Tom And Serg - Al Quoz, Dubai

My new home away from home, this is the first place I have been to in Dubai which actually reminded me of London (minus the rain of course). Hidden in Al Quoz, its a slight pain to find (just round the corner from Ace Hardware off SZR) but its worth the trouble. Resembling an old iron warehouse, this all indoor haunt is as quirky as they come (well for Dubai anyway!) covered in large chalk boards, iron and wooden tables and chairs and the odd plant scattered around. With additional bench seating, cosy arm chairs and white brick walls upstairs, these digs keep in line with the arty farty galleries which surround it.

The line for a table was out the door when I finally pitched up at midday so i promptly made by way to the hostess to get my name on the list before heading to the counter to get a take away coffee to pass the time.. "Vanilla skinny latte please" i asked, which provoked a laugh from the man serving me.. apparently they don't offer flavored syrups OR skimmed milk..! Hungover, tired and now slightly grumpy I took their advice and got a bog standard Latte and boy o boy i wasn't disappointed - if I could trade this for my daily Starbucks I think i would in a heartbeat. It was tasty, rich and the perfect temperature (as well as being 15aed a cup!).. bliss. 

10 minutes later I was seated, my friends had arrived and coffee number two was on route. All of a sudden FREE water appeared in-front of us in branded Tom and Serg bottles.. tape water?! Indeed... however not from Dubai (thank god)! They produce it in Northumbria and send it over to Dubai for the happy people at Tom and Serg to consume.. This is definitely a first, and i hope the rest of Dubai catch on to this sometime soon! The menu isn't extensive but well crafted housing a mixture of healthy salads, breakfast favorites and meaty mains. It was clear to see that a lot of love and care had gone into creating the menu and each item was described to a point where you could imagine what it would taste like. This was going to be a tough decision.. then, as if he read my mind, Serg appeared with a smile on his face asking if he could help with anything. Finally, after a quick Q&A, the orders were made and the food was on route. I picked their Indonesian specialty , Our Gado: Fried egg/spiced quinoa/zucchini/eggplant/cauliflower/silken tofu/

steamed bok choy/gado sauce, whilst others opted for the roast lamb salad, sweet potato salad and smoked salmon and poached egg. The food was everything but a let down.. extremely tasty, decent sized portions, displayed beautifully and cheap! There were 4 very happy customers with very clean plates. 

Our Gado

Sweet potato salad

Smoked salmon and poached egg

Lamb salad

Following another cup of coffee it was time to go (3 hours later.. how time flies when you are having fun, eating good food and drinking good coffee). With a thank you and a wave (and a bit of a shake due to coffee overload) we left promising myself i'd be back soon. Best brunch/lunch spot in Dubai - excellent food, friendly and speedy service with a smile, owners who are more than happy to mingle with the guests, THE BEST coffee, really reasonably priced and a great atmosphere all round. 10 out of 10!