Looking for a quirky new café to enjoy a lazy brunch or relaxed afternoon study session? Street 9 Café offers a pleasant escape from both Saadiyat stress and the flurry of downtown Abu Dhabi. The restaurant is buried away like a well-hidden Easter egg within Khalifa City, beneath a small shopping complex. The ambience is quiet and laid-back, usually with very few customers around. A generous spread of plants, books, candles and soft sofas add to the cozy atmosphere, reminiscent of a living room. If you’d like to catch up on some work or hold a meeting, there’s also a strong Wi-Fi connection available for free.

Open conveniently from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., one of the café’s most interesting aspects is its cosmopolitan menu, à la NYUAD. Traditional drinks and dishes are given spins from all over the world — American street pie is offered next to yakisoba noodles, casual prawn pops are served as well as shawarmas from the region.

The presentation of the food is as eccentric as the overall atmosphere. The macaroni and cheese comes served in small waffle cones, and there’s a milkshake with popcorn.

“I could seriously come back here again and again. It’s a true hidden gem,” said Archita Arun, Class of 2020. “I’m not even a coconut person but their coconut [virgin] mojito totally reels me in. That’s the kind of place this is.”

Equally admirable and diverse is the drinks and dessert menu. One can order rasmalai, a kind of juicy Indian cheesecake, Italian panna cotta, more traditional cakes and pastries like pistachio cheesecake and the radical fusion that is kanafeh churros. Street 9 also serves an extensive range of coffees and teas, including Emirati coffee and chai haleeb, an Arab sweet tea. A modern eatery like Street 9, along with other cafés like Shay Madhboot that choose to serve traditional Middle Eastern items, or other food and drinks that reflect the diverse diaspora of the city, are commendable in their attempt to highlight the value of serving food that reflects the cultural tapestry of their location, a place as unique as the cultural crossroads that is Abu Dhabi.

The menu at Street 9 is largely affordable. Drinks and desserts are on the cheaper side, with most coffees and teas under or around 20 AED. Main dishes are slightly pricier but their quality makes it worth the extra spending. Non-alcoholic wine and champagne are also offered for 30 AED.

Street 9 Café is fairly far from campus, hidden in a small nook of Khalifa City. To save up on cab fare, go in a group of three or four people, ensuring that each person will only have to pay around 20 AED on transport. From campus, take a taxi and direct the driver to the Spinney’s in Al Forsan Village. Once at the Spinney’s complex, head inside and follow the floor signs to the café, which is located in a small underground space within the complex. To see more of what the restaurant offers, visit the Street 9 Instagram page, which is updated regularly.