I first happened across Menagerie Cafe quite by chance. After moving to Mirdif, and being pretty new to the area I'd decided to try the male grooming salon known as ...(I forget) which was located at Mirdif 35. Which in itself, lies in a semi-secret location, it's one of those places that you have to live in the area to know about. And me, being the eternal fan of uncrowded, quieter spaces lived for its entire aesthetic. Two floors, of niche stores, gift wrapping, tailoring, a spa, a pharmacy, an organic supermarket..you get the gist. After my rather unimpressive haircut, I decided to slip downstairs and walk towards what would inevitably become my ultimate hideaway.
Located on the left of the Organic Supermarket at the first floor lies Menagerie Eatery. A chic bistro-style business that feeds you all the good stuff, literally - everything on the menu is either vegan or fair-trade, and yes they offer equally delectable meat dishes such as Seared Black Angus and Corn Fed Chicken (queue non-vegan rejoicing) But the moment I knew this place wasn't like any other cafe in Dubai, was the moment the music started to play. For those of you that reside in Dubai, when is the last time you've heard Janis Ian at a restaurant? or felt the ambience induced by Queen? or if we're being more contemporary-indie, basked in the glory of Lord Huron? Never. That's because very few establishments posses real-soul, they exist for Insta-fame and excess commercialism and too often result in fast dwindling service. But, here at Menagerie Eatery, as JP;my waiter, served me my strong almond-milk latte, I felt utterly at peace. And in the coming days, it became my go-to place for working on everything from V-logs to Gaggler articles and even meetings.
The good energy that surrounds this place can only be explained by its authenticity as a whole. From the staff, that includes the ever-engaging Scottish Head-Chef known as Charlie or the eternally joyous coffee-maker Nelo, or the sassy waitress Princess and the rest of the team (who you'll always find randomly singing along to the music) to the unpretentious food and drink like Raw Falafel and Coco Hart. The owners are consistently making the rounds too.
Tucked away in Mirdif 35, is this feel-good cafe where you can quietly read a book, sit outdoors and feel the cool evening breeze as you indulge in a healthy-latte or get some much-needed work done. And in this little space, it harbours more good-energy than the entire Downtown District combined.
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