Are you as excited as we are for Pancake Day? Yes? Brilliant, because we are counting down the seconds to Tuesday February 16.
Now while many of you are relishing the opportunity to show off your pancake flipping skills and getting stuck into that batter, some of us feel like having a day off from the kitchen, so we have come up with some of the best pancakes in Abu Dhabi.
But if pancakes aren’t your thing, we have other tasty breakfast options around the capital for you to explore.
But without further ado, let’s get pancaking.
The savoury one – 90 Centigrade
Now when it comes to pancakes, most of us our thinking about chocolate, cream, and strawberries right? Or at least lashings of maple syrup. Or lemon and sugar… you get the gist. But if you don’t have a sweet tooth head to 90 Centigrade in the Millennium Hotel where the homemade pancakes are packed with halloumi cheese before a sunny side up egg, black olive tapenade and saffron hollandaise sauce is added fora flavourful bite.
Dhs40. Open daily 6.30am-1am. Grand Millennium Al Wahda Hotel, Hazza Bin Zayed the First St, www.millenniumhotels.com/en/abu-dhabi/grand-millennium-al-wahda/90-centigrade/ (02 495 3968).
The original one – Café 302
Sometimes less is more and with Café 302’s Buttermilk Pancake, diners get a pancake that goes back to basics. No frills or thrills. Just simple but delicious pancakes with wild berries and maple syrup. Yes please.
Open daily 8am-11pm. Hamdan Bin Mohammed St, www.rotana.com (02 610 6666).
The unconventional one – Tawa Bakery
While some may debate whether a crepe should be considered a pancake (we must definitely do), Tawa Bakery’s crêpes are just incredible whatever term with which you define them. Our favourite is the Nutella and strawberry with whipped cream and strawberry coulis that is wrapped in this thin pancake. So good that even the naysayers would make an exception.
Dhs38. Opens daily 8am-11pm. Al Muneera Island, www.tawa.ae (02 556 6900).
The natural one – Jones the Grocer
This little special treat comes from Jones the Grocer. The pancakes are made with home-made coconut before blueberry compote, pecan crumble and whipped Greek yoghurt joins the party. And while Jones the Grocer highlights these pancakes as one of its top vegetarian dishes, the flavours will even have carnivores going nuts for these pancakes.
Dhs54. Open Sun-Thu 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat 9am-11pm. Etihad Airways Centre, Al Muneera, Raha Beach and various locations, www.jonesthegrocer.com (02 558 9808).
The Japanese one – Keki
We think we may have found our new favourite culinary combination; French and Japanese. Fluffy Japanese pancakes are cooked in the style of French Toast and then served with mixed berries and a choice of homemade chocolate sauce or maple syrup. Magnifique or 壮大?
Dhs50. Open Sun 8am-11pm, Mon-Sat 8am-9pm. Al Banteen Park, (02 309 3999).
The classic one – Pancake House
Words don’t really do this pancake justice but we are going to try. Pancake House’s chocolate chips pancakes are amazing. Three pancakes are topped with chocolate bits and served with hot peanut butter. Dig in.
Dhs32. Opens daily 9am-1.30am. Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street, World Trade Centre Mall, www.pancakehouse.ae (02 622 0036).
The Instagrammable one – Circle Cafe
Presentation is key when it comes to our pancakes and you be hard pressed to find a more Instagrammable pancake dish than Circle Café’s Blueberry Mini Pancakes. Five mini pancakes are dotted around the plate and sprinkled with sugar. Diners can then add two toppings from more blueberries, strawberries, bananas and mixed nuts as well as one sauce. A shot worthy of the ‘gram but be quick before these little guys are gobbled up.
Dhs38. Open Sun-Thurs 8am-10pm, Fri-Sat 8am-11pm. Al Raha Gardens, www.circle-cafe.com (02 556 1550). Open Sat-Wed 8am-10pm, Thurs-Fri 8am-11pm. Saadiyat Island (02 448 4255). Sat-Fri 8am-11pm. Mangrove Village, (02 666 0828).
