Morning fry-up
The English breakfast is hardly an acquired taste, but finding a decent one in the capital isn’t easy. Miss J’s (02 666 7800), the stylish diner-style café in Khalidaya is a good bet, while the one at pseudo-French café La Brioche on Khalifa Street (02 681 3353) is also surprisingly tasty. Café Le Notre (02 621 9888) at the Fotouh Al Khair Centre do a great steak and eggs, while their Canadian breakfast (maple syrup and sausage) is a good alternative.
Pre-match burger
Ahh, the traditional meal of all football matches. For our money you won’t find a better pair of buns than those sandwiching the Angus burger at Café Colombia (02 644 3000) at the Beach Rotana Hotel. The One Café (02 681 6500) at the One Store in Khalidaya does a mean patty, too; however, for the truly extravagant, the gourmet burger at Emirates Palace’s Café Majlis (02 690 9000) costs close to Dhs100 and is fit for royalty.
Half-time kebab
Other than a desecrated burger, few foods are more closely associated with football than a good kebab, or in the UAE’s case, a good shawarma. The ultimate street food, some of our favourites include Marroush (02 644 4782) in the Tourist Club Area and, of course, any Lebanese Flower outlet, although we love the Khalidaya one best (02 665 8700). But our favourite shawarma remains that served at Zawak Al Sham, near Fit Worx in Khalidaya (02 665 9935) – a tender work of chickeny art.
Post-game fish supper
Chip shops are few and far between in the capital – meaning there are none. The Fish Hut (02 672 9720) on Hamdan Street, near Salamah Hospital, is the closest fit, although it doesn’t actually do chips. We reckon PJ O’Reilly’s (02 674 2020) at Le Royal Méridien does the best fish and chips in the capital, closely followed by the Captain’s Arms (02 644 6666) at Le Méridien. We also recommend heading to Finz (02 644 3000) at Beach Rotana Hotel – its pricey, romantic and utter heaven.
