Tiny bites: Tom & Serg

Everybody has been raving about this hip hang out in Al Quoz so we decided to put it to a Sassy Mama family test at the weekend. After a one hour stint at nearby ACE hardware store, the kids weren’t on their best behavior but hey- nobody remembers a coward– we decided to brave it and take them to brunch!

We got to Tom & Serge just before noon and literally 10 minutes later the place was jam-packed with families and couples waiting for tables at the entrance. An early lunch is definitely the way to go here!  The décor is cool, think industrial chic with exposed bricks, lofty ceilings and simple wooden tables and the atmosphere is buzzing and friendly. There are two floors with the kitchen and main seating area (plus display of amazing looking pastries and other sweet treats) downstairs. We got a table upstairs which is what I would recommend for a family outing here, with less people walking about (less potential accidents) and the toilets close by (changing table inside one of the booths at the ladies). Having two tiny peeps in tow, we opted for a low table surrounded by couches, which ended up being just perfect since our youngest could drift straight into sleep after stuffing his face with food.

The menu is cute and pretty much everything on it sounds really yummy but after a few moments of decision anxiety we opted for a BLAT sandwich for hubby and a ‘morning-after-burrito’ (yes, guilty as charged…) for mama. They have a special kids menu which offers mostly the usual suspects for lunch or breakfast such as scrambled eggs on toast, pasta bolo and fish and chips but all served with the flair and style for which Tom & Serge has become known. The kids said they wanted ice cream for lunch which, needless to say, we ignored and a fish and chips plus pasta bolo were ordered (with a promise of ice cream for those who finished their lunch without making too much of a mess!)

So the food- what did we think? I would have preferred it if they served the kids their fried fish with mash instead of fries, but this is a mama bugbear of mine and obviously Little E preferred the not-so-healthy option. I guess carrot sticks are for nerds but would be good to see some kids menu items that standout from the norm. The pasta Bolognese was apparently really yummy, my eldest pretty much inhaled the entire thing in a few minutes. I did notice that there were quite a few guests around us going for the adult sized portion of it, so it probably is worth inhaling. Next time.

The morning-after wrap definitely hit home with mama and hubby scoffed his BLAT before mama even had a chance to try it- cheeky blighter!

The kids? Empty plates speak for themselves. We would have tried some of the yummy bakery stuff piled up downstairs had it not been for the ice cream we had promised earlier. And yes, we will be back (probably next weekend). So, don’t take our sofa table now mamas!

Tom & Serg
Al-Joud Center (around the corner from ACE hardware), Al Quoz, Sheikh Zayed Road
Tel: (+971) 56 474 6812
www.tomandserg.com