Spa and Italian for lunch?. We visit Sole and The Conrad Spa Etihad Towers Abu Dhabi…

As I stepped into the expansive lobby of the Conrad hotel I was captivated by the space and beauty. The front of house team was warm, welcoming and knowledgeable of the various hotel facilities. I arrived thirty minutes early for my massage at the Spa so I was able to take a slow walk and just take in the luxury and spaciousness of the hotel.

The spa was closed when I arrived so I was offered a seat in the gym and a cool bottle of water as I waited eagerly for my massage. At five minutes to eleven the gym attendant informed me that the spa was open and made sure I knew my way there. 

Mellissa was waiting for me as I entered the spa. She was so warm and friendly. She gently ushered me to the lounge area which is adjacent to reception area and brought me a glass of lemon and mint juice with two dates on the side. After giving me some time to relax and enjoy the light refreshments, she proceeded to ask me a few questions about how I preferred my massage and introduced me to the lovely massage therapist that would be treating me to a holistic massage.

After a long week I was thrilled to have every knot massaged away. The front of the spa was light, open, welcoming and fresh. As we walked to the massage rooms the light got dimmer and there was a light scent in the air that I could not put my finger on but it just added to the beautiful ambiance of the place. The surroundings helped to unwind me further. Stepping into the dimly light room was so inviting. The lighting was just right with some lovely relaxing background spa music, the massage bed looked so inviting with its rolled towel and flower on the top. It was calling out to my weary muscles. There was a chair with a bowl in front of it near the top of the massage bed and a deep oval wooden bath tub.

The first part of the holistic massage began with a Himalaya salt foot scrub. The holistic massage was made up of the best massage techniques to give total relaxation. The bed was heated up and soon I began to feel knots being released that I did not even realise I had. The oil that was used for the massage was basil and wild turmeric.

Before long I felt like I was floating away. In each of the treatment rooms there is also a bathroom and change room.  After the massage Katut offered to fill the bath tub with rose petals, milk, oil and water for me to relax. This extra service is free for thirty minutes and thereafter it is chargeable. After the massage it is recommended to keep the oil on for two or three hours to let it penetrate the skin and give the full effect.

There are a total of 13 treatment rooms, two of which are couple treatment rooms and a VIP room. The steam room and the sauna are located in the Hammam room. The spa treatment was completed with a cup of warm ginger tea in a different lounge area. Mellissa took the time to explain about the spa products available in the retail section.

After unwinding and feeling rejuvenated I went down to Sole for lunch. Sole is a classy Italian restaurant yet casual enough to bring your children along to have classic Italian influenced dishes.

 The focaccia and the other breads did not disappoint as I chewed the bread and got a whiff of the basil plant on the table my senses transported me to Italy. For starters we decided to try the calamari and the clams. The garlic lemon aioli complemented the calamari well and the garlic and parsley flavours in the clam were so tasty that I ended up enjoying the clams which I was do not usually eat.

We opted for the non-alcoholic cocktails which were a bit too sweet for our taste buds but tasty. The granadilla mojito which was recommended by Sekar was just right though.

For mains we decided to try the low and slow, which is pasta and mince ragu and the tuna steak. The tuna steak was divine, cooked to perfection with a light salad on the side.

For dessert we had the sharing platter which came wrapped up with a bow for us to cut open. The presentation was unexpected but welcome as we cut it open to reveal the miniatures of the various desserts offered on the dessert menu. The dessert hit all our sweet spots.

This was our third visit to Sole and it did not disappoint. It was a great lunch date.  Though I prefer the evening as the saxophone player just adds to the ambiance as you look over the still pool and you enjoy your dinner.

The staff is always friendly and Sekar is a lovely young lady, even though we had last visited the restaurant a few months ago she remembered us and just added to the wonderful experience. Sole is a lovely restaurant and we highly recommend it.