timeoutabudhabi.com April 24 – 30 2019 31
Food
WHAT IS IT...
Bar food served out on
the outdoor terrace, or in
the busy bar area
WHY GO...
For the sharing-style
platters, nachos and
lively vibe. The happy
hour deals are good, too
Flavors Grill
O Open daily 9am-midnight. Mina Zayed (050 318 9222).
WE’VE BEEN THERE, done it and wrote
thousands of reviews in the process, but every
now and then a restaurant experience in Abu
Dhabi takes us by surprise.
Flavors Grill is a new spot that stands out
from the more traditional shops and cafés on
the portside Mina Zayed strip, the stripped-
back concrete Áoors and walls creating
a modern environment.
If it sounds inviting, it really
isn’t. In fact, you’re lucky to be
reading this at all, because
we’re told we must make
a reservation through the Flavors
Grill Instagram account, or leave.
We’re already sitting at a table in
the otherwise empty restaurant,
so we’re surprised to say the least.
We oblige, hoping the food leaves
a better taste than the service.
We start with the The Flavors salad. Despite
being a little on the soggy side, it’s fresh with
rocket, orange, strawberries and tomatoes.
Next up is the Superman (a cheeseburger
topped with grilled mushrooms, onions and
peppers). It doesn’t have the usual rich Áavour
you’d expect from wagyu and would beneÀt
from being served with a side and sauce.
The rib-eye steak is too oily
for us, and the salad it sits on is
completely soaked with juices
from the meat. It could do with
being rested before serving. It’s
without the FG potatoes that are
listed on the menu, but after
asking, they arrive and are the
highlight of the meal.
Overall, is the food worth the
grilling we get when we arrive?
At Dhs220, perhaps not.
WHAT IS IT...
A good-looking grill
spot at Mina Zayed port
WHY GO...
To see if you can get
a table without
booking through
IT’S HAPPY HOUR when we arrive at Yas
Island’s Y Bar, and the place is packed out.
It’s a nice evening, so we sit out on the
pleasant terrace where there are high tables,
comfortable sofas and even a few second-
hand books to browse. It’s a lovely place to
sit and chill for a few hours, and the menu
contains all the usual pub-grub classics such
as pies, burgers, curries and steak and chips.
We take our time over a few drinks before
ordering a couple of bar bites to share.
The nachos sounds good, but instead of
coming with cheese sauce, we ask for a side
of grated cheese on the side. That doesn’t
quite happen, but the big bowl of cheese
sauce is welcome. All is not lost, though. It’s
saved by the tasty sour cream, guacamole
Y Bar
O Open daily noon-2am. Licensed. Yas Island Rotana, Yas Island (02 656 4155).
and salsa, and we thoroughly enjoy munching
through the very sizeable portion.
We also try the Central Park sharing platter,
which features all the best meat-free fried
foods. It probably didn’t take too much skill to
make, but we’re thrilled by the combination
of stuffed mushrooms, spring rolls, cheese
jalapeño bites and onion rings.
However, the C4 shrimps are a big let down.
Each piece is covered in a huge casing of
mushy batter, and although the shellÀsh itself
is pleasant enough underneath, it’s not really
worth the faff of digging them out.
We certainly wouldn’t order the shrimps
again, but for good-value pub food in a relaxed
environment, Y Bar does most things right,
especially if you have a few hours to spare.
Roberto’s
We’re excited by the prospect of
an all-day breakfast brunch every
Friday afternoon.
O Fri noon-4pm. Rosewood Abu Dhabi,Al
Maryah Island (02 627 9009).
Villa Toscana
The Italian’s seafood festival is
still running for a few more days.
O Frices vary. Until Apr 27, 7pm-11pm.
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, Nation Towers,
West Corniche (02 694 4553).
FOOD NEWS
What we’ve
learned this week
The Foundry
The steakhouse’s new business
lunch menu for May will have you
in and out in under an hour.
O Dhs67. Daily noon-3pm. Southern Sun
Abu Dhabi, Al Zahiyah (02 818 4888).
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