You know what you’re going to get with Irish pubs, don’t you? Pints of the black stuff, old toucan-themed ad campaigns on the walls, a friendly atmosphere, decent music and filling grub. Well, with Fado it’s no different.
Since opening, the venue, upstairs at the Oryx Hotel, accessible from the street, has flown a little under the radar. After all, it’s not in the showiest part of town and lives in one of the more humble hotels. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a visit.
We’ll leave the many reasons to head here for a drink for another time and tell you all about the food instead.
Dishes here are all fairly good value – you’d be hard pushed to pay Dhs100 for anything – and the menu is split into starters, mains, sandwiches and desserts. With plenty of options in all of them.
We go for a couple of things to share – cheese dip with wedges, fried calamari and fried fish tacos.
The wedges are brilliant pub food. Thick, fried potatoey bread, ready for dipping into gooey cheese. Just make sure you finish it all before it starts to go cold. The fish tacos are also excellent, and surprisingly delicate for a a pub to serve. The bites of fish are encased in a light crunchy batter and the fresh toppings scattered over the tacos start a party in the mouth. The calamari, by comparison, is disappointing, and wouldn’t be out of place at a wedding buffet in 1970s Northern England. Still, it comes with chips.
WHAT IS IT…
Abu Dhabi’s ‘hidden gem’ Irish pub
WHY GO…
Because there’s more to life than PJ’s and McGettigan’s
