Claws | Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” François de La Rochefoucauld

If you are a fan of all things crustacean then Claws 2.0 Wednesdays lobster night at the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort is the perfect dining experience for you.

The fishy extravaganza has been reintroduced and takes place every Wednesday evening at Fairways, the spacious ground floor buffet restaurant that also plays host to the popular Bubblicious brunch every Friday. Claws 2.0 is bigger and better than its predecessor, for all intent and purposes a shellfish and seafood brunch, just a smaller scale midweek event than its weekend counterpart but still with nearly two hundred fifty dishes available it’s plenty big enough.

Mussels, langoustines, oysters and lobster prepared in many ways in various guises along with seafood soups, salads and curries. This all you can eat feast offers diners the opportunity to taste Cegali, Atlantic and Omani varieties of lobster. Each dish is beautifully presented in the centralised food area under a token fishing net and hanging silver lobster crackers. Live cooking stations along the outer edges of the food area offer freshly cooked specialties to order by the team of chefs.

Highlights, alongside the shellfish of course, included shots of gazpacho, a whole cooked salmon, the colourful beet and orange cured salmon salad and the individual glass jars of crushed crayfish with violet potatoes. I had a spinach ravioli dish from the a la carte menu to accompany my buffet choices, that while quite tasty was a little heavy with an overly thick butternut squash sauce. The desserts and cheese selection was also good, tempting but not overwhelming.

Claws is a relaxed affair, the set-up is much the same as Friday brunch with the main difference being the larger than life cut-outs of giant cartoon shellfish, aprons for every guest strewn over the back of chairs and place mats with crustacean facts and lobster eating do’s and dont’s.

If you are not partial to shellfish yourself don’t be put off accompanying someone who enjoys it as there are plenty of other choices with meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes available too. There’s sushi and sashimi, soups, fresh salads, Indian and Asian selections with dim sum, noodles, rice dishes and curries, Arabic choices include the popular fattoush and tabbouleh. A mountain of different breads sit alongside cheeses and of course a good selection of desserts including fresh fruit and a chocolate fountain too.

If you are a crustacean lover or just looking for an indulgent Wednesday night treat then check out Claws 2.0 at the Westin, this hotel is always worth a trip with visitors as the location overlooking the golf course is lovely.