Anyone who has gone to a restaurant without a reservation knows the key to getting a good table is to arrive early. The first diner showed up at Ergon Deli and Cafe Abu Dhabi at the end of December, a good two months before the Greek eatery officially announced itself as the latest addition to the capital’s culinary scene.
At the time, co-founder and chief executive of Ergon Foods, Thomas Douzis, and his team were inside trying out different dishes and mocktails, finalising the menu that would be served at the brand’s first outpost in the UAE. While the restaurant at Erth Hotel was not yet up and running, Douzis had something whipped up for the eager visitor, who posted about his experience on social media, whetting the appetite of many others.
“The next day there were 50 cars outside. I’m so happy for that,” Douzis tells The National.
We are Michelin Guide material. Our food is worth travelling for
Thomas Douzi,
co-founder and chief executive, Ergon Foods
There has hardly been a quiet moment at Ergon since, with breakfast quickly becoming the most popular meal of the day for the restaurant and its devoted diners. This is a novel change from the brand’s outlets elsewhere in the world, where dinner and Greek street foods such as peinirli (the nation's answer to pizza or Turkish pide) are the biggest draws.
Ergon Foods was born in the port city of Thessaloniki – where Douzis founded it in 2008 alongside his brother, George – and its name now adorns restaurants and cafes in Athens, London and Doha. There are also plans to expand into Bahrain.
The UAE is the latest stop from small Greek business to global brand, but the Abu Dhabi restaurant’s roots are still firmly in Thessaloniki.
“If we could exchange the palm trees for olive trees, it’s pretty similar to our hometown. There is privacy, nice weather, outside seating,” Douzis says. “The first time that I saw it, I was wondering: ‘Is it a romantic spot? Is it for families? What?’
“We are also curious about what the final identity of the restaurant will be, but for now it accommodates everyone.”
He describes the dishes on offer as “traditional, but made in a modern way”, with enticing plates of chicken souvlaki among those doing the rounds at the official opening. He also champions the Greek salad as being the best in the world.
That would be a bold claim for a typical restaurateur, but Douzis has long since crossed ordinary off the menu. The soaps and scented candles on sale inside the Abu Dhabi restaurant offer a whiff of Ergon Food’s broader reach, with its other businesses including agoras – or markets – and a hotel in Greece. Douzis says he also aims to open a hotel and bakery in Athens.
“In Greece, Ergon is more than a restaurant, it is a lifestyle brand,” he adds. “What I really enjoy is that people outside of Greece get to know what the brand is, what we really do. They are looking for more products and they ask: ‘Hey guys, when are you opening an agora? Are you opening a hotel in Dubai?’
“Now they’ve tasted our food and it’s like, it’s a nice, cute, small restaurant by the water. They say: ‘That’s amazing, but what’s next?’
“The brand grew this way. People in Greece don’t ask us when are you opening. They ask us: ‘What are you opening?’ It’s always something new, something bigger.”
There is room to grow in Abu Dhabi, with a Michelin Guide launched in the capital in 2022 and raising the profile of its culinary offerings. Ergon’s outlets were featured previously in the guides of Athens and London, so could its latest restaurant receive similar recognition?
“The Michelin Guide is such a wide variety, from the restaurants that are worth eating at, to the three-star, high-end tasting menus,” Douzis says. “We are into everyday, casual dining. This is Ergon, this is its heart. But we’ve been in the Guide in London and in Athens, so we are Michelin material. Our food is worth travelling for.”
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Results:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Mythical Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
Tu%20Jhoothi%20Main%20Makkaar%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELuv%20Ranjan%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Shraddha%20Kapoor%2C%20Anubhav%20Singh%20Bassi%20and%20Dimple%20Kapadia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
