Arabesque

Arabesque is the all-day buffet restaurant at one of Al Ain's city hotels, built around rotating themed dinners that lean Arabic one night, Asian the next, seafood on Thursdays. The room is tastefully renovated and, in cooler months, spills onto a patio that turns a family buffet dinner into something unexpectedly romantic under the open sky. Breakfast is the most dependable meal - a broad spread of croissants, fresh breads, yoghurts, cold cuts, cheeses and cooked dishes, anchored by a made-to-order egg station where the cook takes the time to ask how you want your scramble. It will not read as a five-star European breakfast, but it is comfortable, generous and caters well to families. Dinner is where the kitchen shows more ambition: the Thursday seafood night is the one to plan around, and Arabic buffets handle grills, mezze and Um Ali (a standout dessert) with genuine care. The Asian nights, particularly sushi, are the weakest link and are better skipped in favour of the grilled and home-cooked sections. Service is warm and personal when the floor is calm, with a visible manager and long-tenured staff who remember returning guests. On busy nights - especially when the hotel runs package deals - occupancy outpaces the kitchen, and waits for refills, drinks and coffee stretch noticeably. Dessert selections, chocolate in particular, are thinner than elsewhere in the city. For hotel guests on half-board, or Al Ain families looking for a buffet without driving to the five-stars in the dunes, Arabesque is a sound choice - best on a quieter weekday evening, with the patio doors open and a seafood or Arabic theme on the pass.