Review: Secret Parties' Big Fat Greek Brunch at Gallery 7/40

Looking for a party? Look no further…

If a party brunch sounds like the best thing you could do on a weekend, then you need to head to Gallery 7/40, for their newly launched Big Fat Greek Brunch by Secret Parties is calling your name. Hosted on Friday evenings, this is your segue into the weekend, one where you’re not planning on remembering much the next day. The latest venture by Secret Parties, the unofficial party royalty brand, the brunch runs from 7pm to 10.30pm with an afterparty until 3am.

On this Friday, we’re seated at the inaugural run, the very first one, and we can tell people are already in the know. The Gallery 7/40 space is packed with beach-goers, brunch-goers and party-goers, people visiting Palm West Beach for various reasons. You can tell these are Palm West Beach regulars and the party brunch is their way of life. Teeming with guests, the space is loud and vibrant.We get started on some drinks – there is a cocktail of the day on the menu, which my friend gets, and I opt for a mocktail for my non-alcoholic ways, which the server chooses for me. It’s a pleasant surprise, a sweet, strawberry concoction with a bit of tart to it. Standard, nothing too experimental. The cocktail is sweet and strong, in the words of my friend.

While we sip on our beverages and chat about this and that, the energy picks up. There is a DJ at the booth now, alternating between traditional Greek folk music and what I call the ‘Palm West Beach’ genre of music. Beach-techno-house type stuff. It’s a bit unpleasant with how loud it is. I have to practically yell to make myself heard to my friend sitting next to me, and I leave the venue with the beginnings of the headache.

As the brunch progresses, some of the entertainment comes out –  a live bouzouki player and two men dressed as Greek statues, doing a bit of still life and going around the room for pictures with the guests. Our second course comes as the seafood orzotto and the Greek beef burger. The portions are generous, which is a positive. The burger is hearty, with grilled meat, vegetables and a flavourful sauce, and the orzotto is light but filling with a bright tomato sauce and seafood.

The dessert choices come as greek yoghurt ice cream, galaktoboureko, and churros with a selection of dips. Once the dessert is served is when the real party starts, with all the traditional Greek bits like plate smashing and dancing. If you’re coming for the brunch, you must stay for the whole time, as the first half is for the food but the fun begins in the afterparty.

Word of advice – if you’re planning to do this sober, I would suggest you don’t (coming from a seasoned sober). This is a brunch where you come to drink, and it’s perfect for all the party-goers and cocktail lovers.

Big Fat Greek Brunch, Gallery 7/40, Palm West Beach, Palm Jumeirah, Fri, 7pm to 10.30pm, 10.30pm to 3am for the afterparty, VIP table with minimum spend of Dhs3,000, starts at Dhs345, secret-parties.com

Images: Supplied