Iftar review: Asateer at Atlantis, The Palm

The massive 1,000-seater Asateer at Atlantis, The Palm, makes it to the top of iftar lists every year. And it’s mostly because of its sheer size, luxurious decor and ambience — it’s lit by more than 700 hanging lamps — that’s worthy of its location, and of Dubai. Not for the food.

But that’s not to say the culinary offering, at this tent on Nasimi Beach, is bad. Far from it. The choices might be a bit run-of-the-mill, but they taste great. And when it comes to variety, they definitely match Asateer’s 2,400 square metre size.

The food keeps it strictly Middle Eastern, matching it to the running theme, and sticks to Ramadan classics — the ouzi, the chicken tagine, the fish sayadiyha (Lebanese fish dish served with rice), the lamb thareed (lamb stew) and the grilled meats were highlights for me. There’s also a live shawarma and musakhan (Palestinian dish of roasted chicken served with pine nuts and bread) station that’s always fun. And the chefs make mean cheese spring rolls.

The dessert station had a lot to offer. Here too it sticks to the script: umm ali, baklava, Turkish delight and the luqamat, those fried dough balls served with syrup that are always hard to skip.

We were at a preview before Ramadan began and it was clear from the guest list who the hotel’s PRs were gunning for: the so-called ‘influencers’ and selfie takers. In fact, many were so busy, evidently telling the world where they were at, that the buffet was left wide open. Needless to say, my friend and I totally took advantage of the situation.

But that’s what the glamorous Asateer’s always been in the six years it’s been in operation — it’s THE place to be seen. That hasn’t changed.

The Details

Where: Asateer, Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai

Price: Dh205 (iftar) and Dh185 (suhour, not including shisha)

Timings: Sunset to 8:30pm (iftar) and 9pm to 2:30am (suhour)

Dress code: Conservative. No shorts allowed.

Call: 04-4260800 or email: Ramadan.Inquiries@atlantisthepalm.com

Website: atlantisthepalm.com