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They are all about serving a mood enhancing menu packed with healthy and flavorful nutrients
Al Seef Resorts and Spa at Andalus is an Abu Dhabi destination that brings around a lot of wanderers as soon as temperatures cool down in the city. Why? It is a pedestrian-friendly area – ideal to visit with kids – filled with a lot of cafes, restaurants, a few retail stores and SWEAT, one of our favourite gym studios in the city.
SANDERSON’S CAFE is the latest opening in the resort and is located in the main alley, next to the central communal pool. The regional restauranteur Sergio Lopez is behind this new opening and it is his first outlet in Abu Dhabi. Foodies will recall his name and connect the dots as he has already built a strong reputation in Dubai these last few years by opening cafés such as Tom and Serg and The Sum Of Us.
Chill decor and good vibes
We love the chill decor, mixing natural colours and material, greenery and the indoor-outdoor vibe with a wide shady terrace. The cafe is open daily from 8 am to 10 pm which makes it an ideal spot to visit from the early morning after school drop-off, to lunchtime for a friendly gathering or a casual dinner.
Sanderson’s prides itself for focusing on nutritious, sustainable and wholesome food using good quality, seasonal ingredients cooked from scratch daily. Backed by a strong belief that the food we eat can have a powerful effect on health and state of mind, the dishes here are simple and good for you.
Invited to the official launch opening, we got to enjoy and savour different dishes from the menu in a sharing-style manner. All the food we tried really reflects this philosophy and was packed with a splash of colour, freshness, vitamins and presented in an appealing manner.
Expect colourful yet natural, wholesome dishes
The menu can be puzzling and intriguing at first glance as it is divided by dish types that mix sweet and savoury options together, such as Toasts, Bowls, Cheeky, Wraps, Plates and Treats. We noticed the pricing was really fair as the most expensive dish costs 69AED.
Amongst our favorites was the blossomed chicken wrapped with a dehydrated wine leaf (49AED). Poached with saffron, the chicken was mixed with cucumber spaghetti and a harissa mayonnaise that gave it a kick. There was another unusual option, a Burgundy colored wrap- it was made with raw beetroot- and filled with seabass, celeriac and apple slaw, pistachio and sesame (53AED).
We had a crush on the housemade beetroot tagliatelle (47AED). Served warm with roasted walnuts and goat cheese and beurre noisette, it was wholesome and finished in no time.
house made beetroot tagliatelle, roasted walnut, goats cheese, beurre noisette
The veggie rice paper wrap (39 AED) is also a light and healthy option to try as it comes with mixed greens, wild rice, silken tofu puffs and herbs, topped with a thick tamarind sauce.
rice paper, mixed greens, wild rice, silken tofu puffs, herbs
We saw other tables relishing the lobster benny that will certainly become a best-of on the menu. It comes in a charcoal bun, with bearnaise, poached eggs and pea tendrils for 65AED.
lobster benny, pea tendrils, poached eggs, bearnaise, charcoal bun
Pavlova fans can order Sanderson’s interpretation. Topped with spaghetti mango, the meringue was filled with a red coulis and served with fresh red berries. Another indulgence we will go for again!
The restaurant also proposes a retail corner with home accessories that perfectly match the restaurant decor. From cushions to natural baskets or ceramic coffee cups, you can find it all there.
Retail corner at Sanderson’s cafe in Abu Dhabi
SANDERSON’S CAFE | Al Seef Resort and Spa, Abu Dhabi
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