WATERLEMON

Another new café opens in Al Bateen

No, that’s not a typo in our headline: Abu Dhabi’s latest outlet is called Waterlemon, not Watermelon, but that’s the only confusing thing about this café you’ll find in the marina area in Al Bateen.

Waterlemon, its owners claim, takes its inspiration from nature and embraces an eco-friendly philosophy – and the décor hints at this. Simple black tables and grey stone partitions work well with clusters of grass that line one wall. It’s tasteful and minimalist and it also has a pretty alfresco area offering marina views.

The menu has a big breakfast section, starters such as nachos, chicken strips and mezze, plus salads, sarnies, pasta, pizzas, and bigger main dishes such as veal escalope and beef tenderloin.

Make sure you start with the nachos, a colourful plate featuring purple chips and roasted veg and cheddar and mozzarella. It’s a straightforward dish but was well executed with a whipped blue cheese that wasn’t too strong, meaning it complemented the flavours instead of overwhelming them. A starter of dynamite shrimp was served with a seven-spice sauce from Japan called togarashi (made from peppers and cream). It tasted too tart at first but improved with each bite of the crunchy prawns.

For mains, the giant chicken vol-au-vent had potential but needs work. The creamy pesto sauce was rich yet smooth, but the pastry was tough in places – it had us sawing at it with gusto, like a lumberjack felling a tree in the Canadian Rockies. Get that right and it’s a winner, albeit a calorific one. The vegetable club sandwich (aubergine, courgette, tomato and mozzarella) was nicely presented as three rectangular, three-decked sarnies on a black plate, although the flavours were a little overpowered by some strong onion and pesto. That aside, it’s a good option if you’re after a lighter lunch. For dessert, do not under any circumstances bypass the pavlova. The presentation is second to none – it looked like a giant piece of coral, with blueberries and strawberries adding some colour to the white meringue and smooth cream. Another pud, called Brownies Kit Kat, also looked the part (it reminded us of Jenga) but was a little too gooey and overly sweet.

It’s worth mentioning portion sizes, because they are enormous. We only managed half of each course and still fell foul to a power nap in the afternoon. You certainly get your money’s worth.

Waterlemon looks the part and while some dishes need a little more TLC, the food is decent enough if you’re in the area and in need for a quick refuel.

Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, daily 8am to 11.30am. Tel: (02) 6355050. Taxi: Al Bateen Wharf. thearabiangourmet.com, facebook.com/WaterlemonUAE RATING Food ...................................................................... Atmosphere .................................................... Price ..............................................................