THE SURF CAFE IN ABU DHABI IS NOW OPEN

The Surf Cafe makes its debut in Abu Dhabi

Since we had tried the The Surf Cafe in Dubai – they were amongst the first to serve tasty poke bowls and acai bowls in 2015 -we were eager to visit The Surf Cafe in Abu Dhabi that recently opened its doors at The Mall (World Trade Center Abu Dhabi) downtown.

The story behind the Surf Café

In Dubai, the founder Claudio was frustrated to only find hotel options along Jumeirah and this is why he came up with the idea of opening a high-end casual cafe serving comfort food after spending time at the beach.

If you haven’t visited it yet in Dubai, give it a try as we are fond of the Californian vibes this cafe brings to Dubai- kites outside, a lot of colorful wood used on the walls and in the decor.

Since 2015, The Surf Café constantly evolved its menu to create and feature dishes and beverages from all over the world. Their motto is to handcraft every dish and beverage and handpick the ingredients from all over the world to ensure they deliver an outstanding, simple, fresh yet memorable dining experience through their diverse menu.

The Surf Café Abu Dhabi in The Mall at the World Trade Center

In Abu Dhabi, The Surf Cafe is much more than a cafe and we were quite surprised as the size of the restaurant is impressive and has a distinctive cosy and homely feel. We liked the overall neutral tones of the restaurant with a splash of color brought in with felt red armchairs, oversized plants and a massive olive tree taking center stage. The walls are adorned with unique artwork by Dubai based artist, Julian Castaldi.

An all-day spot, it already has a firm following of regulars at lunchtime – from the offices inside the World Trade Center Towers –   using the restaurant as their daily canteen.

The spot also seems to be busy in the evening, thanks to the residential towers above the mall – especially the sushi counter where you can watch the chefs preparing your order in front of you.

Many tantalizing options to try at the Surf Cafe

The common factor between the Dubai and Abu Dhabi outlets is the food menu as we spotted some of the Dubai hits this cafe is known for, including their now famous Poke bowls, Acai bowls, vegan and vegetarian or gluten-free options. The menu is easy to navigate- divided into breakfasts served all day, acai, desserts -we were actually tempted by many options in each section.

We finally couldn’t resist having their Tuna Poke bowl and it didn’t disappoint. Kicking the palate with flavours and spices, the Poke was served with mango, avocado, fresh tuna dices served on top of sushi rice. The wasabi peas, red onion slices and crispy kale added texture to the bowl mix and the spicy truffle mayo sauce blended perfectly with all the ingredients. A must-have from the menu! The portion was quite generous and we actually couldn’t finish it all.

Our guest went for a reinvigorating and warm dish called Mauritian prawns. The flavorful king prawns are served separetely from the basmati steamed rice and slow-cooked with coriander, garlic, ginger, red onion, curry leaves and more.

To end on a sweet note, we were very curious to taste their vegan avocado chocolate mousse, served with almonds slices and topped with fresh strawberries. The mousse was very smooth and we finished our dessert in no time. Our teen partner couldn’t resist having their S’more – chocolate and peanut butter topped with marshmallows, served warm in an individual cast iron pan with digestive biscuits to dig into the S’more.

 

Instead of coffee, we gave a try to their vegan golden latte that is said to have many benefits thanks to the anti-inflammatory curcumin that gives it its unique golden hue. The warm beverage prepared with maple syrup and coconut milk was creamy but still light to digest.

This casual spot is a welcome new addition to the Abu Dhabi food scene proposing healthy, trendy, homemade and affordable dishes, all under one roof. We will surely find excuses to go there regularly!

The Surf Cafe Abu Dhabi is located on the ground floor of the mall, next to DOME Cafe and opposite Shake Shack. It also has an outdoor shaded terrace.

Open daily from 7 am until 10 pm (until 11 pm on Thursdays and Fridays)

The Surf Cafe Abu Dhabi | The Mall, World Trade Center Abu Dhabi | +971 2 633 37 74

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