When my expat friend told me that she wanted to try a traditional Ramadan Iftar, I wasn’t sure where to take her. I had been to a few Iftars over the course of the three years that I had been living in Dubai. And being someone who always likes to try new things, I was certain that I didn’t want to go to any of the places that I had already been to in previous Ramadans. That’s when I remembered the most recent addition to Dubai’s Ramadan tent scene: Emaar’s Ramadan Tent; also known as “Downtown”.
The spacious glamorously decorated tent is setup across three main seating areas:
- Large indoor area, also known as courtyard. This section has regular dining tables and is surrounding the buffet.
- Private Majlis; this seating offers a semi-private dining experience with dim lighting and majlis style low seats and tables.
- Glass Garden; the seating here is also majlis style. This area offers great views of Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai.
Buffet Options
If you are a vegetarian or only eat seafood like my friend, you could be disappointed as most of the main course meals are meat based or contain some type of chicken, beef or lamb. That left very limited options for my friend to take from. Those included pasta, a seafood dish and some vegetables!
However, if you are a meat-lover then you are in for a great treat. Traditional Arabic dishes were served next to International cuisine favorites.
You can expect to see Arabic dishes such as Lamb Ouzi, Chicken Muloukhia, Dawood Basha, Kebba bel laban, and many others.
Entertainment
A talented oud player gave the iftar a chilled and relaxed ambiance by playing classical Arabic tunes. This added a cool vibe to the whole Iftar experience at this elegantly decorated tent.
What Needs Enhancement
Despite the great food and ambiance at this modern tent, the service towards the end of the iftar was agitating!
Ten minutes before they were going to close the Iftar (it ends at 8:30), the waiter informed us that they will be removing the food trays from the buffet at 8:30. My friends and I agreed that an hour and 15 minutes is not enough time to eat a three course meal (especially after fasting the whole day). This lead to me rushing into my dessert plate right after I finished my main course. Resulting in a bad stomach ache afterwards and having difficulty to walk straight! 😀
Another offensive gesture that the waiters did was bringing the check to our table without us asking for it! They were pretty much in a rush to get us out of the place as soon as possible and were not attempting to hide it! It seemed like they had to clear the table quickly to make it ready for the next batch of clients coming for Suhoor at the tent. We all understand that this is a business in the end of the day, but customer service makes all the difference in any dining experience.
Tip
Don’t miss out on the apple crumble tart! It’s simply divine!
Price
Iftar Buffet costs 170 AED per person.
For Bookings
You can send a private message to their Facebook Page, since the lines are usually busy.
https://www.facebook.com/DowntownDubai
Personal Tip
The best thing that we did after our rushed Iftar was to walk all the way to Dubai Mall. That really helped me feel better after my bad stomach ache, and I would strongly suggest that you do the same!
