In the next few days (or months, depending on if I find time to post), you may see more posts from my escapades with my sister, who was in the UAE for a two-week vacation. We visited some famous tourist spots in Dubai, and of course, here in Abu Dhabi.
One of the places that we went to was the Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace . I was there with some friends before the Covid-19 lockdowns, and I just know that my sister needs to see it, too! I'll link the video I shared here at the bottom, if you're interested to see what's inside.
But first, coffee!☕️🍵
We've just wandered through the insanely gorgeous Qasr Al Watan. Like, seriously, every corner was dripping with gold and history and we were just like, "WHOA!"
And then, just right next to the exit, we found the palace cafe. As usual, we were famished after just a few thousands steps. We planned to wait for the lights show, The Palace in Motion, and we knew we needed something to eat in between.
Honestly, after hours of gawking at chandeliers and intricate mosaics, our feet were screaming for a break. So, we plopped down in these super comfy blue velvet chairs and just took it all in.
The cafe was surprisingly chill, considering we were still technically inside a palace. It had this cool, airy vibe, with huge windows letting in tons of light and these amazing marble floors that looked like they belonged in an art museum. And get this – the ceiling had this crazy intricate design. Oh, yeah. We're still in the palace. Where's the royal butler?! LOL
Nahh, of course, we had to order through the counter. Though yeah, they were kind enough to bring our order to our table.
Classic
We went classic – a couple of Americanos to wake us up from our palace-induced daze. And because, well, why not? We also ordered this adorable National Day tart. The coffee and sweets in disposables were anti-climactic, but we're sustainable here... Oh, the irony! lol
The tart was like a mini-flag cake, with all the colors of the UAE flag - red, green, black, and white, and it tasted as good as it looked. Like, seriously, the perfect little treat to celebrate being in such an incredible place.
The tanginess of the berries would burst in the mouth against the rich, buttery crumble of the crust... deeeymmm. It's that perfect balance of sweet and a little bit tangy, with the textures playing off each other beautifully.
These macarons were so colorful and inviting, with the palace icon stamped on top. We didn't order them, though. LOL.
Honestly, it was the perfect ending to our Qasr Al Watan adventure and a prelude to the Palace in Motion Light Show. Just sitting there, sipping coffee and munching on cake, watching people wander by, still buzzing from the tour. It was like a little slice of normal life, but with a seriously royal backdrop.
Before I go...
Here's a video of the Qasr Al Watan trip I had with my friends a few years ago. It's still pretty much the same this time around with my sister. I hope I find time to stitch the videos of the Palace in Motion light show, so I can share it here in Hive as well. 🤞
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
