Time for brunch?

Dear friends,

Friday morning could offer different feelings, depending on which end of the world you went to sleep the night before. In my days in Europe, Friday morning was waking up to a busy week-end ahead, behind the bar in London - and in some cases with the heavy burden from the previous busy days.

Since my move to Dubai and from the bar operation, Friday morning is the beginning of the week-end and much sweeter taste than it used to. Even after few years with such format, I still sometime struggle to get acclimatised  to being at work on Sunday when the football and F1 is on - and see the flow of work-emails from Europe on Friday while chilling by the beach.

Friday in Dubai is also extensively associated to Brunch, as the 'one and only' F&B entertainment across most of the Hotels and Restaurants in the City. Almost every property has one going on - that kicks off around 1pm up to 4pm and with packages that goes from AED200 up to AED600 - depending on your choice of unlimited. Usually the set up sees large buffets across several styles of cuisine and with free flow of all sort of beverages.
I have always been amazed by the amount of people that goes to brunch and the opulent display that every operation put in place for the occasion. If you happen to drive around residential areas on Fridays around 12pm, you will come across a large number of beautifully dressed people waiting for a taxi. Ladies on high hills, elegantly waving to the next available yellow light, while showcasing their latest wardrobe acquisition. 
Usually the free flow of food and drinks is then followed by the 'after brunch' which offers a la carte drinks menu with special deals to continue within the Hotel bar or sister venues in the vicinity.
You can imagine how such agenda could become a seamless drinking session with clear repercussion on people ability to maintain the same posture from when they left for it.

After few years of this, the other day I went on the web and looked at the history of 'brunch'. All the search led to the same definition. The word was first used by a UK writer called Guy Beringer in 1895 - when describing the Sunday meal for 'Saturday night carousers'. As a word originated by the 'portmanteau' of breakfast and lunch - the occasion originally calls for an 11am start with coffee and pancake to then move to savory dishes and all washed down my Mimosa, Bloody Mary, Ramos Fizz and alike - up to around 2pm. Some of Beringer's words in 1895 were mentioning:

"Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week".

Maybe going back to the definition of brunch could be considered a novelty in Dubai these days. An innovation from the 19th Century that brings back the social element of the brunch with newspaper, compelling discussion, Bellinis and comfortable dress code.
Nothing wrong with the rush of the Dubai brunch and who's enjoying it every Friday, but I feel there is space also to diversify the proposition into such diversely populated city like Dubai.

Venturing on a brunch that gently wake-up the senses with freshly brewed coffee, light drinks and protein - could also embrace the benefit to see customers having an appetite for dinner, later in the day - and be in the mood for a night out instead of feeling 'out for the night'.

Best,

Giorgio Vallesi