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AD Secrets: Argo Tea Café

On the second floor of Argo Tea Café, the faint sound of jazz blends with the distant hum of the passing cars on Electra Street. Sofas and mahogany ...

On the second floor of Argo Tea Café, the faint sound of jazz blends with the distant hum of the passing cars on Electra Street. Sofas and mahogany worktables crowd the quiet study space, and the setting sun paints the room gold. Abu Dhabi’s students and professionals migrate here for the peaceful atmosphere of the study area.
“I find that most of the time places here [in Abu Dhabi] can be really overcrowded and noisy,” said senior Jade Borgeson. “[The atmosphere] here is very relaxed, peaceful, with big windows and [lots of] light.”
Argo Tea, a Chicago and New York staple, has settled in Abu Dhabi and is quickly attracting students anxious for a quiet space to hit the books. Although a chain, this particular locale is gaining popularity for the second floor’s large study room.
Many students complain of the dearth of quiet study spaces in the city; there is no public library, and Starbucks and Costa Coffee are overcrowded. For NYU Abu Dhabi students studying for exams or doing homework,  spaces in the Downtown Campus and Sama tower can be noisy and highly unproductive.
Borgeson comes to study and escape from the confines of NYUAD.
“It’s a great retreat from the buzz of a mall or the familiarity of Sama.”
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By Nicole Lopez del Carril/The Gazelle
Not only does Argo Tea offer respite for the claustrophobic Sama student, but it also sells a wide variety of iced and hot teas. For those with a sweet tooth, don’t miss their iced chai or the chocolate mint tea. Students who want a treat less sweet, make sure to ask the staff for less sugar.
Only a twenty-minute walk west of Sama, Argo Tea is easily accessible and open from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. seven days a week.
Directions: from Sama either walk down Electra Street toward the BMW Khalidiya and you will see it on your right beside McDonald’s, or take a six-dirham cab ride.
Nicole Lopez del Carril is a staff writer. Email her at editorial@thegazelle.org. 
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