Is Barbossa Abu Dhabi's Best Party Brunch?
Article by
Rachael Partington
-
January 1, 2024
Serving some of the best Mexican food in Abu Dhabi, Barbossa in Yas Bay, has got you covered for the most fun Saturday brunch. Get your dancing shoes on and have your voice box at the ready: it's all singing, all dancing and all delicious!
We knew this brunch would be a good time: Barbossa's in a primo spot in Yas Bay and has a great reputation for drinks and fabulous nights out. What we weren't expecting was the really excellent food and the relaxed, happy, party atmosphere which makes it impossible not to have a boatload of fun.
From the first chip dip into the guac, we felt the recent change-up of the menu. It could be seen in the small touches as clearly as the big: the house made, authentic salsa, the outstanding birria tacos with pulled beef starter, the superbly balanced avocado mango salad and the omg sooo goood flautas. These were absolutely heavenly - long, crispy tortillas, stuffed with shredded chicken and with a slight kick in the tomatillo sauce, prepared by the chef who 100% knows what he's doing.
As we were downing all these starters, along with a ton of good cocktails and mocktails, we sang. Every song! The playlist is choc full of all the 80s and 90s classics from R&B to a bit of rock and tons of pop. This was best enjoyed with the great cocktail selection including a great Paloma twist, the espresso martini-esque Carajillo and a lovely spiced apple mojito, and watched other people do the same: there were congas, set dances (I was half expecting everyone to get down on the floor and do Rock The Boat!) and just before our mains arrived, the dancers made their first appearance, getting people up and shaking, doing the limbo under the feather boa while people shed their inhibitions and had a blast.
We could order 2 tacos each for mains but we were already hitting the wall so just ordered one each. These were so good! The quality of ingredients, particularly the very plump shrimps and the melt-in-your-mouth beef made a real difference. We also ordered a main each and shared: the crispy fried chicken was delish, the excellent rib-eye fajitas was a stand-out and the pulled beef was also lovely. This was great paired with Michelada beer for some and a glass of prosecco for others.
We finished this food fest with hot-off-the-press churros with an excellent dulce de leche and a slab of tres leches cake. The dancers came back for a disco set and we had pics in the photo frame and watched the Macarena in full swing.
There was a real sense of everyone being in it together: it wasn't see and be seen, it was just people out for 4 hours of great food, a sing and a dance and massively good, judgement free fun.
We'll be recommending Barbossa as Abu Dhabi's best party brunch - enter birthday parties, leaving dos and catch ups with friends. The only reason you might not enjoy this brunch is if you had a fight with your fella or you were determined not to! - it's a fabulous way to spend an afternoon and better than that, it won't break the bank!
Time: Saturdays 1-5PM
Price: Soft AED249 | House AED399 | Sparkling AED599
Booking: 28867876