Iftar review: Al Manzil Tent, Dubai

The search for an iftar doesn’t begin and end with food. Atmosphere is a key ingredient, along with all the dates, sugar syrup and laban.

Ending your fast solo in a mall food court or by heating up leftovers in front of the TV can and will happen to those observing the month, but it’s the memories created by sharing a good meal in a great spot with loved ones that makes the month so special.

That’s a long way of saying I liked the vibe at the Al Manzil tent in Downtown Dubai. Manzil means “home” in Arabic, and they’ve brought in a nice touch to ensure it feels that way.

It’s set up on Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Boulevard, and is shared with Fume restaurant, also part of the hotel’s F&B. (You chose which one to dine at, there’s no sharing of food.)

There’s nothing especially unusual here — it’s light and bright, with TV screens broadcasting the cannon firing nearby at Burj Khalifa (sit tight, you can feel the boom!). The tent was buzzing but never felt overwhelmingly noisy.

What I liked, apart from the food and the friendly service (always ready to help, which is nice, considering it’s a buffet) was that I was able to sit and gab undisturbed with a friend, even as other guests were streaming in for suhour (which runs until 2am). The menu also offered up a surprise, in the form of three Saudi dishes. I was about to dig into a bowl of spinach meatballs when a woman dressed like a character in one of the Ramadan TV shows set in Bedouin days swept into to introduce me to the food.

Here’s your touch of home: The charming Ahlam Basrawi is the talented home cook behind the dishes, which were enhanced by her explanations. Don’t miss a chat with her.

The buffet is large but not huge enough that you can’t try a little bit of everything, and is doubled up, so there aren’t many moments that you will find yourself queuing. Do have a harira soup and dig into the good cheese and bread (a pretzel is not typical, but I had to munch one as I surveyed the buffet). And I definitely ate half my body weight in crisp-melting cheese rolls and the desserts of kataief pastry atop thick cream and syrup.

Location: Al Manzil Hotel, Downtown Dubai.

Price: Dh170 (Dh85 for children).

Iftar until 9pm.

Call 04-8883444.