The Abu Dhabi Gazette: A Night Out in the Cooler Temperatures.

They say it's the best Lebanese restaurant in AD.

Yours truly at the Lebanese Flower.

The free basket of flatbread.

Here in AD, there is a huge range of restaurants to choose from. In the Tourist Club area, you can dine at some of th best restaurants around. In the back streets of back streets, there are tiny Arabic joints, dirty looking Indian joints and dodgy looking Chinese joints. Plonked somewhere in between, there's this, the Lebanese Flower, a stalwart standard joint that people tell me is quite possibly the best Lebanese restaurant in AD.

A plate of pickles, gherkins, tomato and fresh mint stalks is more quickly seated at the table than you are, as is a full bottle of mineral water, followed equally quickly by three bags of fresh flatbread. Oh, did I happen to mention thus far in the blog that bread is as cheap as chips here? Really, it's hilarious. What Aussies pay $4 for, I pay $1 for, even in the outrageously expensive Waitrose in my building. What's the story there? Who's ripping Aussies off with their bread prices, man!? Who!? Anyway, far be it for me to solve Australia's bread pricing crisis. I ate nearly every free pice of bread ther was. Soooooo fresh!! Yum.

Al Fresco, now that the weather is cooling down.

You'll notice that I am sitting outside. Yes, there IS a cooler period in AD. And the days are getting shorter. And the sun is lowering it's arc across the sky. And the nights are milder and more comfortable. I was out with a new mate of mine, Jay, and we grabbed an outdoor table not moments before the dinner rush. Not long after the shot above was taken, those vacant seats on the right of the shot filled up. Quite a buzzy little vibe, with Arabic tunes over the speakers, muezzin calling people to prayer, and the delightful music of people out enjoying themselves. A lovely evening, and it's all of 5 minutes' drive from my aparmtent. Handy new discovery in the 'hood!!