located in the breathtaking burj al arab, we visited al iwan since it was featured in the 'luxury iftar venues' collection.
it is a buffet restaurant offering arabic and middle eastern cuisines. despite the luxurious ambience and the lovely staff, the restaurant was surprisingly not as impressive as the hotel itself.
the buffet was well spread out with agoodvariety of salads, starters (such as fattoush, moutabel and hummus), meats (cuts of chicken and lamb), lamb biryani and desserts. however each item was quite medicore, even the desserts. there was hardly any flavor to any of the dishes and there was not one dish which made us want to grab a second time. the best items so far were the soups and the complimentary birthday cake which was a layered chocolate cake.
the service on the other hand was impeccable. the staff was very helpful with enquiries about the food and offered to point out the contents of the dishes which could cause an allergic reaction.
the ambience, without a doubt, was beautiful with embroidered red curtains and lavish seatings. we had the window seating which was perfect as it had agoodview of the sea.
overall it was a hit n miss since the ambience is what made the dining experience worthwhile while the food was a disappointment.