What food is served at Dubai hotel restaurant buffet dinners in summer — and can you request custom dishes?

In an August report, the all-inclusive dinner was described as limited: the main options included meat patties and dry fish, children chose pizza, and the pastries were not well received.

One guest found all dinner dishes too spicy. After they raised the issue, the restaurant apologized and sent a plate of fruit to the room.

Dinner is not limited to a standard buffet: some dishes can be ordered and collected once prepared. For guests who do not want to order, ready-made kebabs and grilled skewers are usually kept warm.

Staff may allow guests to take buffet food (lunch or dinner) back to their room instead of eating in the restaurant — for example when a sunburnt child couldn't attend — with the request to return the dishware afterward.

Guests can ask staff at breakfast, lunch, and dinner for items missing from the standard buffet, and staff try to accommodate. Examples fulfilled on request: avocado, poached egg, cheese, and cured salmon that weren't otherwise available.

Seafood at dinner follows a schedule: Saturdays feature a dedicated seafood day, while other days of the week offer shrimp, rolls, and mussels.

Some guests report quality issues: dishes labeled 'seafood' often turn out to be just crab sticks rather than real seafood, a beet salad advertised with goat cheese had no cheese in it, and mashed potatoes were served burnt.

The main restaurant reliably offers tilapia, with mussels in sauce appearing occasionally. Salmon and shrimp, common in previous years, are rare in summer — possibly once a week. Meat options include roast beef, steaks, and lamb.

Food quality can vary significantly depending on which chef is on shift. Chefs rotate on a 7-days-on/7-days-off schedule, and the difference in taste — including meat, chicken, fish, and even rice — can be very noticeable. Desserts also depend on which pastry chef is working.

Restaurant staff are willing to prepare custom dishes on request during dinner. Calamari rings were made to order for guests, and steak or fish can also be requested and will be prepared without issue.

The outdoor grill is not operating in summer due to the heat. The restaurant manager recommended visiting in November for the full menu experience. The current menu is also reportedly reduced due to external circumstances.

Drinks at dinner are not included in the room rate. A glass of wine costs 65–70 AED, soft drinks (e.g. cola) around 30 AED. A couple can expect to spend roughly 100 AED on drinks per dinner.

Breakfast received high praise, especially the freshly baked pastries and coffee. Desserts — such as a large strawberry brownie cookie — were particularly memorable.