NIGHTJAR COFFEE

LOCATION

Nightjar Coffee is located in Alserkal Avenue.  

One of my preferred materials in life is copper. It’s romantic, it’s practical and it’s aesthetic. The first greeting you’ll receive at Nightjar is a large copper coffee bar. Good first impression. Anchors to the restaurant are the coffee bar and the open kitchen, which everything is huddled around. The “not overly fitted space” gives off a relaxed vibe. The surrounding colors are coppers, woods, greens, blacks and browns. 

Opening hours are Sunday and Monday 8 am to 6pm and Tuesday to Saturday 8 am to 10 pm. 

Nightjar Coffee

Contrary to its name, Nightjar Coffee is not all about nights and coffee, but a lot more about breakfast (Beetroot Gravlax), lunch (Butternut Pumpkin Salad) and dinner (Pasture Fed NZ Meatballs), coffee (Kalita) and beverages (Goldberg Bitter Lemon). The Yin and Yang to my preference in restaurants is casual settings and creative food offerings and it seems Nightjar Coffee is quite Zen. 

Nightjar Coffee was created and is managed by Leon Surynt. 

MENU

The food menu is presented in sections: breakfast (Granola Pot AED 22, Lamb Shoulder AED 55), salads (Butternut Pumpkin AED 34), shared dishes (Roasted Cauliflower AED 34 and ½ Rotisserie chicken at AED 55), sides and sweets (Polenta Cake AED 25) 

I find it amusing when restaurants add dates to their menu and proclaim they’ve adapted it to local tastes. When’s the last time you saw someone having a date? I’ll answer that and say, probably only during Ramadan. 

The eclectic menu at Nightjar Coffee includes, Bengali mustard, Lebanese tabouleh, European roast chicken, Bombay rotti, New Zeeland meatballs, English oxtail and Dibba Bay oysters. That, sounds like Dubai. 

Breakfast

Beetroot Gravlax, house cured salmon, egg, caper berries, granny smith apples, dill and sourdough, priced at AED 50, is a sophisticated breakfast. Salty soft salmon with a perfumed dill and velvet egg are delicate tastes with the sourdough bread. 

Like basic breakfasts, there 2 fried eggs for AED 18 as well.

Lunch and Dinner 

If you’re longing for something comforting go for the Local Roast Chicken at AED 65 or if you’re going for a twist try the Aleppo Pepper Chicken Wings. Drenching each wing in the caramel colored peppery sauce is a must.

Pair your meal with a Cauliflower Roast. Think of full golden brown roasted cauliflower, beautifully textured and soaking in its spicy notes. It IS spicy, next time ill ask for less spice.  

Dessert/Coffee

The Custard Pie at AED 25 is too egg-y for me (local eggs don’t make this dessert easy) so I moved onto the Coconut Cold Brew Pudding at AED 25, and with hints of coconut, coffee and cardamom there’s always success in this. 

They are the coffee experts, distributing their beans across the country so don’t forget your coffee at the end of the meal. A Café Latte is priced at AED 20.

PRICING

Each category of the menu has a higher and lower price point, but event the higher price points are more competitive than other restaurants in the city. Yes, regarding value for money. 

CONCLUSION

I’ve been to Nightjar Coffee a handful of times, once for a going away dinner party, another for breakfast and another for coffee. It’s definitely an eatery with character that I recommend to people in that area. 

Location: Alserkal Avenue

Price for 2: AED 120

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