Review: Aquara at Dubai Marina Yacht Club

You can take the girl out of England but you can't take away her love for a roast dinner. It may be 45 degrees outside but crank up the air conditioning and a plate full of roasted goodness looks much the same as it would in England. 

It is those home comforts that make expat life a little easier and there is no better way to channel home than through your stomach. But finding a decent roast dinner in Dubai is harder than you would think; sure it is a city of endless options and pretty much every taste is catered for, however there are just a handful of places providing a good, homestyle roast dinner. 

Thank goodness we live in close proximity to Dubai Marina Yacht Club. Aquara Restaurant & Lounge is a mixed bag depending which night of the week you visit; on Tuesday's it is filled to the rafters with young ladies, taking advantage of the Ladies Night promotions but on Saturday (our version of Sunday) the clientele and atmosphere turns more relaxed and families and young couples take advantage of the amazing roast buffet on offer. 

Now I am not usually a fan of buffets. They never really live up to my expectations; who wants to eat soggy food that has been sitting around. But the Saturday Roast at Aquara blasted my buffet experiences out of the water. The quality of the food is amazing and I like the fact that I can see through to the kitchen and watch the chef preparing fresh stuff that is promptly whisked out onto my plate. 

And the selection of dishes caters for meat eaters and veggies alike. The roast lamb was delicious and full of flavour and there were rows upon rows of side dishes from roast potatoes, roast carrots, parsnips and beetroots, to cauliflower cheese, fresh steamed veggies, yorkshire puddings and even a extensive variety of salad options for those wanting to go down the healthy route. 

I was a happy girl before I had polished off the contents of my plate and then I clocked eyes on the deserts. Crumble and custard, mini eton mess and fruit. Obviously I had just indulged in a full on roast dinner so there was no point taking the light fruit option. Homemade apple crumble, almost as good as my granny's was the perfect way to end a delicious meal. 

The only problem with a roast dinner in Dubai is after you have stuff your face and you break free from the confines of the air conditioning, you emerge into the same climate that you escaped from a few hours earlier. A full stomach and a 40 + degrees are not good partners. Maybe I got greedy but a lie down after a roast dinner at Aquara is advised.