Book Munch cafe and book store at Al Wasl Square in Jumeirah

What is it? It's a stunning little restaurant and book store filled with mostly children's books and some good, contemporary adult titles. I love Book Munch's window display - a beautifully styled table heaving with sorbet-hued treats and take-me-home books. The name Book Munch came from the fantastically illustrated children's book The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers  (pictured below) that I bought when I was having lunch there. I love kid's books as much as I love food! I also picked up Olivia Helps with Christmas (pictured below too).

Where is it? Al Wasl Square, the stylish new complex that includes a range of retail stores (clothing shops, gift stores, restaurants, beauty parlours and even a place to do yoga) and contemporary apartments. Al Wasl Square is on the corner of Al Hadeeqa Street and Al Wasl Road, as the name suggests. The actual store, Book Munch, is on the Al Wasl Road side. Walk about halfway up the side of the complex and you'll see it.

What's it like? The store is drenched in natural light, the food is fantastic and there's a small playing/reading area so if you have younger children you can bring them along. If you love reading and eating (not necessarily at the same time, although the staff don't mind), you should check it out.

What's it good for?

Above: My book purchases
while dining...

They do breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches as well as cake and tea. It's a great place to pop to for lunch if you live or work in the area and a great place to catch up with friends at the weekend. (If there's no parking at the sides there's usually always open RTA parking spaces at the back of the complex...) The service is really friendly and pretty efficient. I had an embarrassing 'ma'am your card isn't working' moment and the waiter serving my table, Sean (I'm sorry if I'm spelling that wrong!), was really patient and friendly while I found a card that actually worked.

What do you recommend? I had a soup and salad combo (Dh42 for a cup of soup and half a salad). I chose Hearty Harira Soup (Middle Eastern soup with spiced chickpeas, lentils, cumin and lemon juice) served with crispy, still-warm croutons and the chicken and avocado salad with Book Munch salad dressing. The salad looked beautiful and the ingredients were incredibly fresh. It might sound strange but my favourite ingredient was the dressing! It was light and zesty without being overbearing and it complemented the fresh zing of the rocket and the rich creaminess of the not-too-ripe avocado perfectly. The soup was served at Goldilocks temperature and the wholesome flavours of the slightly spiced chickpeas and lentils left me feeling warm and satisfied. Be careful if you're a vegetarian though! The menu doesn't mention that the soup has lamb in it and the staff didn't mention it to me either. The portion size is generous, so much so that I couldn't finish my soup. It's great value for money and makes a yummy lunch option.

What do I want to try next time? The Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea Party for Two (Dh79), which the menu says is 'a wild mixture of savoury and sweet served as a veritable Mad Hatter's Tea Party with as much tea as you can imagine from an ENORMOUS teapot'.



The chicken and avocado salad and Hearty Harira soup combo.
So yum!

www.bookmunchcafe.com, 04 388 4006

If anyone reading this blog has been to Book Munch please let me know what you thought about it in the comments section...



Urban Bistro in Media City 

Verdict? If you love perfectly toasted sandwiches, gooey macaroons and gourmet tea, head over there.

What did I eat? A toasted turkey, brie and cranberry sandwich on brown bread with a butternut and rice salad. The bread was perfectly  toasted - crisp and warm all the way to the buttery centre - and the blend of brie and turkey was perfectly complemented by the subtle sweetness of the cranberry. This was honestly one of the best sandwiches I've had in Dubai. I just wish the chef had taken the cucumber out before he/she toasted the sandwich. (Cucumber toasting is, as I'm sure you'll know if you live in this city, a problem at many restaurants.) The salad was too cold so the rice was tough and chewy, but having said that, the butternut was beautiful. I've had better salads but the starchiness of the dish could be blamed on the fact that it was 5:30pm so it had probably been in the fridge all day. I finished off with a delightful orange and chocolate macaroon that was perfectly sticky and a pot of Tea Forté English breakfast tea with not one, but two, teabags. It's my new favourite blend and I love the packaging! 

What was the service like? The staff are genuinely friendly and attentive. Oh, and really, really smiley. Maybe I had some macaroon on my face? 

The best thing about Urban Bistro? They have a decent collection of books to browse through while dining and the stylish interior is drenched in light. There's also a great view of the Media City lake so while you're sipping on your latte you can keep an eye on the area's ever increasing wildlife. (There are ducks, koi fish and even turtles in the lake now...)

Out of 10? Eight.

Urban Bistro - CNN building, ground floor, 04 362 4330, www.facebook.com/urbandubai

If anyone reading this blog has been to Urban Bistro please let me know what you thought about it in the comments section...