Havana Cafe: a quaint Abu Dhabi eatery with an awesome menu

Abu Dhabi: It may not sound like a good idea to dine at a cafe that is right in the heart of Abu Dhabi city’s parking gridlock. All your focus will be on finding an empty space on Hamdan Street and in all likelihood, you may not even notice this quaint coffee shop.

But Havana Cafe, located on the first floor of the Sun and Sands Building on Hamdan Street, has done itself a favour by having its sign prominently displayed on the main road. You are bound to notice it. So it was not be sheer accident that I discovered the cafe’s existence.

The name may be familiar with many people, thanks to its more popular and aptly located branch at the Abu Dhabi Corniche next to Marina Mall.

I managed to find a vacant parking spot and squeezed my car into a lot for an hour to check out this neighbourhood cafe.

I had my trepidations while entering the corridors of a residential building, which also houses a few commercial entities on its first few floors.

But once you settle in, the place offers itself as a comfort zone for diners to relax and enjoy a meal. The cafe is spacious, has plenty of natural light and offers a decent view of the city.

The menu is a combination of cocktails, salads, sandwiches, a few main dishes covering Italian, Lebanese and continental. Ice creams and pastries are in plenty to appease your sweet cravings.

The star dish is definitely Lemon Herb Chicken, served with a tangy creamy lemon sauce, and steamed veggies and French Fries on the side.

The grilled chicken breast is soft, marinated in mild spices and goes well with the creamy sauce drizzling all over it. However, if you’re counting your calories, I advise you to skip the sauce and fries. The chicken still tastes good without these accompaniments.

From the Italian selection in the main course, we tried out Penne a la Romana which was made with a creamy sauce. The pasta was cooked to perfection — neither chewy or soggy — and the mushrooms, eggplant, peppers and black olives all adding their flavour to the dish.

We washed it down with orange juice. I would also like to recommend the cafe’s mocktails which offered some very interesting fruity combinations with ice cream.

And if all you wanted to have was just some coffee and cake, then Havana Cafe would be a perfect for you to wind down.

Order a fluffy white forest cake or for that matter any chocolate cake of your choice, and you would definitely jot down the place in your memory for another visit.

Details

Meal for two: Dh100- 120

Location: Havana Cafe, Sun and Sands Building, Hamdan Street

From: 8am to 12am

Contact: 02-672 4400

We recommend: Lemon Herbs chicken and Penne A la Romana