Eating like a caveman? Here are the city's best paleo-friendly spots
The caveman diet is growing in popularity in the city. Here’s our guide to where to go if you want to shun grains and dairy for more veggies, nuts and meats.
Atkins, gluten-free and low fat – there are plenty of diet plans you can try in the UAE, but another is growing in popularity all across the seven emirates. The Paleolithic diet, known as paleo, is based on one simply idea – we should eat the simple, unprocessed foods humans used to eat thousands of years ago when we were cavemen (and ladies). Put simply, veg, fruit, nuts and meat are in, grains, dairy products, sugar, salt, alcohol, coffee and other processed foods are out. Want to try it in Abu Dhabi?
These restaurants are serving paleo-friendly dishes.
01. Basiligo
Basiligo is based in Mussafah and is a food delivery service, selling dishes from a regularly updated daily menu. Salads, soups, wraps and more hearty mains all make an appearance, as do several paleo courses, including grilled salmon with avocado salsa, roasted sweet potato salad with almond,
and hazelnut and coconut salmon curry.
Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Thur 10am to 10pm, Dhs25 to Dhs70. Tel: (02) 5530049. basiligo.ae
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02. Detox Delight
This online delivery company is big on juice cleanses and healthy snacks such as kale chips, but it also has several 100 per cent paleo dishes. Detox recently launched a new Clean Eating programme that includes three meals and two juices a day, and they are all free from additives, preservatives, flavour enhancers, refined sugar, white flour or unhealthy trans fats. On the menus you’ll find raw cauliflower pizza with courgette and babaganoush, avocado wraps with tomato salsa and cashew sour cream and a Super Green Juice with kale, cucumber, apple, lime and ginger. Prices start at Dhs370 for the Clean Eating menus.
03. The One
This furniture shop and restaurant bakes its own paleo bread. It’s made with almond powder, coconut powder, honey, cider vinegar, sunflower seeds, coconut oil and eggs. It’s also available for takeaway.
The One Restaurant, Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to 8.30pm, Dhs16. Tel: (600) 541007. Taxi: The One, next to BMW Showroom. theone.com
04. Tawa Bakery
Abu Dhabi’s only gluten-free café also serves paleo dishes. On the menu you’ll find Emirati eggs (eggs, onion, tomatoes, spiced butter with cumin and coriander), spicy pumpkin soup (pumpkin with assorted spices, onion, celery and vegetable stock) and a dessert called Hail The Coconut (coconut milk, dates, a touch of cardamom all sweetened with date syrup).
Al Muneera Beach Plaza, Al Raha, Abu Dhabi, daily 7.30am to 11pm, Dhs22 to Dhs30. Tel: (02) 5566900. Taxi: Al Muneera Beach Plaza. tawa.ae
05. Qoot Wellness
We’ve reviewed this new healthy eating outlet on p33 of this issue, and alongside its salads and soups and mains such as crispy veal medallion, there’s also the odd paleo dish to try, including crepes stuffed with apples or courgette and fennel fritters.
Qoot Wellness, Rawdhat, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Thur 8am to 11pm, Fri 1pm to 11pm. Tel: (02) 4484668. Taxi: opposite Al Noor Hospital, near The Domes. instagram.com/qoot_ae
Try the UAE’s only paleo restaurant
There aren’t many times we’d recommend you eat in Dubai as opposed to Abu Dhabi, but if you want to visit a 100 per cent paleo restaurant, head to the Cycle Bistro. You’ll find it inside The Cycle Hub bike shop in Motor City. The menu features gluten-free waffles, a porridge made of tri-coloured quinoa, plus jerk-spiced chicken breast with chargrilled pineapple.
Cook paleo at home
Meal delivery company Dinnertime.me sells paleo boxes of meats and veg, giving you the ingredients you need to cook your own paleo meals at home. Each box contains ingredients for one fish, one meat, one chicken and one vegetarian dish or soup. Meals you can make include lamb burgers with plum sauce and parchment poached salmon with thyme and oranges. A box for two people costs Dhs420.
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