TORO TORO ABU DHABI NOW OPEN

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Experience Latin flavors enhanced by an amazing decor setting

Every September, we are excited for the new restaurant launches in the Capital and 2017 is no exception. After Eat Greek Kouzina (our review here) that is perfect for a casual night out with wholesome food, Toro ToroAbu Dhabi is a fantastic new playground for foodies, a great place to go out with friends for a drink, party and enjoy refined and flavorful Pan Latin cuisine.

This brand new restaurant opened a few weeks ago only at Jumeirah at Etihad towers hotel. Wondering where? inside the futurist two floor white building beside the outdoor hotel pools (see picture below).

Open in the evenings only – daily from 7pm until 12am- , the restaurant occupies the ground floor while a fantastic bar with a wide outdoor terrace covers the first floor. By the way, the terrace is set to open around mid October 2017, so stay tuned !

A vibrant decor and warm atmosphere

We could have spent the whole night browsing the decor as the interior blew our mind. Colorful with deep dark green, blue, mustard and red, with velvet here and there on sofas and chairs, oversized rattan lounge chairs, we adored the welcoming and party atmosphere with a Latino vibe.

If you are into art photographs, Toro Toro Abu Dhabi has different interactive frames on both floors with wonderful photographs illustrating landscapes or portraits featuring South America. You feel you are at an exclusive art exhibition while sipping your cocktail or mocktail. Unique, lively and beautiful !

Referring to the ‘Toro”, Instagram addicts are in for a treat with a unique collection of handpainted skulls on the walls to watch and shoot while two huge white bulls welcome you outside the restaurant.

Appetizer first…

We highly encourage you to visit the bar first on the first floor which is very cosy and intimate. The menu selection is worth browsing and the mocktails and cocktails description is so appealing we felt like trying them all.
The large groups will dive into the welcoming velvet sofas while some will prefer sipping their drink casually on the high tables or in the rattan lounge chairs.

Followed by a sharing style Pan-latin dinner

Moving to our table downstairs, we discovered the restaurant was quite large but tables are arranged in a manner you feel like every corner is quite intimate.

The saying introducing Toro Toro Abu Dhabi’s menu actually reflects well the overall restaurant atmosphere.

Across Latin America, food is more than a meal. It’s an event. It’s a celebration that’s shared, savored and enjoyed.

If you feel like sharing different bites, you will be spoilt for choice as the menu comprises a large selection of ceviche, hot and cold starters, empanadas, skewers and more.

If you are into meat, you can also go for either for one of their beef steaks (between 300g and 500g priced between 190 and 329AED) or check their churrasco and grill selection, ideal to share for two or four people.

For our first visit, we preferred focusing on a sharing style dinner and all our picks were winners.

We couldn’t help but order their smoked guacamole (48AED) served with tortilla chips. The smashed avocado comes served inside a smokey glass dome and is a show on its own.

It was our first time tasting a hot stone ceviche (59AED). Butter fish was cut in larger slices than usual cold ceviche and paired well with the lime and orange flavor and while the fermented aji amarillo gave a kick to the starter without overpowering it.

The Cachapas (55AED) was one of our favorite bites, a comforting Venezuelan sweetcorn pancake filled with carne mechada and sour cream. The pancake was filling and had kind of a sweet aftertaste we definitely enjoyed.

We also enjoyed tasting the lomo saltado empanada – a homemade pastry filled with sauteed beef tenderloin and sundried tomato. The chimichurri served on the side added a nice kick to the bites.

We also appreciated that each dish came to the table one after the other, giving us enough time to really enjoy each of them separately at our own pace.

We went for beef fillet anticucho (79AED) – beef skewers served with mirasol chili roasted corn and a palm heart salad – and the marinated meat was just heavenly melting in the mouth.

To end on a sweet note, the restaurant team proposed we try their signature chocolate fondant that comes with vanilla and lemongrass ice cream prepared at your table. Have your camera ready as there are many video shots to take! The fondant was delicious and is worth ordering!

To conclude…

When we left by 10pm on a Saturday evening, the restaurant was quite packed with a vibrant atmosphere and a lot of chatting in the background and happy foodie faces.

This is another brilliant addition to the Abu Dhabi food scene that will have us back very soon. Next step is to go back with friends and probably experience their main courses such as Toro Toro’s rodizio service, one of their meats carved tableside or taste the traditional Churrasco a la carte.

TORO TORO ABU DHABI | Jumeirah at Etihad Towers | Website

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