Ras Al Khaimah: Lunch at Azure – Waldorf Astoria

After spending most of the week taking care of practical issues related to the move, both Poul and I needed a break, so we decided to take a day trip to Ras Al Khaimah. As we drove into Al Hamra Village we passed the Waldorf Astoria, and it looked so beautiful that we immediately agreed that this was where we would be having lunch.

The only restaurant, which was open for lunch, was the mediterranean restaurant Azure, located next to the hotel’s pool area and the beach. Would have been great with a table by the pool, but it was so hot, that we didn’t even consider a dining outdoors, but quickly fled into the air conditioned indoor seating area.

We shared a velvety soft smoked eggplant dip while waiting for our mains. It came with warm bread, that came straight from the oven, and tasted delicious. I wish they would have offered more of that bread, because it was only enough to get us halfway through the dip, and we had to resort to the regular bread basket for backup.

For main courses, Poul had a lamb ragù with rigatoni, and I had fried artichokes. I had no idea what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful plate with orange, broccolini and chunks of fried artichokes arrive. I really liked the combination of flavors and textures, and the portion size was just right for a light lunch. The restaurant was also very nice, and the staff was very eager to please, stopping by our table constantly to ask if everything was ok. Maybe a little overwhelming after Danish standards, but very common down here, and they mean well. A nice place for lunch, if you’re in RAK.

Azure, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah