<strong>With the entertainment season beginning, Abu Dhabi’s culinary delights are not only to be found after sunset.</strong> St Regis Saadiyat Island’s Afternoon Tea, served from 2pm to 6pm at its spacious lobby lounge The Drawing Room, returns with it’s delectable selection of fine sandwiches and pasties complete with its own blend of exclusive tea. When it comes to the latter, new flavours are on offer. Partnering up with the famous British tea brand TWG, the hotel launched new brews:: Iridium Spa Blend (named after the hotel’s spa) and the The St Regis Blend. While caffeine free, the Iridium Spa Blend packs a flavoursome punch with spices denoting hints of almond and a faint orange. The hotel blend is stronger and full bodied; the Arabic spices are laced with cardamon. We elected to try the sandwiches and pastries from The St Regis package (Dh180). The colourful assortment of treats merges tradition with flair. It’s generally tough to make white sandwiches exciting, it is achieved here due to fresh ingredients that are immediately released upon first bite. The brioche quail egg mayonnaise was slightly decadent. The egg, smaller than those of chickens, punches well above it’s weight on the flavour stakes and with accompanying light mayonnaise really tickled the pallet. Chicken curry apple in a sun-dried dried tomato soft-roll. The intriguing chicken curry apple in a sun-dried dried tomato soft-roll also gave us plenty to savour. The textures of the apple worked well with curry. The spices were never overpowered by the sweetness; the latter appearing at the back end of the palette. The raisin scone is a good choice for those finding regular scones too dry. Paired with smooth Devonshire Clotted Cream and strawberry jam, it acts as an effective bridge to the desert. Sweet treats, including a green macaroon with raspberries and Tiramisu served by the in-house patisserie Sucre. The french pastries, served by the in-house patisserie Sucre, is nearly a meal of it’s own. The green macaroon with raspberries bursts with flavour while the Tiramisu is beautifully moist and rich. With the weather still rather uncomfortable, the spacious Drawing Room offers plenty of sunlight and an intimate vibe. A nice away to spend a lazy afternoon. For details: www.stregissaadiyatisland.com
