We love home-grown food and beverage concepts, and in a café culture so heavily dominated by chain brands we were excited to stumble upon The Third Place Café in Khalidiya.
Diving into one of the super-cosy sofas near the windows of the converted villa, we are immediately struck by the charmingly mismatched furniture, shelves stocked with books and funky wall decorations; we feel like we have stepped into a trendy European independent coffee-plus-conversation café.
Manager Kevin is passionate about the rotating chalkboard menu, which features an impressive range of creative drinks as well as meaty and vegetarian food options.
A red smoothie – a luscious combination of berries, bananas, honey and laban – and an unusual pomegranate bubblegum soda with hints of lemon, mint and cane syrup provide a refreshing start to the meal.
For an appetiser, we share a plate of homemade, spiced falafel – a perfectly balanced morsel of fresh fluffy mixture with a crispy shell, served with warm grilled pita, tomato salsa, mutabal, tahini sauce and labneh.
For the main course, the vegetarian tucks into a healthy quinoa salad with fresh green beans, pomegranate, apple, walnuts and parmesan all drizzled in a tangy mint yoghurt dressing. Even our guest – not usually one for salad – can’t help but try some and comes back for more!
Turning back to his own meal, he chomps through a juicy Angus beef burger topped with melt-in-your-mouth cheese in a toasted bun. Served with a side of sweet potato fries, this fresh burger really hit the spot.
Stuffed to the brim but eager to try the café’s dessert selection, we bravely round off our meal with surprisingly light triple layer pancakes with berry compote and maple syrup.
As its name suggests, The Third Place Café offers a welcome respite between work and home,. It’s a must-visit if you want to get off the well-beaten track of the big brand names to be surprised by gourmet-standard meals in a laid-back atmosphere.
Laura Volpi
DETAILS
What: The Third Place Café
Where: Villa T3, Corniche Road, near Spinney’s Khalidiya
We say: A hidden gem not to miss!
Cost: Starters from AED 24, salads from AED 45, sandwiches from AED 42, mains from AED 42, desserts from AED 30
Contact: 02 681 1877
