Celebrate with bespoke treats this festive season

Abu Dhabi: If you want usher in the festive season with a touch of class and splendour, St Regis Abu Dhabi has it all to make it special for you and your family.

In December the newly opened luxury hotel at the Abu Dhabi corniche has a special festive menu put together to offer guests a bespoke experience.

XPRESS got a sneak peak into a sample festive menu at two of the hotel’s restaurants — the contemporary dining outlet Rhodes44 and the Tuscan-inspired Italian place, Villa Toscana. And from what we have seen, we could guarantee you will have a sparkling start this festive season.

At Rhodes44, none other than Michelin starred British chef Gary Rhodes will be manning the kitchen for Christmas. He will be bringing some of his treasured recipes from England to Abu Dhabi for the first time. Dine on roast turkey with cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, gravy, stuffing and vegetables. For desserts there’s English classics such as Christmas pudding, trifles and fruitcake. Rhodes44, which prides itself on its signature fusion dishes, has introduced new Christmas twists to their menu while retaining traditional dishes.

We had the smoked salmon with pink grapefruit, avocado creme and sweet lemon dressing. It was toothsome and I think it’s a must-have if you want to try out something different for Christmas.

Next we were offered turkey Wellington with cranberry sauce and chestnut stuffing. The dish is a treat in itself and is accompanied by a variety of side dishes, including roast baby potatoes, chicken kebab and assorted veggies.

The menu also offers a choice for vegetarians and includes dishes such as garden fresh tomato and mozzarella salad followed by a layered mushroom pancake and mushroom sauce on the side. On Christmas Eve, Villa Toscana will offer a four-course Italian banquet consisting of fish preparations and sweets. The restaurant will also be decorated like a festive market in Florence.

We sampled a few of the Toscana desserts and they were delightful. A triple treat of Tiramisu, Berry Panacotta and Hazelnut and Chocolate Gelato ice-cream was an ideal culmination of the festive sweet treat at St Regis.