• Brunch & Cake has opened its third UAE outlet at Marsa Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi. All pictures courtesy Brunch & Cake Abu Dhabi
    Brunch & Cake has opened its third UAE outlet at Marsa Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi. All pictures courtesy Brunch & Cake Abu Dhabi
  • This is the largest Brunch & Cake restaurant in the UAE to date.
    This is the largest Brunch & Cake restaurant in the UAE to date.
  • The new outlet features the restaurant's signature interiors and plenty of natural lighting.
    The new outlet features the restaurant's signature interiors and plenty of natural lighting.
  • The interiors also feature several nooks to create a comfortable, picture-friendly space.
    The interiors also feature several nooks to create a comfortable, picture-friendly space.
  • Guests can enjoy their meals with water views.
    Guests can enjoy their meals with water views.
  • This is Brunch & Cake's first Abu Dhabi branch.
    This is Brunch & Cake's first Abu Dhabi branch.
  • The menu will feature some dishes that are exclusive to the new branch.
    The menu will feature some dishes that are exclusive to the new branch.
  • The restauarant chain, which originates from Barcelona, is popular for its breakfast items.
    The restauarant chain, which originates from Barcelona, is popular for its breakfast items.

Food

Inside Abu Dhabi's Instagram-worthy new Brunch & Cake restaurant – the largest in the UAE

It is the restaurant’s first branch in the capital

Janice Rodrigues
Janice Rodrigues

February 08, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Residents of Abu Dhabi have a new Instagram-worthy destination for picture-perfect dishes.

Brunch & Cake has just opened its third location in Marsa Al Bateen Marina, so you can sip on superfood smoothies and tuck into colourful pizzas, pastas and burgers with water views.

This is the brand’s third location in the UAE, after the launch of its first restaurant in Dubai’s Al Wasl in 2019, followed by its second branch, Brunch & Cake by the Sea, at The Pointe in 2020.

There's plenty to look forward to from the third branch, which is its first Abu Dhabi outpost, and is also the largest in the UAE.

The interiors have been designed to create a variety of settings under one roof, but the overall vibe is of a comfortable and serene space in neutral and pastel shades.

Foodies are guaranteed something new, too. The Abu Dhabi outpost serves some exclusive items that have been created especially for the branch, such as New York cheesecake-style ricotta pancakes, pepperoni pizza with chilli honey jam, deep fried pizza bites and burrata toast, in addition to the favourites from the flagship at wasl 51.

“Since we arrived to the UAE in 2019, we have had regular visitors from the capital and to celebrate our big launch in their city, we have crafted an exclusive menu for the venue. Needless to say we are pumped to enter the dynamic Abu Dhabi food scene and can assure everyone we have many more exciting expansion plans in the pipeline,” says Amjad Barakat, co-founder of parent company Flip International.

Brunch & Cake Abu Dhabi will be open between 8am and 10pm from Sundays to Wednesdays and until 10.30pm between Thursdays and Saturdays.

COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)

Date started: August 2021

Founder: Nour Sabri

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace

Size: Two employees

Funding stage: Seed investment

Initial investment: $200,000

Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East) 

Uefa Champions League last 16 draw

Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur

Basel v Manchester City

Sevilla v  Manchester United

Porto v Liverpool

Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain

Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma

Chelsea v Barcelona

Bayern Munich v Besiktas

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Results:

Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
West Asia Premiership

Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles

Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain

Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Infobox

Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August

Results

UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets

Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets

Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets

Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs

Monday fixtures

UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain

Sweet%20Tooth
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if you go

The flights 

Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning. 

The trains

Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.

The hotels

Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

'Lost in Space'

Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen

Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins

Rating: 4/5

The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

FoodLifestyle