I’m always on the look-out for new places to eat out in the city and my favourite new kid on the block right now is Al Pastor Shawarma.

This is a hidden gem, and they are doing a great job hitting the highlights with the classics. The menu is extensive and covers breakfast items like shakshuka, musabaha and fattah along with classic salads and snacks, think fattoush, fatayer, flatbreads (manakish & pizza), shawarma, other sandwiches like burgers and of course desserts.

Everything is prepared in-house, with many of the items being cooked in their brick oven. For dine-in guests they have a small number of covers within the restaurant with more tables and seating outside on the street too, and with the open kitchen counter it’s great to see your food being freshly prepared.

We started with zaatar manakish, a delicious flatbread made with a zaatar paste, the crisped bread providing the perfect amount of bite. This was accompanied with a popular Syrian dish, batersh. Made from a base of creamy eggplant mashed with yoghurt and layered with tomato and ground beef sauce, this was the first time I’d tried this, and I was blown away! This is a perfect sharing plate, and came with yummy pita pillows to tear and dip. What a treat!

Next we tried the chicken shawarma. They marinate the chicken overnight and when it’s combined with the garlic sauce, the melting cheese and crunchy pickles it makes for satisfying eating. From the flavour of the chicken to the browning on the outside of the bread, it all comes together really well with delicious flavours in every bite. There are many different flavours to try and alternative bread options, plus they offer family boxes - I will be back for more!

Hidden away on the menu is a section called ‘oven meals’ and this is where we went next. The unassuming title ‘chicken with potatoes’ did not do this dish justice. It’s a half chicken, well cooked and packed with seasoning on a bed of tasty turmeric potatoes and veggies. It’s plenty to share or a huge feast for one, if you’re feeling really hungry and only AED25!!

To finish we went for the recommended desert, hambana, which is a delicious combination of mango and cream, topped with crushed biscuit and pistachio, a lovely way to finish the meal. Ice cream, waffles and pancakes are also available along with a huge range of fresh juices for you to try.

Al Pastor Shawarma is a welcome addition to the Abu Dhabi scene, with great food and accessible pricing.

You can dine-in and take away or delivery is available with Talabat.

Shawarma from AED6

Manakish from AED5

Oven meals from AED25

Call 02 444 1030 / 050 175 8636

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Alex Atkin

November 2021