Bring Your Own Friends Brunch by Appaloosa will go down in history as one of Abu Dhabi’s most incredible brunches, not only for the unlimited beverages, and not even for the very chic gin trolley, and neither for the unlimited sharing platters, but especially for the Piggy Platter!

At time of writing, in fact, there is nothing even close to what Appaloosa offers Abu Dhabi’s expats, in terms of a glorious Friday brunch.

It’s a classy place, lest the Piggy Platter name give you the wrong idea –

And a full-blown bar, with all sorts of other great deals other than Friday BYOF.

And Mr Johnny Walker keeps on walking outside, on the terrace, apparently heading for shisha…

And a live band – excellent vocalist, too, as not everyone can take on Beyonce’s Halo and pull it off to a round of applause! – as well as a separate games room.

And yet, it is the gin trolley that gives you the first indication of the fine level of the fun ahead!

Poured, mixed and stirred to your preference on the spot, resulting in masterpieces of the Juniper extract variety!

And then the starter platters start to arrive…

Creative breads and dips, and also curated to a fine-dining level, which bars and pubs can rarely aspire to reach – but, as you know, the Appaloosa Bar has the support of the Marriott main kitchens and talent, so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that you are enjoying a five-star spread!

It’s delicious, and unlimited, but this is only the first introductory platter…. hold your horses!

The second and third platter appear, with fish and chips, breaded brie, chicken wings, salmon churros, and an absolutely glorious pub pie…

Check out this pie crust!!!

And yet, the pièce de résistance is about to arrive – and it left me gobsmacked!

The menu explains:

Bavarian Pork Knuckle, with potato salad

Beef Bangers and Mash, with Onion Gravy (oh, hope it’s the same gravy as in the Steak Pie!)

and

Sticky Belly Ribs with apple slaw

But the menu had not prepared me for the sheer brilliance, and generous quantity, of this platter!

And the perfection in preparation is hard to put in words. It was a 10 out of 10. An A+… what else can I say?

Look, as a food photographer it’s a no-no to take pics of plated food that has been touched. But here I’ll do that. Because I want you to see what fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth looks like:

Simply pulled the meat off with a knife and fork… lightly touched it…

I just cut through the crackly rind, and it split into two – one for the mouth, and the other to model for the photo. Admire how clean that bone is. And that was a good size chunk from the shank, not quite the knuckle.

And the ribs… same story… same perfection in cooking, and marinating!

Beautiful presentation, too.

Again, fork and knife only… could have been fork and spoon they were so tender!

A real treat, and a real joy to see the care and attention needed in the kitchen to prepare such a feast.

Oh, and the bangers ‘n’ mash, superb as well, and with a winning gravy!

Did I mention unlimited? Both food and drinks… but I have a feeling that might change.

It’s just too good to be true.

In fact, skip the starters and dive straight into the Piggy!

Not that there was anything wrong with the starters – not in the least – but just to make sure the Piggy Platter is still being served.

Because you know these top-level Chefs, right, they’re always experimenting and making adjustments – heed my advice, and get in there quick!

Desserts? Also fantastic, with an interesting and unpronounceable (except for the Germans) – Kaiserschmarrn…

And a New York Cheesecake that was so easy to pronounce that it jumps into your mouth on its own!

Overall, a superlative weekend brunch for Abu Dhabi expats.

And if you’re not a fan of the heavy roasted meats, please don’t let me put you off – the Piggy Platter is just one course of the dining experience – and if it’s not your thing, you simply pass.

Even without it, the BYOF Brunch stands on its own four prancing legs.

Cheers!