Everyone knows Abu Dhabi residents are fans of a quirky café; we can sniff out a new spot faster than you can say caffeinated. But while you might be expecting yet another hipster coffee joint, this place is so much more than it first appears to be.
Walk into Sola Restaurant & Café and you’ll find yourself surrounded by a green and gold interior, marble tabletops and a two-storey mural featuring a hand-painted desertscape. The décor fuses urban, New York-style coffeehouse with more than a touch of Abu Dhabi glamour.
Located in the trendy Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Park area, Sola is surrounded by many of the city’s up-and-coming restaurants and cafés, and it’s well worth a walk around the park once you’ve finished your meal.
And while the staircase to the second floor at Sola has steps that might at first seem a little narrow, you’ll forgive the trek when you sink into a comfy velvet chair and start to peruse the menu.
Forget muffins and quiches; this place is putting the gourmet back in café.
Start with a prawn cone featuring battered shellfish in an edible potato basket, drizzled with tangy sauce and topped with shredded beetroot. They’re the perfect crispy bites to whet your appetite.
A riff on classic carbonara, served coated in a fluffy white sauce infused with truffle and veal ham, is a crowd-pleasing main, while beef tacos will catch your eye (and your heart) with tender pulled beef and kimchi mayo topped with bright-pink beetroot. It’s a bold combination, but the creativity pays off.
Finally, the candy floss choco-fondant features a warm chocolate brownie, cool coconut sorbet, and cotton candy that melts across the dish into a pretty pink sauce.
If you were expecting to pop in for a quick coffee and a snack, this spot will floor you with flavour.
Abu Dhabi knows how to dazzle, and Sola certainly doesn’t let the side down.
Open daily 7am-1am. Unlicensed. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Park, Al Khalidiya, solacafe.com (02 546 3558).
