Sim Sim: Saadiyat Rotana Turns the Resort Buffet into a Global Night Market

A buffet with an actual weekly rhythm

Sim Sim is Saadiyat Rotana’s main all-day dining restaurant, but its current programme gives diners more reason to pay attention than the phrase ‘international buffet’ usually suggests. Breakfast is broad and resort-friendly, while dinner changes character across the week. Rotana currently promotes Ocean Feast on Monday, Asian Night on Wednesday, Oriental Levant on Friday and an international buffet on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. That rotation means the restaurant can serve hotel guests repeatedly without presenting exactly the same experience every evening, while outside diners can choose the night that best suits what they want to eat.

Live stations make variety more convincing

The strongest part of a large buffet is not sheer volume but food cooked close to the moment it is eaten. Sim Sim uses live stations to move between regional and international dishes, with Middle Eastern specialities, Asian cooking, seafood and familiar European favourites appearing across the programme. Rotana also currently profiles Chef Elias, whose background spans Lebanese and French culinary training and luxury-resort kitchens. That gives the restaurant a clearer culinary lead than the anonymous buffet model. The room itself is light-filled and contemporary, reflecting the resort rather than competing with it, which helps at breakfast when families want ease and again at dinner when the buffet becomes more social.

Breakfast, brunch or themed dinner

Sim Sim is particularly useful because it covers several different dining occasions. Current listings put breakfast at 7am to 11am daily, dinner from 6:30pm to 10:30pm Sunday to Friday and from 7pm on Saturday, with a Saturday brunch from 1pm to 4pm. Reservations can be made through Saadiyat Rotana on +971 2 697 0000. For Simply Abu Dhabi, the restaurant earns its place not because every buffet dish is individually destination-worthy, but because the programme is well organised around resort life. Families can use it for an easy breakfast; brunch groups get a more leisurely weekend format; and themed evenings offer a reason for Abu Dhabi residents to visit without booking a room.

Practical details

Location: Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cuisine: International buffet and live cooking
Telephone: +971 2 697 0000
Hours: Breakfast daily 7:00am-11:00am; themed dinners most evenings; Saturday brunch 1:00pm-4:00pm
Editorial status: Open