Getting things done in Abu Dhabi, UAE

This hunt is actually taking on the aspect of a death march.

I try to keep an open mind, and let each coffee shop stand on it's own - but with SO many results thus far ranging from "Meh" to "You-have-to-be-kidding-if-you-think-that's-coffee" , the search for a decent cup has reached Arthurian proportions.

With that in mind, and my far too tolerant bride by my side, we stormed the castle of Marina Mall, following the holy (?) Abu Dhabi Week guide to great (? ? ?) coffee. This time the target was "Cafe de la Paix" - frankly I wasn't that interested in the "paix" part, as it's hard to accept that such peace can be found in a large shopping mall... but then a harder title to live up to would be "Cafe de la bloody great coffee" I suppose.

So, removing the "Insufferable coat of the cynic (+10HP +10ST -10WIS Class-ALL)" I acquired at a Dungeons and Dragons convention in the late 80's, I'll get on with the matter at hand, and attempt to leave my geeky parables behind.

Cafe de la Paix is on the ground floor of one of Abu Dhabi favourite shopping institutions, in through the front door and walk straight ahead until you hit what every United Arab Emirate needs in one of its shopping centres - an ice skating rink.

Yes.

I know.

Don't get me started.

Typically we were out and about in the early Friday afternoon - an excellent time to be looking for a seat in a cafe as most of the other shops don't open until 3pm.

Strangely the food shops open a little earlier, but what's the point in going to a shopping centre to pick up groceries and maybe a lazy cup of coffee if one cant look at Rolex.. or pick up a Blancpain handmade watch for cool 450,000 dhs? Put THAT in the bag with your doughnuts and corn in a cup... (Have I mentioned corn in a cup? It's corn, in a CUP. Corn in a cup. Genius)

Yes a digression, but you knew there was one coming somewhere in the post - going to give up apologising for them soon.

AAAANyway..

We were seated and had our order taken quickly and cheerfully - the staff are super attentive and pretty friendly. The added degree of difficulty was caused by Karma wishing to eat while we were there - so not wanting for her to feel like she was indulging on her own I had to throw myself over a club sandwich (which for the record was really good).

Everything came at once, food, coffee and tea all landing and expertly placed around our little table.

I've already mentioned the food, and the finance department commented that hers was great too.

Now.. to the point of it all - the coffee.

Pretty good. Slightly better than "Meh" but not knocking Charlene from her petrol fumed perch either.

It was okay - I'd go back for the staff before the coffee, but would rather hang out at Zyara, and it doesn't have the view of the cafe in the nearby tower, but it was ok.

Next and last in the guide's list of top 5 coffees is Idioms - and even though I have taken my friend Line to task (in this very blog) for being a liar, I have somehow managed to say yes to allowing her to accompany me to the place, although I am still concerned as she opened the conversation with.. "Oh I KNOW where Idioms is".

I kind of know where it is too, and even though I said after the Zyara adventure that I wouldn't...I'll let her direct just to see if she can snatch back any credibility!

Oh, while this review is based on the Cafe de la Paix in Marina mall - it's actually a chain, they can be found in various places throughout Abu Dhabi - give them a go, while the coffee is above the AD average the food is pretty good.

The list - getting pretty fat around the midsection - and so is this reviewer.

• ADNOC - ('big cups crisis' over)
• Zyara,
  Cafe De La Paix "Marina Mall"
• The One
• Le Brioche "Marina Mall"
• Starbucks
• Anything else, including but not limited to, licking tarmac
• CDR - Worst coffee ever - will post at a later date.

Go into any good bookshop and you'll find a stack of tomes dedicated to other countries, you may even find a couple of phrase books while you are ferreting around in the same section.
Most things that you pick up to read about Abu Dhabi are usually pretty good, but what if you (like us) have decided to MOVE not just VISIT this fine emirate?

A guide to cheap hotels is fine - a guide to life here is even better.

We picked up a few books, and borrowed a few more and found that alot of them are strong on advertising and light on any new information..

Abu Dhabi Explorer is the exception - it's a cracker, and we would have been lost without it, it's available all over the place here in AD, but if you want to be ahead of the game when you arrive, you can purchase them from all large bookstores in other countries.

Really, I wish we had purchased this one first, as it's the only book we constantly refer back, the others do nothing but take up space in the bookshelf.

I've included 2 links for each of the AMAZON sites - one is the just released, fresh off the press, ink still drying version that will be available shortly, the other is the version that we have faithfully thumbed through for the last year. I really recommend getting the 2009 edition (for obvious reasons) BUT if you want to get a feel for what the book is like, the 2008 edition can be purchased relatively cheaply through the other link.

UK readers:
2009 edition - - - - - 2008 edition.

US and Worldwide folk:
2009 edition - - - - - 2008 edition.

Language.

Another book that has helped us alot is "Gulf Arabic" - it was first published in 2001 and has had multiple reprints since, I'll bang on about it more when I have completed the languages post - but it's a good one. The link I've provided below is the edition that includes the partner CD to help out with pronunciation etc. Just whack it in the CD player of your car, and away you go.

Gulf Arabic is good resource book, because it refers to localised colloquialisms and subtleties that are easy to miss, or not included in generic Arabic language learning programs (see language post). Short but useful dictionary, and deals with the key element of any language - how to be polite.

UK Site

USA - Worldwide