The long, hot summer is behind us as we write this, making it the perfect time of year to try Simitch, which has a lovely terrace that’s just made for winter in Abu Dhabi.
The Lebanese seafood restaurant has a picturesque setting at Abu Dhabi’s Marina Village, on the breakwater off the Corniche and looking back towards the city’s skyline across the waters of the Arabian Gulf. Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace in the backdrop make for quite the view (and Instagram opportunity) as you eat.
In keeping with the theme we order lemon and mint drinks to go with the food, which promises to be freshly caught from the region’s waters.
It’s quiet when we arrive early on a Friday afternoon but the tables soon fill up, with people enticed by the holiday vibes, vistas and good food.
We can’t look past the Fisherman’s Basket to start. It is a combination of deep-fried ocean delights, including plump prawns, crispy calamari, super-salty whitebait and more.
Be sure to add a squeeze of lemon juice to lift the flavours. It’s a simple enough option but we can’t really think of many better ways to start the meal.
We also get some ceviche to try and balance out the fried food with something a little more light. It’s not quite as enjoyable, with a bit too much mango in comparison to the seafood (which is either salmon or ‘white fish’) making the whole thing too sweet for us.
Prices of the starters are very reasonable, with most things coming in at around Dhs45. For the quality on offer, it’s good value.
For the main course we go for a charcoal-cooked fish and it is magnificent. The charred, crispy skin of the catch of the day smells wonderfully smokey from the barbecue and the flakey white flesh pulls away from the bones with the merest prod of a fork. There’s more than enough for two people though we still wish we’d ordered a second.
Sometimes simplicity is key and with fresh seafood there really isn’t much that some flaming charcoal, lemon, salt and pepper can’t sort out. If you’re looking for a laidback, unlicensed spot to enjoy a leaisurely meal now the weather is cool, we can’t recommend Simitch enough.
