Exceptional Fare at Common Grounds

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Restaurateurs Tom Arnel and Sergio Lopez want to develop the UAE’s café culture with high quality coffee served in a casual, homely environment. Their first café, appropriately called Tom & Serg, has already caught the attention of Dubai’s coffee lovers, which prompted them to follow up with their next venture, The Sum of Us. And now, they’ve brought that same level of quality into a mall environment with Common Grounds, which opened almost half a year ago as part of the Mall of the Emirates extension.

Common Grounds is located at the far end of the extension. The simple white sign with bold black lettering gives it almost a 50’s diner style vibe, and the entire space has a warm, laidback feel to it. The vegetarian options in the breakfast section aren’t very extensive, but what’s there looks tempting.

As I’m still in the process of waking up, I opt for a latte to start things off. The first thing I notice is the robustness of the flavor. Many cafes I’ve been to have decent enough lattes with the milk diluting the flavor of the coffee to some extent. Here, though, the coffee shines through and has a sharper edge to it than I’ve tasted in a while. That’s definitely one to come back for.

The first dish I try is one I was happy to see on the menu after my pleasant experience at Crumble: Smashed Avocado. Unlike the other version, this one doesn’t come with many accompaniments. It is, quite simply, avocado and ricotta on linseed and soy toast, with some chili flakes sprinkled on top and a lemon wedge if you’d like to add a little tang. While that does result in an oddly bare looking plate, there’s no denying the delightful flavor of the dish. The subtle heat of the chili flakes enhances the milder avocado flavor, and a little squeeze of lemon ties it all together. There's the option of adding a poached egg, which may help to fill out the plate a bit more. I opt not to, so I can just enjoy the avocado as is.

Next is the Acai Bowl, a vegan porridge consisting of various berries including blueberries and acai, cacao nibs, coconut and granola. All of the ingredients are neatly arranged in rows, creating a purple mess when mixed together. The tartness of the berries is at the forefront, backed up and balanced out by the coconut and rich cacao. It’s filling, but still quite light.

Lastly, I have the Toasted Banana Bread, served with poached pear, a dollop of mascarpone and toasted hazelnuts, all drizzled with a spiced maple syrup. Banana bread is quite delicious on its own, but this is really something else. There are several layers of sweetness here, from the earthier notes of the maple to the slightly sharp flavor of the pear. None of them end up being overpowering though, in part thanks to the rich mascarpone, which helps to mellow out the flavors.

Common Grounds easily stands out from the typical ‘mall café’ fare with some solid flavors and genuinely friendly service. With a corner location and small space, it’s a cosy and intimate setting to start off the day.

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