Skyline Brunch

After months apart, Jason and I joined our wonderful friends Brad and Diana to celebrate their return to Dubai. Alongside Carol and Wathik, Karen and Jess, and Emily, we gathered high above Downtown Dubai for Skyline Brunch at Address Sky View – an afternoon that reminds me why Dubai does brunch better than anywhere else.

Perched on the 54th floor, Skyline Brunch delivers exactly what its name promises: uninterrupted panoramic views stretching across the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Fountain, Business Bay and the ever-changing skyline beyond. It is one of those rare venues where the setting feels every bit as memorable as the meal.

A Table with One of Dubai’s Best Views

Long before the first course arrives, we have already rearranged ourselves around the table.

The ladies gravitate together on one end, the men on the other. It’s planned, we’ve been too long apart and too much has happened. As old friendships often do, conversation picks up exactly where it left off months ago. Before our life stories all shifted during the recent Middle East Crisis. Today, once again, the talk flows effortlessly while the city shimmers below us through floor-to-ceiling glass.

Outside, the July heat means the spectacular terrace remains closed for the season, but the indoor dining room still offers every bit of the iconic outlook. From our elevated vantage point, the Burj Khalifa seems almost close enough to touch while the geometric road network weaving around Downtown looks more like a carefully designed model than one of the busiest intersections in the city.

The atmosphere strikes a lovely balance between sophisticated and relaxed. This brunch isn’t intended to be rushed. It is designed for lingering.

Cocktails, Champagne and a Fortunate Love of Oysters

Skyline Brunch follows a four-course sharing format, with each course brought directly to the table rather than requiring endless trips to a buffet.

I begin with an Aperol Spritz before graduating to what turns out to be one of the finest Tommy’s Margaritas I’ve enjoyed in Dubai. Simple combinations often produce the best cocktails, and the balance of tequila, fresh lime and agave nectar is exceptional.

While I happily explore the cocktail list, the other ladies embrace the Veuve Clicquot champagne package. Fortunately for me, several of them have little interest in the accompanying oysters. Their loss becomes my gain.

Fresh oysters always feel like a celebration, and today they are every bit as luxurious as the setting suggests.

An Elegant Beginning

Along with the oysters, the first dishes to arrive are deceptively simple.

Warm Japanese milk bread is served alongside European butter drizzled with fragrant date honey and an excellent sweet potato hummus. It’s impossible not to keep reaching for another piece while conversation rolls effortlessly around the table.

Soon afterwards come the starters.

Creamy burrata salad. Braised beef bao buns. A beautifully presented sushi platter featuring salmon and tuna nigiri alongside salmon avocado and California maki.

Everything is beautifully prepared, but two dishes stand above the rest.

The oysters are magnificent, disappearing almost as quickly as they arrive. The beef bao buns also earn unanimous praise around the table. Soft, rich and packed with flavour, they quickly became one of everyone’s favourites.

Emily, our resident vegan, receives her own specially prepared dishes throughout the afternoon. Her roasted aubergine and cauliflower is so good that I find myself wishing I had traded my perfectly pleasant sushi for a plate of vegetables. The sushi is enjoyable, fresh and well executed, but compared with the creativity of Emily’s dish, it is perhaps the only dish that feels a little predictable.

Signature Mains Worth Sharing

By the time the main courses appear, our attention is focused far less on the food than on each other.

My Tommy’s Margarita has replaced the initial Aperol Spritz, conversations have deepened, laughter has become louder, and everyone is completely at ease.

The mains arrive almost unnoticed.

Grilled sea bream with laksa. Chicken katsu with coleslaw. Grilled strip loin served with black pepper and Japonaise sauce. Black truffle “sushi rice” risotto.

Every dish meets the high standard expected from Ce La Vie, but the black truffle risotto is the clear standout. Made with butternut squash, shimeji mushrooms and Parmesan, it fully deserves its reputation as the restaurant’s signature dish. Rich without being overwhelming, earthy yet beautifully balanced, it is easily the strongest savoury dish of the afternoon.

And yet…

I still can’t help comparing it to the black truffle and burrata tagliatelle Ce La Vie used to serve. That pasta remains one of my favourite brunch dishes anywhere in Dubai.

