Reviews by martinkubler

4 stars
Better than other vegan cream cheeses

Picked this up during my first bigger shop after coming back to Sweden. It’s not bad. I like the consistency - it’s nicer than that of other vegan cream cheeses. I wish they would do away with the plastic packaging, but overall, I feel that this is a good product, which enhance my breakfast routine.

A tub of vegan cream cheese called Philadelphia Plant Based Almon and Oat.
Philadelphia Plant Based Almond and Oat


4 stars
Just like the original, only vegan

I finally got to try the vegan version of Sweden’s best loved caviar, Kalles. I never ate the original, because caviar in tubes is such a Swedish thing and I only moved here when I was already vegan. The non-vegan wife says it tastes like the original. Personally, I like it. It’s not too salty, spreads nicely, and genuinely tastes good. It’ll be uplifting my breakfasts from now on. It’s nice to see more and more vegan versions of popular products appear in stores.

A bue tube of Kalles vegan caviar. The tube has a picture of a boy eating a sandwich with Kalles caviar on it.
A tube of Kalles Vegan


House of Barber Salon, Shams Boutique Mall, Abu Dhabi
5 stars
Great barber

This has become my favourite barbershop in Abu Dhabi. The prices are reasonable for the location and the staff are very friendly and skilled. I like the ease of just booking an appointment online and the fact that the staff remembers how I want my beard trimmed.


5 stars
A proper home away from home

I stayed here for a couple of weeks in January 2023 and enjoyed my time very much. I stay in a lot of hotels and the Cristal is certainly one of the smoothest and most professionally managed ones. The room was spacious and always kept spotlessly clean. The breakfast is on point, plus you have a nice view over the city from the breakfast room.
Everyone I interacted with wasn’t just friendly, but knowledgeable and focused on making my stay easy.
Sure, there are fancier hotels in Abu Dhabi, but that’s besides the point. You want a hotel that works and which is professionally run. The Cristal certainly is, so I can only recommend it.


Pazzi - Italian slow food
4 stars
Tasty Italian with lots of vegan options

I liked it here. I ordered a Vegan Scampi Pizza, mostly for the novelty value, because I had never seen vegan scampi. Interesting. Looks-wise 100% on point, taste-wise not bad. The scampi seem to be made from some sort of mushroom and so have a bit of a mushroom feel. As pizzas go, this wasn’t a bad one. As always, the cheese wasn’t all there. I really do wish there’d be better tasting vegan pizza cheeses, but alas… I’d come here again, though, because the restaurant is nice and the menu has a lot of options. It’s a good place if you’re looking for a somewhat more upmarket Italian restaurant.

Image shows a pizza on a round wooden board on a white table top, some bottles and glasses to the right of the pizza. There is a yellow slice of lemon on top of the pizza. Also some slices of zucchini are visible on top of the pizza.
Vegan Scampi Pizza


La Brioche, Shams Boutique Mall, Abu Dhabi
3 stars
Surprisingly many vegan options!

I walked past this a few times on my way to other places in this neighbourhood mall and I always thought it’s your typical Arabic coffee-shop type of establishment with the usual, mostly meat-heavy, menu. Today, I stopped to have a look at the menu and I was surprised to find a fair few vegan options, so I stayed for dinner.
Among others, the menu featured a vegan Impossible burger, a dish with no-chikn vegan chicken, several salads, and vegan bolognese sauce for pasta.
I settled for the burger, which was okay. It looked good, but was bit dry. The fries that came with it, though, were very good. I feel that I might have picked the wrong dish or simply the wrong time. I’ll give this place another shot, although because there isn’t much to chose from vegan-wise in the mall.

A burger on a white plate with fries to the right of the burger and a white dish with red sauce at the back. The burger bun is a light brown with darker brown seeds on the top. A straw pick is placed in the middle of the bun to hold the burger together. Also visible is the edge of a tomato and a green leaf on the burger bun.
Vegan Impossible Burger with Fries


Shakespeare and Co., Central Market, Abu Dhabi
4 stars
Enjoyable vegan breakfast

Shakespeare and Co really has come a long way over the years in terms of vegan options. I remember when I first came to the UAE and went to a Shakespeare and Co in Dubai, there were just 1 or 2 choices. These days, the menu has lots of clearly labeled vegan dishes. I had the vegan breakfast today, which is basically two slices of bread - one topped with avocado cream and pomegranate seeds and the other one with tofu scramble. Both were nice. The location of this outlet is on the ground floor of the WTC Souk away from the hustle and bustle of the main areas, so you can enjoy your breakfast in peace.

Two slices of bread. One topped with avocado cream and pomegranate seeds, the other one with tofu scramble. The avocado cream is green and the pomegranate seeds are dark red. The tofu scramble is yellow.
Vegan Breakfast at Shakespeare and Co in Abu Dhabi