In a city of overrated brunches, this venue delivers originality and great food
While brunches are a celebrated aspect of Dubai’s F&B world, we normally steer clear of them due to a number of nuisances ranging from deafening music to an overrated food menu.
And call us boring, but the crowd of overhyped individuals creating more of an annoyance than an atmosphere usually turn us away from the otherwise popular ‘brunch’ concept in this glamorous city. This is exactly why upon trying Hotel Cartagena’s Friday brunch, we were surprised to find a spot that truly embodies what a brunch is all about. It’s a smooth criminal if the pinnacle of pleasure was a crime.
It hits all the right spots starting from the tropically-themed elevator that takes you to the 72nd floor, to the mouth-watering menu boasting richly flavoured ceviche and heavenly crispy churros.
But let’s start at the very beginning, because first impressions count. The name does not exactly speak for itself as the venue is not actually a hotel, though it does sit in one; the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. But somehow this makes Hotel Cartagena all the more intriguing. From the outside, it could very well be a hotel, complete with its own entrance and a neon red sign.
The restaurant is spread across two floors but in a fantastic manner where the spaces are connected via a spiral staircase adorned with a giant bronze cage housing live-looking birds, greenery and a whole lot of feathers. Samba dancers in colourful feathery carnival outfits energise the atmosphere by effortlessly travelling around though without causing any disturbance, as waiters and waitresses dressed in funky attire roam quickly around with large trays bearing what we later discover to be delicious Latin food.
Service is top notch as we are seated on a table by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. The general manager, Vladimir, is an interesting character, much like the venue itself. Pleasant, chatty and warm, he’s the type to remember a face and ask for an update from your last conversation.
And now for the food: we start with a classic guacamole and nachos, alongside tropical root chips with fresh salsa and black bean hummus. The starters are light and delicious, and do not disappoint. But the spicy tuna roll and salmon ceviche that come next are when we are impressed. Few promise and deliver fresh seafood, and Hotel Cartagena is one of the few.
We pair the grilled prawn with kimchi chaufa de pot fried rice with egg omelette and tofu. While they do not come together, our Arab genes could not help but reach for the rice when it arrived. There’s plenty more food where that came from, by the way, but don’t dare leave without trying the churros. Crunchy on the outside and almost creamy on the inside, they are truly a heavenly dessert.
So if you’re looking for a brunch that puts food first and you in a good mood, this place is one we highly recommend. In fact, we wouldn't mind if Hotel Cartagena expanded into an actual hotel. After all, we could see ourselves hanging out at the mysterious tropical-themed gem in the city for more than just a few hours, leaving all our worries behind as we listen to some carefree and light-hearted tunes.
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