Walking into La Cantine du Faubourg felt how every brunch should: lush, chic, and chill. Entering the sprawling lounge, my +1 and I are the first to arrive as staff in crisp white uniforms buzz through the room, arranging French delicacies spread across a series of tables. Sunlight poured into the space as a DJ spun Manu Chao and Césaria Evora. A beautiful girl with a charming accent passed off flutes of fresh fruit juice filled to the brim, and the smell of warm waffles wafted through the sweeping white curtains; was it Christmas morning? No, just the way the French do brunch.
The location of La Cantine du Faubourg is in prime real estate: Emirates Towers, the hybrid destination featuring apartments, office space, a Jumeirah hotel, luxury shops, and every type of fine dining venue a foodie could crave. So how has it managed to stand out and attract a packed house since opening it’s doors less than a year ago?
According to the founders and purveyors of Parisian-cool, Pierre Pirajean and Helena Paraboschi, their original concept of serving fine-dining cuisine in a laidback setting first found success in France’s capital:
“La Cantine du Faubourg is more than a restaurant, it’s an artistic rendez-vous, a lifestyle statement. The concept relies on five key principles: sound, music, image, art and food. A hybrid gateway for celebrities and beautiful people from around the world, in search of their private playground and a multi-sensory experience.”
It seems their recipe is a hit here in Dubai, where business lunches, after work drinks, and weekend dinners are best had at La Cantine du Faubourg. But what about brunch? A brunch in the UAE is a meal which possesses a unique pace, typically unheard of in other parts of the world (unlimited eating and drinking on a Friday?).
It draws a different crowd looking for an afternoon delight and a little bit of fun before the work week rolls back around. However, it seems La Cantine has it’s own lineage with this type of dining as well. The French know the importance of breakfast and have a heritage of creating out-of-this-world specialties, appropriately demonstrated at the launch of Brunch 105 (pain du chocolate, anyone?).
First of all, it’s paramount to highlight the spectacular cheese table, easily described alternatively as a cheese smorgasboard, feast, or a Frenchman/woman’s heaven on earth. An array of Brie, blue, cheddar, and chèvre (goat cheese) sprawled gloriously amongst baskets of rustic bread, crunchy on the outside with a silky soft interior. Vive la France.
Creamy herb-crusted circles of cheese produced by both cow and sheep were expertly served and explained by the in-house cheese expert, in case of any doubts. However, the giant wheel of Président Brie revealing a layer of creamy truffles in the center absolutely stole Brunch 105’s show. This ‘brie-for-all’ was a slippery slope I enjoyed plummeting down freely as the afternoon progressed.
If French cheese isn’t your glass of rosé, La Cantine du Faubourg still has you covered. In fact, the awesome blend of healthy salads, grilled vegetables, tar tars, smoked meats, and cold gazpacho drew directly from the Mediterranean roots France has with food.
For those with a sweet tooth looking to indulge on a traditional weekend ‘cheat day’, this is the place to be. A spread consisting of homemade classic desserts like crème brulée, chocolate mousse, lemon and berry tarts, cheesecake, and spongy breads in flavours of lemon, chocolate, and Nutella yogurt swirl will have you perpetually dreaming of treats for days to come.
And that’s just the table options.
Don’t skip the brioche French toast, crêpes, and waffles made-to-order with options of gelato, caramel, Nutella, and chocolate sauce as accompaniments. A silky cappuccino is ideal at this stage of the meal; not just for flavour pairing purposes, but also to assist in maintaining energy levels as an on-set of food coma symptoms arrive.
Arriving at 11am, I suddenly realised it was already 3pm, but the place was lively and delighted; tables were full of friends, families, and even a few celebrity appearances were had. An undeniable spot for bon vivants, Brunch 105 has a little bit of everything one could hope for in a Dubai brunch: art, music, atmosphere, flowing drinks, and most importantly, delectable dishes from a land faraway to make us all feel a little bit closer to home.
Photography by Elizabeth Wentling
The important bit