Restaurant Review: Brasserie 2.0, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa

It's Covid-19 times, and going out is the last thing on any foodie's mind. However, a trip to Brasserie 2.0 at the Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa is sure to quell any fears. One thing for sure, the property has pulled out all the stops to ensure guests have a safe dining experience.
We were impressed with the arrangements when we dropped in to check out their weekend buffet. At the lobby entrance, you will find trays dispensing masks, gloves and sanitizers. Before you enter the place, your body temperature is measured by a staff member who also explains the rules of safe dining.
The dining area is spacious and there's more than the mandatory two-metre safe distance maintained between each table. The tone for a sombre evening dinner is set by the dimly-lit interior and the soft, piped music playing in the background. However, as in any buffet, the focus is mainly on the food and at Brasserie 2.0, there's plenty to explore - from made-to-order seafood to grilled steaks and roasts to pasta, pizzas and biryanis and, not to forget, a wide range of salads. There's also a sushi bar, a bread station and huge selection of desserts at the sweet section.
With so much on offer, time then is an essential component in this outing. It's recommended you keep plenty of time at hand to indulge in this massive feast.
The first thing that hits you soon as you step into Brasserie 2.0 is the aroma of grilled meat wafting in the air. Now there's something about aroma of meat being grilled that triggers your stomach juices and makes it rumble; it did for us at least. Now that the digestive system has been activated for the feast, it's time to start dive-bombing into the goodies.
The buffet has been divided into five distinct stations. Each one manned by chefs eager to prepare a dish of your choice. There's a meat section serving roasts, a live grill section for steaks, fish and kebabs; an Indian cuisine counter dishing out biryanis, tikkas, curries and parathas; a pasta, pizza counter, besides a salad bar, bread and dessert counter.
The buffet featured an appetising mix of cuisines, such as European, Italian, Indian, Japanese and more. We started with a delicious sweet corn soup, which unlike your Chinese variety, was creamy and more continental in taste, flavour and consistency. Moving on, our first stop was at the grill counter where we requested medium-rare steaks, chicken escalopes, some beef koftas, tiger shrimps and pasta penne. While our choice was being prepared by the chefs at the live counter, we moved on to the salad bar where we couldn't resist a delectable choice of sushi, crab claws (steamed) and seafood cocktail. We nibbled on the starters while waiting for the mains to reach our table.
Unlike a traditional buffet where a massive spread is laid out in large dishes and have to walk to the buffet table to replenish your plate, at Brasserie 2.0, you don't have to keep on visit the buffet table; once you make your choices, the staff are happy to bring it to your table.
The grilled meats and fish were served with lemon butter, pepper and chilli garlic sauces. The steaks were juicy and succulent while the prawn and Seabream were fresh and grilled to perfection, it went well with the lemon butter. We consumed all this while taking in spoonfuls of penne which helped offset the smoky taste. Among the main courses, the highlight was surely the beef and chicken roasts. Served with roast potatoes and a choice of sauces like pepper, mushroom and roast gravy, it's worth every bite.
Even after consuming a substantial quantity of delicacies, one cannot exit a buffet without ending a meal on a sweet note. The dessert station was perhaps the one that drew maximum attention. From fresh fruits, to eclairs, to brownies, tiramisu, panna cotta and more, the sweet varieties spoilt us for choice. The creme brulee, in particular, impressed us for its creamy texture. Another dessert worth trying out is the choco brownie for its crumbly texture and Christmassy flavours.
All in all, it was a meal that would have us talking for some time. We loved the range of dishes and choice of cuisines, but we would have appreciated a counter for veggies. It's Covid time and experts have been recommending the inclusion of more fruits and veggies in our daily diet to help boost immunity.
Service: Being a buffet, service is minimum. But the staff is always at hand and eager to help you with any requirement and will even suggest choices from buffet table based on your liking.
Value for money: A dinner buffet will set you back for Dh195 for adults, including soft beverages. Children aged between six and 12 years eat for half the price while children aged five or below are not charged for the buffet.
Ambience: Fairly quiet despite having so many live counters around. The place is huge and seating arrangement has been set up to ensure maximum distance between two tables. There are tables for two, four as well as larger groups.
Verdict: We would surely make a return trip to try out some of the dishes we would have missed out on. The place deserves 3 stars for keeping the buffet tradition alive and well during Covid times while following all safety rules.
Location: Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai Marina, Al Sofouh Road.
Contact: 04-316 5550, or visit brasserie2point0.com. Dinner timings are 7pm to 11pm.

• Food and Dining