course, fish fingers and something we had never tried before, a crumpet with strawberry jam and a poached egg. An unusual combination but it seemed to work. Just!   Not stopping there, the plate also boasted a smokey spatchcock grilled chicken, pork bangers, a grilled rib eyed steak and two sides of corn on the cob and roast potatoes. Simple, Tasty, British fayre. A full English and a Sunday roast all at once. What more could you ask for? A salad perhaps? This definitely had the wow factor and the novelty factor rolled into one! Sufficed to say, we made our way through the platters with true British gusto, also in fairness one of these plates would have been enough to feed us both handsomly. In fact, perhaps separating the courses into breakfast, as I did by eating the egg, bacon and sausage before the steak pork and chicken would allow guests to experience them in their full glory, fresh out of the kitchen rather than having been sat on our table for 20 mins as we tried to polish off the first portion.     THE DRINKS   The drinks on offer, in line with the theme, were simple and delightful. We started off with a bottled Grolsh lager before turning our attentions to house wines, and then the House spirits, which naturally meant a classic G&T. As the bar was relatively quiet. Service was swift and always with a smile. Not really much more you can ask for.   THE OTHER STUFF   Once you step into The Rose & Crown, the interior is reminiscent of classic UK establishment's, with stained glass windows, porcelain tiling, dark wooden finishes and a cosy Victorian fireplace that almost makes you forget that it i nearly 50 degrees outside! The venue is spread over two floors and upstairs hosts the smokers area, as well as the dart board, pool table, and a large LCD screen overlooking the balcony so that you can keep up to date on the latest sporting action.   Billed as "Dubai's MOST British Brunch," The surrounding, the grub, even the manners in which the drinks are served certainly make it one of the most cost effective. It needs a little more in terms of atmosphere, music and interaction (perhaps some british board games or a quiz) to truly grasp that title. With two bars, two floors, games, proper pub grub (albeit all served at once), big screen sports and affable waiters, the The Rose & Crown is certainly a front runner if your looking for a (large) taste of home. Bring your jeans, flip flops or even your team colours and make this your relaxed local start to Friday.     The "Brit" Brunch Every Friday 12.30pm - 4pm AED 250 including food and beverages. Located next to the w dubai al habtoor city, look out for the big red phone box! Tel 04 437 0022 / 056 503 6230 reservations@roseandcrowndubai.com