Barfly – Pure Culinary Treat

The taste that brings you back – Barfly

Barfly by Buddha Bar is the only Neo-Baroque mystic-lounge concept in Abu Dhabi, offering patrons the luxury and comfort of an intimate restaurant. The atmosphere of Barfly is multi-dimensional depending on the time of day; be it a relaxing afternoon lounge offering shisha, an intimate bar setting for a late afternoon or pre-dinner drinks and finally an exquisite culinary dining experience in the evening with the energy in the room ever increasing as the night progresses.

 

     

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Barfly by Buddha-Bar is a signature restaurant and is frequented by A-list celebrities, including the likes Madonna, Naomi Campbell and Reese Witherspoon. Barfly Abu Dhabi maintains this legacy, with a unique concept strongly associated with Buddha-Bar.

 

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Shisha is available outdoors and with the weather on point, one should plan to sit outside by the cabanas. This way you can also enjoy a view of the creek. The concept is perfect for a Venetian Village outlet at The Ritz-Carlton: chic, sophisticated and super classy. Keeping with the trend and style of other venues we have previously covered at Venetian Village (Inakaya , Brasserie Flo & Todd English’s Olives) this dimly lit interior decked venue features deep maroon walls and burnt orange upholstery along with a DJ concept. It’s suitably opulent and we love it.

 

 

We were warmly welcomed by the Manager Maged & his staff team. Since we are in a swanky venue with a dedicated mixologist, we start by ordering mocktails to quench our thirst. As a non-alcoholic diner ordering an apple juice in the UAE, at most of such places you know it’s not going to be freshly squeezed. Out comes a glass of mixed apple juice that resembles a science experiment. It’s enclosed in a bell jar, smoked by cinnamon sticks for added flavor.

 

    

 

Barfly with its twinkling red-and-black décor is one of the top places in the city to go for curated mocktails/cocktails. This “edgy restaurant also has a supper club”. The sound system here is incredible and DJ made good use of it with his blend of the house beat. Inside decor is beautiful and very crafty but needs a little more hustle and bustle.

 

    

 

The restaurant is fabulous from inside too.Barfly has trendy, energetic vibe plus creative menu. First, comes to the table were steamed & Spicy Edamame, they were addictive and we loved the sticky spicy sauce they were drenched into. Cooked perfectly, the dim sum with filling and provide a light start to the meal. The menu is impressive and packed with tempting Asian treats.

 

    

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Their appetizers were really good too for e-g burrata cheese salad was beautiful! Fried calamari rings, spring rolls, spicy edamame were great. Steak pieces were soft and tender and buttery mashed potatoes were just right. We also tried another appetizer of beef tataki “Kobe” style. It was imaginatively presented on a bed of cucumber, carrots, leek, onion and chives. Next, I had ceviche platter 4 ways – it was detectable with micro herbs toppings.

 

     

 

We tasted assorted sushi platter. In sushi rolls, I also love green caterpillar mango foie gras.

 

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Though my most favorite one was with Japanese mayo torched on top. That was fantastic. This place is a must visit & It’s a shame Capital isn’t crowded enough to fill up these kinds of nice foodie places, it would be one of the swankiest venues for the party. The place has a dress code where certain attires aren’t allowed and entry would be denied. So its better to check up on the rules before visiting the place.

 

     

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In mains, We opted for the Miso black cod, it was indeed the star of the show, presented immaculately and is flawlessly cooked with a side of steamed sprouting broccoli. Perfection. It was very tropical and particularly equatorial, the fall-apart fish flakes were of perfect consistency. Miegoreng from wok section i-e Indonesian fried noodles was also very delicious

 

      

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Desserts were all good – not overly sweet, thankfully, but wonderfully creamy, and accompanied by just the right amount of tart berries and coulis. The home-made ice cream presented in an Ice shells was a very unique and attractive presentation. the passion-fruit sorbet was made with mascarpone, ensuring that sweet and sour elements are well blended and been put in together marvelously.

 

     

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The service was quite decent. Barfly, by the creators of Buddha Bar, has an energy that’s all its own. All in all, we enjoyed an evening of a flavour-packed sensation of delicious sushi, sashimi, and maki rolls. We were lucky to choose the best choices on the menu (Thanks to the manager & our kind waiter Nodvaik) which have the potential to wow. We even enjoyed an outdoor shisha and spent some great quality time.

 

Barfly by Buddha Bar
02 4041951
Venetian Village, Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Al Maqtaa, Abu Dhabi

Barfly by Buddha Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato