Designed to resemble an airy Bedouin tent, with billowy drapes, regal red chairs, and beautiful Bedouin-style lighting, Mezlai at the five-star Emirates Palace Hotel pays homage to the heritage and geography of the United Arab Emirates.
Mezlai’s themed dining room evokes millennia of Arabian culture and hospitality and a meal here offers a window into that culture. Guests can expect a warm welcome and flavours as old as the sands of time, which taste as fresh and inspired as the city itself. The Emirates Palace boasts many dining destinations, but no visit to Abu Dhabi is complete without a trip to Mezlai to sample the local flavours and dining experience on offer here.
Mezlai’s menus are full of dishes made from ingredients derived from the sea, mountains, oases and desert and features decadent updates on staples of the Arabian diet. Traditional ingredients, such as za’atar, camel and dates are expected, but the more exotic flavours of saffron, rosewater and hand-picked wild oregano are also to be found. The traditional food of the UAE has always been rice, fish, and meat, particularly lamb and mutton though you’ll also find goat and beef. Popular beverages include coffee and tea, which are often supplemented with cardamom, saffron, or mint to give them a distinct flavour. You’ll find all of these flavours and more on the tempting menu at Mezlai.
Once you’ve had your fill of savoury delights, be sure to indulge in one of Mezlai’s delicious desserts. All the sweet treats on the dessert menu are traditional Emirati, so whether you go for a shebab (a crepe-style pancake with saffron, cinnamon and cream cheese, served with dates and honey), farni (rice powder with milk, rose water and sugar), or bethitha (layered dough with dates, saffron, cardamom and fresh cream), your sweet tooth will definitely be satisfied.