Brunch may be the hippest meal these days, but it has been around since the late 19th century. It was initially for the British Upper Class who spent a good chunk of their morning hunting and would return to a luncheon that combined breakfast and lunch fare. However, the concept of brunch reached significant popularity in the 1930s and has made a strong comeback in global culture in the last several years.
For many, brunch is the perfect meal to share with family and friends because it’s set during the most convenient time of the day. Aside from that, the selection for brunch is endless. Plus, the atmosphere is more relaxed and social. It’s no wonder for most people, brunch is the ideal time, place, and setting to catch up with friends.
It’s important to point out that you can enjoy brunch in unique ways. In Abu Dhabi, for instance, brunch is offered by a variety of famous dining establishments. According to locals, the best brunch in Abu Dhabi is not even at a popular breakfast joint, but a steakhouse.
So, if you are looking forward to a weekend brunch date with friends, listed below are six fun and gastronomically satisfying brunch ideas to consider.
1. Brunch Crawl
With brunch spanning from anywhere between 10 AM and 4 PM, there’s no need to have the meal in just one place. You can break down brunch in stages and tackle these stages at different dining establishments. This should be easy to do, considering how technology allows you to explore menu offerings and book a reservation from your phone.
How about this? Head to a soup and salad bar to have your appetizer and then drive to the best steakhouse for the main entrees. Afterward, troop to a hip patisserie for dessert, and wind down at a quaint cafe.
2. Traditional Fare
Create a new and exceptional experience with friends by choosing to have brunch at a restaurant that specializes in traditional food. This is an excellent way to explore the food culture of a particular country and develop a taste for foreign cuisine.
In Abu Dhabi, there’s an authentic Japanese restaurant whose menu includes the typical breakfast set in Japan. This is something new to try for people who may be familiar with sushi or ramen, but have no idea about the unique flavors and amazing health benefits of traditional Japanese breakfasts.
3. Casual Outdoor Dining
Brunch time is usually when food truck parks start their day. If you and your friends are into Instagram-famous food, the best place to have brunch is a food truck park. The selection of food here will not disappoint, and the exciting part is there is a high likelihood of discovering new culinary creations that may end up being your new favorites.
Also, when the weather’s great, take advantage of it and enjoy delicious food outdoors. Most food truck parks have seating set up for customers, and if you and your group arrive early, you can eat your meal sitting down instead of standing up, which is the common practice in food truck parks.
4. Food Festival
If there is a food festival in your community scheduled for the weekend, hit it up for brunch with your friends. This will create an entirely new dining experience for all of you, and for sure, you will have a blast experimenting with a vast selection of dishes from different regions or countries.
Food festivals can truly bring a lot of fun to your get-together with friends. Most of the time, it’s not just food that such events offer. There are contests, game booths, musical performances, and all kinds of souvenirs. So, if you are all for an exciting brunch with the people you love spending time with, keep your eyes peeled for such events.
5. Fine Dining
During the weekend, it’s nice to dress up and luxuriate. Fortunately, there are elegant places that offer brunch as well. Hotels and fine dining restaurants are known to serve gourmet dishes — from lobster thermidor to world-class Japanese steak Miyazaki prefecture — for brunch.
Treat yourself and your friends to a sophisticated dining experience where every little thing is prepared with high-class indulgence in mind. This is a splendid option, especially when there’s something important to celebrate, such as a birthday, engagement, or a promotion at work.
6. Potluck Picnic Brunch
Now that creative lifestyles have strongly revived the joy of cooking, why not make potluck picnic brunch a chance to show off the recipes that you have mastered. This is a great idea if you and your friends enjoy home-cooked meals.
Turn up at a local park with your gastronomic contributions and enjoy each other’s company over food. You can make it fancy with a casserole of creme brulee French toast or as casual as breakfast tacos with queso.
These are just six suggestions, but there are so many more ideas for brunch to consider. The main idea here is, for brunch, the best aspect of it is there are all kinds of possibilities. You can go in any direction for it and be assured of a lovely time.
Author Bio
Chiara Bisignani is the F&B Marketing Executive at Saadiyat Beach Club. She oversees website maintenance, PR requests, marketing initiatives, and all general guests’ inquiries for the company’s destinations of KOI Restaurant & Lounge, Boa Steakhouse, and Caramel Restaurant and Lounge in Abu Dhabi.
