Review: Zinn Café & Bistro

Written by:
Manaal Fatimah
3rd January 2024

One for the wellness brothers and babes…

If you’re looking for easy, no-frills comfort food, but with a conscious twist, Zinn Café & Bistro is the newest spot to pay a visit to. The two outlets of the brand are located in StudioRepublik and FitRepublik, and naturally, very much lean into the health and wellness element, primarily catering to the gym-goers at the fitness centres.

But by no means do you need to be a gym-bag-toting fitness fiend to enjoy what Zinn Café has to offer. At first glance, the minimal light wood interiors, marble counters, exposed light bulbs and chalkboard signs tell you that you’re sure to find the acai bowls and the micro-greens here. And you do, but in a way that reaffirms the simple fact that healthy food can be wholesome, hearty and full of satisfying flavours.

The story goes that the founder of Zinn saw many a country in the world and was inspired by all the soul-repairing delicacies she sampled during her time there. Today, the cafe is a clean, simple space that is part bistro, part co-working commune, and features a menu of impressive variety. A hipster wooden sign by the coffee counter explains the meaning behind the name – Sinn, translating to sense in German.

The menu

Upon arrival, we are seated by the lovely staff, who took very good care of us, and handed us our menus. As we take a look, they make some great recommendations, and we place our order. Drinks arrive first – freshly made juices (Dhs24) you can’t go wrong with. Next comes the pulled chicken tartine (Dhs55) – essentially an open-faced sandwich piled high with shredded chicken with a kick and a pomegranate and cabbage coleslaw. The sourdough is fresh and the tartness of the pomegranate seeds compliments the savoury chicken perfectly.

The zaatar and cheese crepes are our favourites from the afternoon. Savoury crepes are not a new invention, but the zaatar adds a unique fragrant nuttiness we haven’t had in this combination before. As we cut into the crepe, the generous helping of cheese makes for a satisfying cheese pull and topped with micro-greens, olives and cherry tomatoes, it’s a party in every bite.

Upon our server’s recommendation, we order the limone and pepper pasta with the chicken taouk with a side of sweet potato fries. Although the lemon pasta was a little too citrusy for our taste, the smoky and tender chicken sure made up for it. Delicious.

Our main course complete, we walk over to the bakery section and pick out some desserts to finish. The lemon drizzle cake (Dhs22) is a refreshing lemon win, with a soft sponge with just the right amount of tang and a sweet, sweet sugar glaze. The double chocolate cookies (Dhs13) are fudgy and not too sweet, which brings out the deep flavours. The blueberry cheesecake, their bestseller, lays fair claim to its bestselling status, with a rich, creamy cheesecake filling, a bright, zesty blueberry compote with evident freshness and a surprise layer of caramel we didn’t expect to bite into.