Palm Greens Restaurant

Palm Greens is the clubhouse restaurant at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, and much of its appeal comes from the setting: a bright dining room and terrace overlooking the golf course and the racetrack, with outdoor seating that earns its keep through the cooler months. It functions as both a casual post-round bar and a themed-buffet venue for members and local regulars. The theme nights are the draw. Wednesday's sushi and Japanese buffet, including a worthwhile Japanese cheesecake, is a rare find in Al Ain, and the Thursday surf-and-turf evening is the other night to plan around. For a la carte dinners, the Stone Grill - steak or mixed seafood cooked on a hot stone at the table - is the kitchen's signature experience and the reliable order; rib eye and lamb work better than fish, which at times arrives from frozen. Supporting dishes span Thai green curry, tikka chicken, shrimp curry, pasta carbonara and pub plates like fish and chips and burgers. The crème brûlée and cheesecakes close well. Ambitions beyond the Stone Grill and buffet nights are more uneven, with a recurring caveat that the kitchen leans safe rather than inventive. Service is at its warmest with regulars - members and padel players who use it as a clubhouse - and staff remember orders across visits. On busier nights and during events, floor coverage stretches thin, and pacing and refills can slip. Bread service and some side portions have also drawn criticism for scale relative to the price. Pricing sits above the city's mall dining but in line with other club and hotel restaurants, with complimentary bread and Entertainer-style vouchers often softening the bill. Approached as the clubhouse it is - themed-night dinner, a drink after a round, or a family terrace lunch on a cooler afternoon - Palm Greens delivers a relaxed, green-edged meal that few other venues in Al Ain can match on view.