Brunch: Urban Picnic at 3in1

Location: Vida Hotel
Pricing:
AED 295 (unlimited alcoholic beverages)
AED 495 (unlimited alcoholic beverages + bubbly)
*Add AED 100 for pool cabana
Timing: 1pm- 5pm (last call 4.30pm)

“I find the more I drink, the more interesting others become.”
~ Tom Ralphs

Set around the poolside of Vida Downtown is the Urban Picnic Brunch. Three choices of seating is available: indoor, outdoor, and for AED 100 the pool cabanas. Truthfully the cabanas are only worth it in the hot summer months of June-September, especially that they are mostly in the shade between 1-5pm.

The food is split into a chic buffet of a selection of salad jars, cheeses, sandwiches, pizza and desserts which you can place into a picnic basket and carry to your table. Part two is unlimited a la carte mains of boiled seafood platter, chicken curry, lamb chops, tenderloin, and rib-eye served at the table. The highlights are the wide variety of cheeses and oven baked pizza. On the other hand the salads are disappointingly bland and the meat was overcooked (twice).

Unfortunately the drinks do not really make up for the food either. Drinks consist of a weak selection of canned beers (Heineken, Budwiser), below average wines (3 whites, 3 reds, 1 rose) and Spirits (vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, 3 cocktails). Be aware that although there are no restrictions on quantity, the waiters will aggressively remove all bottles by 5pm. They will also begin to consistently remind you to vacate the premises. Given that after 4 hours of drinking most of us like to linger around having inspired drunken conversations with friends and strangers alike; these reminders become extremely annoying.

Although the concept is unique, the execution is currently lacking. If the team can manage to improve the dishes, enhance the drinks selection and tweak the service then we could have a potential contender.

Rating
Ambiance: 16/20.
Beverages: 10/20.
Food: 12/20.
Service: 14/20
Value for Money: 16/20.
Total: 68%