Book a Barrel Brunch at L!qd
I had almost forgotten how long how I hadn’t brunched for until I brunched at L!qd. Offering a selection of free flowing beverages with a well curated tapas menu, the Book a Barrel Brunch at L!qd priced at AED 199 per person, takes place from 2 – 6 pm every Friday and Saturday.
Built around the cool concept of filling up your barrel with ice and drinks of your choice so you don’t have to wait for that next glass of sangria or a refreshing bottle of hop, this sitdown style brunch has batches of tapas brought to your table one after another, so there’s no need to move from your lounger or wait for the buffet stations to get filled up with fresh food.
Located on the 2nd floor of TRYP by Wyndham in Barsha Heights, this Spanish restaurant first impresses with it’s interiors, and then with the food (and drinks of course!) L!qd is spread across an airy indoor space, a sunny outdoor space and a stylish pool area. The best part about this brunch is that you can choose to relax in your preferred spot and soak up all those brunch vibes, whether you begin or end your weekend with it!
Tapas
Our first round of Tapas at L!qd included a portion of each – Bruschetta served with Capsicum, Tomatoes and Anchovie, Stuffed Spanish Olives, Tryp’in Moussaka, Tomato Salsa and Melon Wedges with Cured Beef and Manchego Cheese.
My favorite undoubtedly was the Moussaka flavored with crispy garlic that went perfectly with the fried bread pieces on the side. I am not a very big fan of fish, leave alone anchovies, so while I liked the capsicum at the base, I simply avoided the anchovies in it. Manchego cheese was surprisingly quite nice. It had a cheddar like texture with a sharp taste which balanced well with the sweetness of melon and density of cured beef.
Provolone Al Horno
This was one of my two most favorite tapas dishes at L!qd. The hot baked gooey cheese topped with spicy oil went just right with the little pieces of crostini. The only glitch – there should have been more crostini portions. We asked for a second helping, but they never arrived.
Patatas Bravas y Queso
This was the other favorite I was referring to in my previous section. If you love potato wedges, especially those cheesy ones, this will be your favorite. The wedges, or patatas were served hot and crispy with a drizzle of melted cheddar on top. The sweet chilli jam garnish could have been better had it been spicy.
Gambas Al Ajillo
Honestly, I have tried this exact same dish at another restaurant and it was my favorite there, so it was only obvious that my expectations were quite high. While this classic Spanish prawn appetizer wasn’t as great as I thought it would be, it wasn’t too bad either. I would have liked the garlic flavor more prominent, and the gravy a little thick so it could be scooped with the homemade bread this dish came with.
Chorizo Al Vino
If there is one dish I would never order again, it’s this one. Maybe it’s my unfamiliarity with Spanish cuisine, but I didn’t really understand the combination of beef chorizo with escargot (snails). Also, I had never eaten snails before, and that paired with the not-so-appealing look of this dish kept me from trying this.
Battered Calamari
L!qd’s version of calamari changed my outlook towards this seafood variety. I always stayed away from eating calamari because I found it too chewy, but these little pieces were crisp to such perfection, I kept popping one after the other, after the other. I am not quite sure, but I suppose there were a few tiny deep fried octopus pieces in there too. Although my date loved them, to be on the safe side, I just put those aside.
L!qd Hot Platter
Now this was something I wanted more of. The hot tapas platter came with grilled skewered cubes of chicken and lamb along with fish fingers, and a very spicy ground green chili dip. The chicken undoubtedly was my favorite, followed by the fish fingers. But I found the lamb a little too chewy for my liking.
Churros
The ultimate dessert for any Spanish Mex cuisine, these classic sugar coated sticks came with a side of praline cream and spicy chocolate sauces. I liked the latter sauce more than the former, especially with all those chili seeds in it.
L!qd Tapas Bar
Location: TRYP by Wyndham, Al Saef 1 Street, Barsha Heights, Dubai
Contact: 04 2476644
