Eatopia has grown on me. I’ve been here for a couple of a la carte experiences, as well as an Iftar buffet. The a la carte experiences were OK, but I ended up feeling like I spent a lot of money for my guest and I to have what is, at root, a cafeteria experience.
They have a novel approach to picking out your food. You walk around and place orders at different stations, provide a numbered card for scanning, and the prepared food is brought out to your table.
The buffet experience was far more enjoyable. I spent about the same as I spent for my a la carte experiences, but instead I had the full run of all the stations. The sheer variety of options, which I think works against it from an a la carte perspective, becomes an asset in the buffet context.
I’m the kind of person who wants to try a little of everything the first time through, and then come by for a deeper dive on the things that stood out to me. The many different options here really lent itself to that approach. With the a la carte experiences, all those choices almost paralyzed me. I didn’t want to order unwisely.
That being said, I found myself taking a couple of trips to the sushi station. It is good. Not the best sushi I have had in the city, but it is pretty far up there. It really scratched the itch.
They also had an exceptional salad bar. I went back a couple of times because it was so refreshing. There is more variety here than most places outside of the hotel brunches, and you can heap a bowl full of varied, quality greens. If I come for another a la carte meal, this is what I will probably go for.
The pizza was also pretty good, depending on which kinds they have out. The crust is a bit soft for my taste, but at least I could tell that it was a crust and not an undercooked flatbread. The toppings were chunky and rustic, and overall gave me the impression of an artisan pizza.
There is some decent regional cuisine. I’ve definitely had better, but considering where we are in the world and how much competition there is, it was certainly passable. I wouldn’t double down on this station if I was coming for an a la carte experience, but for a buffet it’s worth a taste.
They also have a fresh juice bar that I recommend taking advantage of. I drank a ton of lemon mints and hibiscus drinks while I was there.
The ambiance is nothing too special. The indoor seating area really feels like a cafeteria. It’s clean and nicely lit. The outdoor seating area is much nicer, so if the weather is nice, I recommend going to check it out. That being said, if there is live music, it can get almost too loud to talk to your neighbor out there.
I prefer this place way more for buffets than for pay as you go. But when someone suggests we come here, I don’t steer them away. You should check it out.
RATED: 4/5
Joe Expat 