Photograph by Vamika Sinha

Shay Madhboot is a hidden gem of Abu Dhabi’s Al Muroor area. The place is a cosy little shop that specializes in serving karak tea and brunch. Shay Madhboot, which means Perfect Tea in Arabic, is just over a year old. It makes for an ideal spot to enjoy a quiet cup of karak while reading a book, as there is no WiFi or background music to disrupt the tranquillity.

Photograph by Vamika Sinha

Intimate table settings with an expansive corner couch, exposed brick walls, minimalist industrial lighting and cute potted plants all create a sparingly chic and minimalist urban ambiance. Being located in a small and peaceful nook of Abu Dhabi, Shay Madhboot provides a very relaxing dining experience, the kind NYU Abu Dhabi students can reserve for lazy weekend brunches or a quick cup of tea while running errands in the city.

“I could honestly stay here for hours,” said Evangeline Louise Gerodias, class of 2020. “It feels so homey.”

Shay Madhboot is also an incredibly – and deliberately – Instagrammable space, having been featured on several popular accounts, such as that of @corbieeats, a Dubai-based food blogger. Unique shots of your Shay Madhboot experience can also end up on the café’s wall of polaroid photography. Just be sure to tag @shaymadhboot in your post.

Photograph by Vamika Sinha

The menu is as small and compact as the restaurant itself, but still immensely rewarding. Its centerpiece, of course, is the selection of teas, coffees and karaks, ranging from classic karak, caramelised karak and Moroccan tea to Turkish coffee. All beverages conveniently cost 2-4 AED and come with two complementary biscuits. The karak is not of the same calibre as that of the 1 dirham cups found at places like Mina Port, but is surely the best you can find in this kind of aesthetic dining space.

Aside from hot drinks, Shay Madhboot serves all-day breakfast items, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.. A stuffed porotta costs 4 dirhams and classic Arabic delicacies such as shakshuka, eggs poached in tomato sauce, chilli and onions, costs 35 AED. All of these are served hot with large, soft porottas for between 10 and 17 AED, making for an incredibly filling brunch.

Photograph by Vamika Sinha

What is fascinating about Shay Madhboot is that it models itself particularly as a Middle Eastern or Arab café space, unlike other newly-sprouted cafes in the city that attempt to emulate European-style or Western coffee shops. Shay Madhboot’s sign is written only in Arabic and its menu is a reflection of its city’s tapestry of diasporas. After all, the food menu is largely comprised of Indian porottas and Arabic breakfast dishes, while the drinks favor teas and coffees from all across the Middle East, instead of the commonly expected espressos and lattes found at other cafés in Abu Dhabi.

To visit Shay Madhboot, take a taxi from campus to the Al Muroor area, specifically to the Pakistani school. The café is located one block behind the school on Dihan Street.