Filled with hanging lanterns, colourful mis-matched chairs and Turkish art, this café on Abu Dhabi’s Al Mina street is full of charm.
Downstairs is a deli counter with huge vats of homemade jams, cheeses and cheesecakes so big and impressive we can barely tear ourselves away from them.
But we eventually find a seat upstairs and our server guides us through the menu, as there are many traditional dishes that we’ve never tried before.
We’re the only ones in as it’s quite late in the evening, and straight away we’re presented with some chunky pieces of Turkish bread and spicy dip.
Our starter of muscver comes soon after, which is basically courgette fritters mixed with potatoes and cheese. They’re a bit flavourless and greasy for our liking, but dipped in the bread’s spicy dip they are much improved.
However, both our mains are incredible. The saj kuvurma chicken, with bulgar wheat, onions, peppers and more chunks of bread, comes in an enormous metal pan over a flame. It’s beautifully presented and full of amazing flavours. Soaking up the tomato sauce with the bread is a real treat, and it tastes homemade and super fresh.
The iskender kebab, served on a shiny platter so big we struggle to get both dishes on the table. Tender beef is layered in tomato sauce and placed on flat bread. It’s impossible to decide which we like more.
We leave full and happy.
