Venetian Village, Ritz Carlton Grand Canal, Abu Dhabi

 The Venetian Village Festival

This month we have attended Venetian Village, Ritz Carlton Grand Canal, Abu Dhabi’s Official Opening hosted by great team at newest dining destination in Capital.

The festival was full of Food and Family Fun. This also marked as the first village-wide festival to celebrate the official opening of all restaurants under its umbrella. The ceremony was hosted by HE Mr. Liborio Stellino, Ambassador of Italy to the United Arab Emirates and Hareb Al Muhairy, Board Member of Abu Dhabi National Hotels. Lively people of Abu Dhabi were already gathered at the venue from 3pm to enjoy gourmet food samples provided by the esteemed restaurants’ pop-up stalls, alongside a vast array of entertainment suitable for all ages. We tasted some delicious sushi from Inakaya, widely acclaimed and popular Japanese restaurant under Venetian Umbrella.

 

 

As a dining destination, Venetian Village provides Abu Dhabi residents and visitors culinary options from internationally acclaimed gourmet concept restaurants. In addition, the venue also allows generous space for family or corporate entertainment in the picturesque setting on the shores of Khor Al Maqtaa, while being harmoniously integrated in the architectural landscape of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal that nestles it. The place also reflects the vision of Abu Dhabi National Hotels to become a leading food and beverage player in Abu Dhabi and beyond, by perceiving innovative culinary concepts as essential components in enhancing the offering of any tourist destination.

 

 

 

 

Traditional Emirati dishes are served at Al Fanar restaurant; the French cuisine of Brasserie Flo is complemented by the Italian Mediterranean flavours of Todd English’s Olives restaurant, while Inakaya and Punjab Grill bring in different facets of Asian tastes. Barfly by Buddha Bar is the restaurant and supper club concept that fuses cuisines with music and upbeat ambience in a remarkable lifestyle statement.

 

    

   

 

On the first day of the festival we were exclusively invited to attend the Bloggers & media cocktail reception which was hosted at Todd English’s Olives at 8:00pm. Complimentary food and beverage samples were available throughout the event and a jazz band and DJ played on the piazza overlooking the water’s edge. Todd English’s Olives restaurant brings to the capital an exquisite gourmet concept that fuses familiar Italian and Mediterranean flavours with an American edge that only a celebrity chef can twist. And we witness all that perfection and precision in taste and presentation equally at the venue.  A non-alcoholic pomegranate cocktail was served too – so refreshing!

 

Marking Chef English’s first culinary venture in the UAE, this acclaimed Mediterranean Restaurant Olives offers house-made pastas, steaks, rotisserie dishes and brick oven pizzas in a relaxed ambience that perfectly reflects the fusion of the cuisines. We took a sneak preview of some tastiest bite size portions of their famous dishes. Including mini pizza bites, canapes, ravioli, bresaola, savory and sweet items at that night.

All in all, it was a great event which brought together the excitement of street food celebrations and gourmet tasters with the frenzy of a village fiesta, where fun activities were combined to entertain adults and children alike. The management of Venetian Village and the restaurant teams did entertain us with quality gourmet food and creative entertainment. We are even looking forward to re-visit and review the individual restaurants located in the same vicinity during the coming months. We thoroughly enjoyed Todd English’s Olives hospitality and their homemade paste with sauces even at home the following day. Yes, those gorgeous goodies were so delicious and apt for the occasion.

Our sincere thanks to Kawthar from KBS for kind invite and to Cameron for all the coordination.

For more information on the restaurants, visit www.venetianvillage.ae