All cheese toasties might have some inherent value. But some are simply better than the rest…

The humble comfort food mainstay has been steadily climbing from quick midnight snack to true gourmet indulgence. The simplistic sandwich is being remixed, revamped, and redesigned in cafes, diners, and even high-end restaurants all across the city. So much so, it may be hard to suss out which cheese toasties are of the highest calibre, and which are pretty much just two slabs of American plastic wedged between white bread.

With that in mind, we huddled up to compile our picks for the best takes on the premier cheese toasties across the city. Some are just the simple approach done miraculously right. Some are mutant sandwiches, stacked with weird and wonderful ingredients. It’s a wild world out there, folks…

Lowe

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Probably. But when cheese is involved, the more excess, the better. This is exactly how the chefs at Lowe think, bless their gluttonous hearts. Lowe’s Vegemite and molten cheese toastie (Dhs54) features a literal lava of cheese and a thin slather of Vegemite (giving it just a twinge of tangy goodness), squeezed between two slices of thick, shiny, buttery toast. Be warned: this cheesy manifestation of joy is only available on weekends from 8am to 4pm.

KOA Canvas, Wadi Al Safa 3 (Near Al Barari), Fri and Sat 8am to 4pm. Tel: 0(4) 3201890. lowe-dubai.com

QWERTY

All hail the return of the queen of cheese toasties. Qwerty closed for most of 2020 (thanks again, Corona), but it’s back open with its crowning glory still sitting pretty on the menu. The simply-named cheese toastie (Dhs49) is a sweet concoction of three cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan) and caramelised onion, sealed in brioche and topped with a sky-high Parmesan crispy crown. Break the crown apart with your fingers, dip into the chutney, then proceed to the main toastie body – and it’s like a two-course meal in itself.

QWERTY, Media One Hotel, Dubai Media City, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (0)4 4271000. facebook.com/qwertydxb

Brunch and Cake

Trust Brunch and Cake – arguably Dubai’s most Instagrammable cafe – to create an interesting take on the faithful cheese toastie. This one is a leek and cheese combo (Dhs30) wedged between narrow Parmesan crusted focaccia slices, and served in colourful greaseproof paper cones. Ideal for sharing.

Ground floor, Wasl 51, Wasl Road, Sun to Wed  8am to 10pm, Thur to Sat 8am to 10.30pm. Tel: (800)4726362. @brunchandcakedubai

Boston Lane

What we love about Boston Lane is its honesty. They don’t have a fancy kitchen to whip up meals. How could they? They’re in a tiny (albeit gorgeous) courtyard, that’s hidden inside another courtyard inside Al Quoz. But they don’t care about that. They’ve just set up a line of old-school toastie machines to make theirs. And folks just can’t get enough of them. There are seven varieties to choose from, although we’d say stick to the basic options like the classic cheese and garlic (Dhs35) packed with vintage cheddar, mozzarella, garlic and bit of parsley. Or for a touch of crunch, opt for the regional favourite Chips Oman (Dhs35) with cream cheese, sweet chilli, Himalayan salt, and crisps.

Boston Lane Cafe, The Courtyard, Al Quoz, daily 8am to 6pm. instagram.com/bostonlane.dubai

Kaffe Bloom

Inside 1004 Gourmet Asian supermarket in The Greens lies unassuming Kaffe Bloom a Korean-inspired cafe with a very unique collection of dishes on offer. We fell in love with its reimagined cheese toastie – heaps of melted Emmental cheese, over some tuna and Poom kimchi served between two toasted slices of Korean milk bread. Part comfort, part pungent kick.

1004 Gourmet, Onyx Tower, The Greens, daily 9am to 9pm. instagram.com/kaffebloom

Images: Jade Wills Photography/others, supplied.