From Time Out Abu Dhabi Eating Out 2010
Two branches of Automatic sit directly across from one another in central downtown. The instinct upon encountering the pair is to freeze, eyes darting back and forth trying to differentiate between the two. The one on the left seems a bit fancier, with dark wooden tables and picture windows, while the establishment on the opposite side of the street sports a decent shawarma stand but looks a little worse for wear. If in doubt, opt for the dowdier one, which is the abiding rule of the backstreet diner.
Once inside, a mezze of leafy greens ,veg and a bowl of cayenne-dusted houmous soon emerges. The menus and tableware are identical, sadly so are the houmous and mutabbal. There is nothing groundbreaking here, but Automatic does the basics well. The shish taouk – always a good test – is definitely one of the better in the city; a delicious skewer of chicken marinated in yoghurt and tomato paste, lightly blackened, but still juicy and moist. Those in search of something special might be a little disappointed but for a cheap, quick Lebanese fix, this is a sure bet.
