Review: Champagne Breakfast at La Serre

Here, it’s all about quality over quantity…

Brunch has a tendency to get a little debauched here in Dubai. With our penchant for all-you-can-eat buffets and free-flowing drinks, that favourite Friday pastime is often more excessive than elegant.

Over the past few months, we’ve had a break from those epic feasts. And now, perhaps, we’re reassessing the need for such stuffed-to-the-gills extravagance.

There’s still a time and a place for spoiling ourselves with great food and wine, however. And for those looking for a more, shall we say ‘adult’ way, to spend a weekend, La Serre has come up with a very civilised solution: the Champagne Breakfast.

Now, let’s clear this up straight out of the gate. At Dhs349 per person, it’s as pricey as some full-blown brunch buffets – but here it’s all about quality, rather than quantity. It’s also about flexibility, with the Champagne Breakfast available on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9am to 5pm.

What to expect

La Serre’s entrance sets the tone for a sophisticated affair. Once we pass through the buzzy boulangerie below, we climb a broad staircase adorned with white flowers and lanterns. We’re led past the open kitchen and bar, through the light-filled dining room to a petal-strewn table overlooking Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard.

The maitre d’ pours us each a glass of Champagne to sip while we browse the menu. Included in the price is a basket of pastries, fresh fruit platters, Greek yoghurt, a choice of hot egg dishes, and two glasses of Champagne.

We order the oeufs brouillés à la truffe noir (organic scrambled eggs with black truffle) and l’avocat Benedicte de “La Serre”. Other luxe options include fried eggs with a foie gras and onion sauce, and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

After about 25 minutes, the pastries, fruit, yoghurt and eggs arrive all at once. Next time, we’d ask to have the cold plates served straight up, so we could graze on these while the hot dishes were prepared.

It’s hard to know what to eat first. We flit between dishes on the table, scooping up fluffy eggs, tearing apart buttery croissants and pain au chocolats, spearing berries with our forks, and dipping into huge bowls of yoghurt topped with nuts and Persian honey.

The egg dishes are perfectly executed. Generous shavings of summer truffle cloak the scrambled eggs, and the poached eggs “La Serre” are cooked exactly as requested, with runny golden yolks and firm whites. Paired with that second glass of Champagne, we’re perfectly sated.

La Serre’s Champagne Breakfast isn’t going to replace your raucous weekend brunch. But, if you’re entertaining family, hosting a catch-up with girlfriends, or looking for a romantic meal with your partner, it promises an indulgent, but never overdone experience.

La Serre, Vida Downtown, Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai. Champagne Breakfast, Fri and Sat, 9am to 5pm. Dhs269 with alcohol-free sparkling, Dhs349 with Champagne. Tel: (04) 528 3779. laserre.com