From Time Out Abu Dhabi Eating Out 2010
Back in its day, Ally Pally was one of the first pubs in Abu Dhabi – in fact, as recently as 1996, it was pretty much the only game in town. There are televisions on every wall showing sports, the atmosphere is good natured and, naturally, the clientele is exclusively Western men – although some may baulk at the occasional entry charge. With its dark wood interior it resembles a working-man’s pub in the East-end of London. As you open the door the stale-beer-and-cigarettes smell transports you back to a different era – a time of labour disputes, the twist (music is largely from the ’60s and ’70s) and gruff-voiced men making mother-in-law jokes.
However, it has recently had something of a makeover; its salubrious reputation has also received a bit of a spit and polish, too, but the food remains pretty much the same. Ally Pally serves the sort of decent pub-grub which usually comes with a potato accompaniment and an ampersand – fish & chips, bangers & mash – while the ubiquitous all-day breakfast is a guaranteed artery clogger. The pub standards of chicken wings, potato skins and potato wedges are all there, but, for Teutonic tastes, the roast pork knuckle with potato dumplings and sauerkraut is an experience. The portions are good and there’s a fine selection of beers behind the bar; it’s just not really the kind of place you’d take your fairer half.
