Brunch is the one weekend ritual I never question. Good food, good people, and a brand new setting. I have turned it into a running project: drag my friends across the emirate, slowly building a personal, honest record of Abu Dhabi’s brunch landscape.

The most recent stop was at Souk at Qaryat Al Beri. I wrote earlier about the Abra rides through its waterways. The Souk feels like a hybrid between an Arabian market and a small Venetian maze: narrow corridors opening into clusters of cafés, local sellers with their stands, and restaurants. As you walk in deeper, you would find Alton Abu Dhabi which sits right at the end. It is a bistro, but it behaves like a small urban venue. The music sets the tone immediately: R&B, old-school hip hop, reggae, and the occasional live artists.

The interior is designed to make you move. Graffiti panels, vertical greenery, neon lights, and long wooden tables that force you to share space with strangers. The staff push the pace by inviting you into small games and challenges. Music Bingo and Beirut are some of the main ones; the staff hands you the ball with enthusiasm, and the prizes escalate from vouchers to free activities. My friend and I attempted playing limbo, not gracefully and not even successfully, but the room cheered anyway.

At 199 Dirhams per person, which is admittedly a little pricey, but on the lower end for brunches in the UAE, it gets you a three-course meal, unlimited beverages, and access to the entertainment. Although marketed as brunch, it is more akin to a Linner because it takes place between 3pm and 6pm. You get a variety of starters, mains like burgers, pasta and tacos, and an apple crumble dessert. The staff keep the beverages moving without making you chase them and a few come in little speciality pouches which are uniquely adorable. “

A pool table anchors one section, and the floor to ceiling wide windows open into the Souk’s marina. During sunset the entire waterfront shifts colour, soft pinks and purples, reminding you how amazing it is to be alive, despite this time of the semester indicating otherwise.