The middle child, (according to ChatGPT), usually creates their own identity, acts as a natural mediator, stays adaptable, reads people well, and is quietly overlooked.
Let’s see how Middle Child in Alserkal stacks up.
Independent:-
Not just a restaurant, but also a well-stocked bookstore, showcasing dozens of culinary titles - from McNally’s I Regret Almost Everything to Lopez’s The Food Lab.
Add to that an eclectic range of gourmet pantry items with quirky handwritten labels and suggested recipes, and you start to see the shape of its personality.
The menu is actually quite simple, almost café fare - a contrast to the abundance of culinary inspiration living on the bookshelves.
A club sandwich, cheesecake, roasted potato salad, Labneh Yuzukosho - comfort food that did the job - not trying to impress, just doing its thing. Totes independent.
Diplomatic:-
Middle Child was full of the most eclectic mix of diners - from the conservative to the flamboyant, a full spectrum of religions, cultures, professions, and beliefs - as if we were all about to star in a Benetton advert.
Only a true middle child could smooth tensions, connect opposites and read people this well.
Empathetic:
The soundtrack alone told you Middle Child understood people - a blend of lo-fi groove, soul, and cosmic cool that dialed itself in perfectly to the room’s collective mood.
The Serb and I were showing our age; one of us (can’t remember who, but it wasn’t me) commented on how loud it was. Then, in a brief pause between tracks, we discovered they also own the world’s loudest blender.
Adaptable:
7 p.m. and Middle Child was full. Maybe people waiting for the traffic to die down, but Middle Child’s ability to respond with the day is undeniable.
Coffee stop, counter lunch, makeshift office, dinner with friends, retail browsing, quiet read, quick takeaway - Middle Child has found the sweet spot.
Overlooked:
If middle children grow up fearing they’ll be overlooked, Middle Child at AlSerkal can rest easy. A cool, casual little spot, with bags of personality and charisma - no one’s overlooking this one.
