We’re warning you now. For anyone who doesn’t know, Belgian hops can be (and usualy are) very strong. If you’re here for a while and sipping on a few pints, the likelihood is that you’ll be feeling it the next day. They’re good, they’re just potent. PSA over. On we go.
Most people who have been in the UAE for any length of time will be familiar with the Belgian Café brand. There are three in Abu Dhabi alone and more in Dubai.
While they are all operated separately they do have a few things in common. Namely the décor (mainly dark woods and themed pictures on the walls), the food offerings (Belgian classics such as moules frites, plus a few pub grub classics), and the afreomentioned drinks offering. As well as the hops there are the usual grape and short drinks options.
The draft hops menu has enough variety to please most people, but the bottle section is where things get really interesting. You will, however, pay more for those options. A small selection of the pints are available on the daily happy hour, making them good value.
Other deals include the Thursday ‘grab your mates’ offer, which is Dhs135 for three hours of unlimited drinks (starting at 8pm). Add Dhs50 and you’ll get unlimited wings, too.
There’s a Saturday roast as well. From 1pm it’s all-you-can-eat from 1pm until 5pm for Dhs125, or Dhs199 if you add drinks.
Football fans are well catered for, with plenty of well-placed screens showing the big leagues from around the world. Keep an eye out for regular match-day deals, too.
While the indoor area can get smoky when busy, at quiter times you won’t notice it’s a smoking bar. While outside you’ll find a compact but atmospheric terrace facing out onto the Golf Plaza area and the other hotels nearby.
This is a regular haunt of ours when on Yas Island and while it does nothing spectacualrly, it’s a solid option every time.