I still dream about it. One day, I hope it makes a triumphant return to the menu.

When the Conversation Becomes the Main Event

Somewhere between the starters and dessert, food quietly becomes secondary.

The men animatedly debated sport and the share market while we girls caught up on everything that has happened over recent months. Summer holiday plans are compared. Stories are exchanged. Phones emerge as photos prompt fits of laughter more reminiscent of teenage friends than grown adults with families waiting at home.

A roaming saxophonist wanders gracefully between the tables, providing live music that perfectly suits the occasion. He is excellent.

The background soundtrack, however, is another story. At times it becomes so loud that conversations are reduced to shouting across the table. Thankfully, after a polite request, the volume is lowered somewhat. Almost enough that we can once again hear each other, the competition with the speakers at least reduced.

Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference.

Stepping Outside for That Iconic Skyline

Although the terrace remains closed, we can’t resist venturing outside briefly for photographs. Yes, it is hot. Very hot. I can’t help but comparing it to my visit to Cé La Vie in January. The cooler months are really, much more enjoyable and the terrace seating a treat for around half of the year.

But with one of Dubai’s most recognisable skylines behind us, nobody complains.

The Burj Khalifa dominates every frame while Downtown stretches away beneath us in every direction. It remains one of the city’s truly iconic views and one that never loses its appeal, no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

Returning inside, another thoughtful touch reminds us why Cé La Vie consistently excels in hospitality.

Our drinks have quietly been refreshed while we were outside taking photographs.

No request required. Even though the afternoon is edging towards 4pm, the service never falters.

Saving the Best Until Last

By dessert, none of us believe we can possibly eat another bite.

Then the platters arrive.

Mango basil tart. Classic crème brûlée. Pear ice cream. Chocolate bomboloni. Seasonal fresh fruit.

The pear ice cream is extraordinary.

Delicately flavoured, beautifully smooth and refreshingly light after an indulgent afternoon, it becomes my standout dish of the entire brunch.

I could happily eat it every day.

A Perfect Ending

There is brief discussion about dancing yet the dance floor remained untouched.

Instead, we order one final round of drinks and continued doing exactly what we had spent the previous several hours doing so well – simply enjoying each other’s company.

Eventually, with impeccable politeness, we are encouraged to make our way downstairs.

As we descend, I pause once again to admire the intricate maze of roads surrounding The Address Sky View. Having driven through that intersection countless times, seeing it from above somehow never loses its fascination.

Waiting for our taxis in the elegant foyer, a harpist fills the space with gentle music. After an afternoon of lively conversation and energetic brunch music, it is wonderfully unexpected. A quiet and refined ending to an unforgettable afternoon.

Of course, the celebrations dodn’t stop there.

Everyone migrates back to our place for an after-party where conversation continues long into the evening. Eventually pizzas are ordered – not only for the children, who have spent the afternoon together at Brad and Diana’s, but also for the adults who somehow find themselves peckish again, despite several hours of afternoon indulgence.

By 9:30pm the evening draws to a close. I am tucked into bed before 10pm.

I sleep remarkably well. The only thing occupying my dreams? Black truffle and burrata tagliatelle.

Good to Know

The Skyline Brunch is located at Cé La Vie, Address Sky View, Level 54, Downtown Dubai. Bunch is a four-course affair with dishes served to the table for sharing brunch.

Cé La Vie is best for special occasions, reunions with friends, celebrations and visitors wanting spectacular Burj Khalifa views without sacrificing excellent food.

When booking, request a window table where possible and don’t miss stepping outside for photographs (even if the weather doesn’t really permit). Even during summer, the skyline views are worth braving the heat for a few minutes.

The Skyline Brunch isn’t trying to be Dubai’s loudest or most extravagant brunch. Instead, it delivers something far more valuable – exceptional service, consistently excellent food, breathtaking views and an atmosphere that encourages you to slow down and enjoy the people around your table.

Would I love to see the black truffle and burrata tagliatelle make a comeback? Without question.

Until then, I’ll happily return for another Tommy’s Margarita, another helping of oysters and pear ice cream, and most importantly, another afternoon spent celebrating life’s special moments with wonderful friends overlooking one of the world’s most remarkable skylines.

Would I Return?

Yes. Absolutely.