Omelette bars, pancake stations, carveries, pastries – these are the stuff of average hotel buffets. Let me tell you, not all buffets are created equal. If you’re after something extra special, after your extra special day, here are five hotels where the buffet puts on a real show.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai
Doughnut walls, yes, doughnut walls. Everything at Atlantis, Dubai’s famous pink palace is big and bold. From the towering hand-blown glass sculpture at reception to the enormous aquarium sprawling through the lobby corridors, this underwater-themed hotel doesn’t hold back. The same goes for the two buffet restaurants – Kaleidoscope and Saffron Restaurant.

There is every conceivable type of food on offer – but it’s the middle eastern treats that really tickle my fancy. Start the day with za’atar croissants and hummus, dukkha dusted Labne and the piece de resistance, a date palm tree made completely of dates. Pluck one, two, or three to go with dessert. Even at breakfast there’s lolly stations, cupcake walls and a chocolate fountain.

Image via The Langham Sydney

Image via The Langham Sydney

The Langham Sydney, Australia
Kitchens on Kent is the newly reimagined restaurant at our favourite Sydney hotel, The Langham Sydney. A series of ‘kitchens’, the restaurant is transformed every breakfast, lunch and dinner. Make a beeline for the evening buffet, where there’s a serious seafood offering (think Balmain bugs, oysters, prawns and crab claws), a naan bread oven (with curries to match), pasta bar, stir fry station, rotisserie grill and enormous dessert table.

Image via The Langham Sydney

When it comes to dessert, the built in ice cream bar is a winner. Then there’s the ruby chocolate fountain (Langham pink!), whole cakes, big blocks of chocolate bark, mini macarons and plenty of petit fours.

Prospect House, Richmond, Tasmania
Big isn’t always better and at this beautiful historic Georgian style manor, 15 minutes drive from Hobart, the breakfast buffet is boutique and beautiful. With just 12 rooms, Prospect House is the perfect blend of old world charm and modern mod cons – settle into a wing back armchair by the fire with the latest Mona collection coffee table book.

Image via Prospect House

Breakfasts take place in the actual kitchen – a beautiful sunny room with a farm style wooden table for guests and a big kitchen island full of continental homemade goodies. There’s also a huge stove, where the chef stands by cooking hot breakfasts. Simply point out what you’d like (sausage, bacon, eggs, tomatoes etc) and your own private chef whips it up for you. Now we’re talking! Don’t miss the homemade salted caramel – goes down a treat on the freshly made sourdough.

The Mulia, Bali
Go hungry or go home should be the motto at The Mulia’s buffet – The Café is a misleading name for this sprawling smorgasbord of dishes from around the globe. Chinese BBQ pork and freshly made pastas, rows and rows of salads, stir fries and sandwiches, are just the beginning. And then there’s the dessert room – chefs make ice cream on the spot with steaming bowls of liquid nitrogen and your favourite toppings, with rows and rows of desserts in every shape and flavour.

It’s outrageously OTT, but still manages to stay chic, with a lovely dining room and excellent service. If that’s not enough, there’s also the Sunday brunch in Soleil, another decadent, delicious affair onsite. This is Bali dining like you haven’t seen it before.

Ms Zebra Says: Aren’t buffets one of the best things about being on holiday? What a collection of fabulous buffets – and hotels, to try! Thanks Lisa for the recommendations!

About Lisa Perkovic: Lisa has spent the past decade travelling the world writing for Australia’s leading newspapers, magazines and blogs about all things travel. Her own honeymoon was her pièce de résistance – an epic journey to the Maldives and South Africa. Now she loves nothing more than sharing destinations and tips to help other newlyweds work out how to have the honeymoon of their dreams.