A fabulous culinary destination any time of year, Latest Recipe really comes alive during Ramadan with a luxury Iftar buffet second to none in the UAE capital.

It all begins at the five-star hotel entrance, where you realize the whole hotel is involved in welcoming dear guests during Ramadan!

And across the splendid hotel lobby…

…into the lounge area…

…and then finally into the restaurant itself, where a life-size camel patiently awaits to greet you!

All this to let you know just how much effort and goodwill has gone into preparing the evening meal for their honored guests – very impressive!

But does this translate into excellent food?

You will be pleased to see it most certainly does!

Not only did the salads and appetizers seize the opportunity to shine,

which they did with flying colors,

but Latest Recipe really hit the ball out of the park in the meats – Abu Dhabi’s tip-top Iftar destination.

See for yourself:

A platter of slow-cooked lamb ouzi…

which on its own was the best-cooked and best-tasting ouzi I’ve tried so far during Ramadan 2019 – but then you turn around and you find a platter of…

authentic Mensaf!

And if you don’t know what that is, you’re in for a treat!

Here’s what the chunks of lamb were like:

And when you think you have it all, you turn to another corner of the restaurant and discover a gigantic cast-iron grill, ready with lit charcoal, and a massive ventilation bell atop, and your choice of almost any kind of freshly-grilled meat and fish!

And as you stagger back to your table, in disbelief at how amazing this buffet is, you spot the Indian food corner!

With another live-cooking station, with its own tanoor oven!

And curry, and breads,

and all the trimmings that accompany proper Indian food.

The restaurant ambiance is lovely all around, and a variety of seating is available for large groups, or tucked-away private family tables.

Amazingly, I’ve run out of words to describe just how epic the Iftar buffet at Le Meridien Abu Dhabi is – and I best just let the photos of the desserts close off this review…

And let me say that if you could only attend to one Iftar buffet this Ramadan, then let it be this one at Latest Recipe restaurant.