Saadiyat Beach Club

At the start of September 2014, the Monte Carlo Beach Club was no more and the venue became Saadiyat Beach Club. But what's actually changed down there? I went along to find out...

So the name has changed, but not too much else it seems. The place still looks the same amazing place it always did - it's just that the distinctive yellow and white colours have now gone and been replaced with a new blue colour scheme.

The facilities and services all remain the same - there's still the gym, spa, gift shop, kids club and restaurants, although Le Deck has now become Safina and Sea Lounge has become De La Costa. The decor in the restaurants and bars remains the same though the menus have had a revamp.

We took a break from the hardship that is lying around next to the pool or beach all morning and took lunch at Safina where you have the choice to sit indoors and cool off in the air-con, or to sit outside in the gentle breeze from the sea and sit back and enjoy the view...

The menu seems to have been expanded and there appears to be a wider choice than there was previously which is good. There's a good range of appetisers, salads, sandwiches, burgers and main courses so whatever you fancy, you're more likely to find something to satisfy your tastes.

They've also got a lovely range of mocktails and juices and I can highly recommend the mango, peach and ginger iced tea - it was delicious! A really light and refreshing drink to have on a hot day.

For our meal, we started off with an assortment of bruschetta as pictured below. It made a nice change to receive an assortment and provided something a bit different from the usual.

Next, I tried the pan-seared chicken breast served with mashed potatoes and green beans from the main courses. I was a bit worried it might be a big portion and too much to eat at lunch time but I was pleasantly surprised - it was just the right amount and was again delicious! The chicken was tender, moist and flavoursome - it was a good choice.

Pan-seared chicken breast with mashed potato and green beans[/caption]

Mama Arabian Notes decided on a salad and plumped for the plain Caesar salad which was also heartily enjoyed.

So it's business as usual it seems, but just under a new name. I also had a quick peek at the Cabana menu before we left and that also has much more choice on it than previously. It's basically a shortened version of the Safina menu featuring mainly the appetisers, snacks burgers and salads - but the new menu allows a much wider choice than before.

In summary, Saadiyat Beach Club remains an impressive and stunning place to hang out for a day with excellent service and both the beautiful poolside and beach to choose from. If there's anything missing from this place that you might need - I certainly can't imagine what it might be.

Monthly and annual memberships to the club are available.