Vasco’s at Hilton Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi, UAE: Vasco’s is an award winning restaurant and supposedly one of the best in Abu Dhabi, serving Mediterranean cuisine and headed by renowned chef Vasco de Gama. One of its best features is its large outdoor deck, perfect for a laidback brunch or a romantic dinner where you can admire the majestic views of the Arabian Gulf as well as the sunbathers and passersby.

After a few hours of lounging by the pool at the Hilton Abu Dhabi, we headed over to Vasco’s for lunch only to find out that we needed reservations before we can dine there. We were told that we had no choice but to come back later, unless, we wanted to sit inside. It piqued me that during check-in, the hotel didn’t inform us about this detail, considering that it is quite uncommon to have to make lunch reservations for a hotel restaurant. Anyhow, we came back later and took our seat on their over-sized deck.

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Service started out well but that did not last long. They accommodated us with friendly and warm smiles but as the lunch progressed, the service seemed to get worse, with longer and longer waits between courses and less and less hospitable smiles.

The food was okay but nothing fantastic. We had the lobster spaghetti which was quite fishy and the seafood pasta in a tomato sauce which was average but still managed to hit the spot. Desert was a chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious, all right, but too tiny to really make anyone happy.

The wine list was not extensive and the selections were average but since we were in the Middle East, I’ve learned not to expect too much.

For the quality of the food and service, the prices were sky high and definitely unjustified.

My rating for the Vasco’s at Hilton Abu Dhabi–Between Bombastic and Not.

What I liked: Location

What I didn’t like: Lobster Spaghetti

Rating: Between bombastic and not.

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