One of the UAE’s most successful culinary partnerships is no more. Dubai’s loss is Abu Dhabi’s gain. Serg Lopez was always the less visible half of the Tom & Serg food fame. Until now. After meeting at Jones the Grocer, in rapid succession the pair launched in Dubai the eateries Tom & Serge, The Sum of Us, Common Grounds, Brunswick, the Mexican restaurant Muchachas and the Thai-themed takeaway Uncle Jheff. But Lopez left the duo’s hospitality company, Bull and Roo, earlier this year and is striking out on his own with Sanderson’s, a sturdy name chosen to give customers “a sense of security.”
Located in the capital’s burgeoning restaurant hub of The Walk at Al Seef Resort & Spa by Andalus Abu Dhabi, the healthy eatery is due to open October 13. The 120-seat restaurant promises a laid-back, Mediterranean-style atmosphere, with an outdoor patio. In addition to the main menu, there is a salad and juice bar by the resort’s pool.
The new eatery aims to prepare the kind of food that Lopez promises will be so good it will serve as a “mood enhancer”: sustainable, wholesome fare, prepared from high-quality, seasonal ingredients cooked from scratch daily. The menu will include a full glossary explaining the health benefits of each ingredient.
“As we all know, food provides our bodies with the energy, protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals to live, grow and function properly,” he says. “And as humans, we need a wide variety of different foods to provide the right amounts of nutrients to live a healthy life.”
Featured photo: Sanderson’s beef, date and feta burger on a charcoal bun. Photo: Serg Lopez
