Could This Be The Most Instagrammable Café in The UAE?

Amidst Abu Dhabi’s thriving culinary landscape, THAT Café is redefining the art of casual dining – but with a witty twist

When it comes to photogenic eateries, the UAE has its fair share – but nothing quite compares to home-grown hero THAT Café. Pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an “Instagrammable” culinary destination, the Abu Dhabi coffee shop has mastered the art of combing aesthetics, intellect and storytelling with its signature pink-gloved instashot hand.  

“What looks like instagrammable luxury is, in fact, education,” says THAT Café’s founder, Farah AbdulHamid AlBakoush. Through the power of periodic capsule menus, themed after a wide range of topics, and fusion dishes, the café is subtly pushing the boundaries between a curated lifestyle and the real world, allowing for a moment of escapism and reflection in between sips of an Americano and bites of a freshly baked, warm cookie – served with a side of knowledge.

Not entirely dissimilar to the salons of the Victorian Era, THAT Café aims to inspire thought provoking conversation with its patrons – and the setting seamlessly plays into this spirit with its luxe décor, ever green signature wall and chandelier lit ceilings. Come for the coffee but stay for the vibes.

It’s also worth mentioning THAT Café remains committed to elevating it’s standards and empowering its community, by launching a thought-provoking campaign and menu aligned with the UAE’s “Year of Sustainability” and COP28 in October, further nurturing the fusion of knowledge and culinary artistry.

Here, Bazaar Arabia sits down with the founder as she answers a few of our questions about the new concept cafe.

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): Explain the concept behind THAT Café. What inspired you to open it?

Farah AbdulHamid AlBakoush (FA): The inspiration was Abu Dhabi and the mindset of its people.

I believe people of Abu Dhabi are travellers, very open-minded and worldly. They are always looking for the next thing that feeds their minds even when they’re just going out for dinner or grabbing coffee. I wanted to reflect their mindset and satisfy their craving for newness. The team and I want them, as guests, to walk out of THAT with an idea about what they will do next — your next business idea, your next trip, your next career move, your next book to read and movie to watch.

So, we came up with the concept of infusing food with knowledge and serving dishes which are delicious but also mentally stimulating. Building on that, I wanted the interior to look as diverse, beautiful, and opulent as the topics we select and the people who walk in. Here the luxury of the surroundings only becomes a reflection of the guests’ minds.

HBA: Where did the idea of the Instashot hand come from?

FA: It’s been a vibe on Instagram that our guests have capitalised on. Both our female and male guests constantly tag us on posts where their hand is always appearing along with their coffee/food. So we have employed our interior, decor, dinnerware and food to beautify their instahand shot and provide them with the tools to build the sophisticated persona they desire on Instagram.

Our signature food-styling technique, which relies on communicating knowledge, definitely plays a role in how Instagrammable the café is and I guess that is what got us ranked as one of the most Instagrammable cafés in Abu Dhabi by Zomato’s Restaurants Awards.

HBA: What are some of the star dishes on the menu that everyone should try?

FA: The Midnight, Segreto, Espresso Burger, Choices Cookies and TYL fries to name a few. Every few weeks or months we select a topic to tap into. Our Chefs and Baristas then create a capsule menu themed after that topic to be served for a limited period of time. Later, the bestselling dishes get added to the fixed menu. That keeps the menu constantly evolving and matches the dynamism our guests are looking for.

When it comes to fusions, the teams of chefs and baristas have created some dishes that blend the Emirati and French Cuisine, like the Profiterole with dates spread filling, for instance. However, we are not only creating Emirati-International fusions, we are fusing international cuisines as well. The Indian version of a Turkish street food called Gözleme is a good example.

HBA: Why is sustainability important to THAT Café?

FA: Because it is the future and it is inevitable, and to sustain our business we have to ride the wave of the future and not resist it. The eco-friendly packaging and the electronic menu are a great way to start,but sustainability goes well beyond that — to the supply chain, the food waste, the energy consumption and more.

I believe COP28 is a conversation for all and a good place where we can get taught how to develop a holistic approach to become a sustainable business and to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle as individuals. Our next experience and menu will be launched for COP28 and aimed at everyone who wants that change but tends to find it challenging or overwhelming.

HBA: What’s next? Any plans to expand in 2024?

FA: Next is not an expansion in terms of number of outlets but we have very ambitious plans which we’re working on and which could be described as “bespoke”.

Images supplied.