Olive Tree

Olive Tree is the all-day restaurant at Aloft Al Ain, set at Al Ain Square near Zayed Stadium with a bright, airy dining room and big windows over the surrounding parks. The space is modern and colourful rather than formal - in line with Aloft's design language - and it functions primarily as the hotel's breakfast room with a simple a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is the main event and consistently the most polished meal of the day. The buffet spread is solid without being sprawling, with a dedicated bread station, a live egg counter and a rotating warm section that changes slightly from day to day. Fresh juices are a genuine highlight, and the kitchen is willing to prepare off-menu requests for returning guests. The Indian section, under Chef Bimal, is the standout - dal chawal and home-style curries that regulars single out as comfortingly authentic. Um Ali and a handful of Arabic sweets close the buffet well, though dessert variety is the weakest part of the spread. Lunch and dinner are a quieter affair with a more limited menu. Indian dishes are the safest bet, alongside a small list of international comfort plates, and an occasional live grill counter adds interest. Diners after a broader international menu should temper expectations or head elsewhere in the city for ambitious cooking. Service is the restaurant's defining strength. A long-standing front-of-house team - Souad, Zubair, Shamil, Shalika, Mathew, Myat - works the room with uncommon warmth, remembering guest preferences across stays and accommodating celebrations with small gestures such as complimentary birthday cakes. For hotel guests and locals dropping in for a calm weekday breakfast or lunch, Olive Tree delivers a friendly, well-run meal, best approached as a hospitality-first dining room rather than a culinary destination.