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ABU DHABI DINING : Dining in Abu Dhabi Guide (UAE)

Hotels provide a remarkable number of dining options and serve not only their own guests, but also large numbers of local residents.
Coffee shops, fine dining restaurants and speciality outlets are often present and the standard of service is on a par with the best in the world. Top class restaurants in the city’s hotels include French, Italian, Swiss, Mediterranean, Spanish, Greek, British to German. Asia is equally well represented.

Outside the hotels, there are fantastic dining destinations around the city. While restaurants located outside hotel and club premises are not permitted to serve alcohol, all are air-conditioned, clean and are often culinary adventures in their own right.

Middle East Cuisine
Abu Dhabi is an excellent place to sample all types of Gulf and Middle Eastern cuisine, including Iranian, Moroccan and Lebanese. Arabian food makes up an important part of most buffet spreads.

Specialties include:
Hoummus: a dip made from chick-peas and sesame seeds. Tabbouleh: chopped parsley, mint and crushed wheat. Ghuzi: a whole roast lamb on a bed of rice mixed with nuts. Wara enab: vine leaves stuffed with rice. Koussa mahshi: stuffed courgettes.

Local Dishes include:
Matchbous: spiced lamb with rice. Hareis: a rich delicacy of slow-cooked wheat and tender lamb. Seafood served with specially seasoned rice.

Delicious Regional Desserts include:
Umm Ali (literally ‘Mother of Ali’): a type of bread pudding. Esh asaraya (meaning ‘bread of the harem’): a sweet kind of cheesecake with a cream topping. Mehalabiya: a pudding sprinkled with rosewater and pistachios.

Visitors especially enjoy fresh fish from the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean — lobster, cigale, crab, hammour, shrimp, tuna, kingfish, pomfret and red snapper. A traditional Middle Eastern snack is the shawarma — grilled shavings of lamb or chicken, mixed with salad and rolled inside a pocket of Arabic bread and sold in many small outlets around the city. Standards of international cuisine in Abu Dhabi are high and the choice is wide. Bon appetite!

See the complete Restaurants Directory Below:

RESTAURANTS AND CAFÉS

The choice of restaurants and cafés is enormous and again your selection will depend on your individual requirements– we have provided you with a list of the most popular restaurants and cafés with an indication of price-range, the final choice will depend on your individual taste. All the five-star hotels have a range of restaurants, each offering a different dining experience. But be warned, for some of the more popular restaurants, especially seafood restaurants in the larger hotels, you will need to book well in advance.

For most of the others, including the independent restaurants, you can simply walk in off the street, but it is still advisable to ring in advance and check. If you wish to explore beyond your or other hotels, the following is a list of locations where you might find a restaurant to suit your needs.

Abu Dhabi
Shawarma stands and cafés are located in the centre of town, most of the top hotels and restaurants are situated along the Corniche.

Al Ain
International hotels and restaurants are spread throughout the area but the centre of Al Ain is where you will find the best ethnic cafés.

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The following list is based on information contained in the invaluable guide What’s On which can be purchased in the UAE. This has monthly updates and regular reviews on the best restaurants and nightspots in the UAE:

Restaurants in ABU DHABI

American

American Steak House Le Méridien 02 6446666
Belair Le Méridien 02 6446666

The Grill Sands Hotel 02 6335335

Island Exchange Grand Rotana 02 6742020

Meat and Eat Intercontinental Hotel 02 6666888

Nine Crowne Plaza 02 6210000

The Ranch Al Diar Gulf Hotel 02 4414777

49er’s Al Diar Dana Hotel 02 6456000

Arab/Iranian/Lebanese

Abu Tafesh Floating Restaurant 02 6666331

Al Dhafra Restaurant Al Dhafra Free Port 02 6732266

Al Atlal Sands Hotel 02 6335335

Al Birkeh Le Méridien 02 6446666

Al Dana Intercontinental Hotel 02 6666888

Al Jabal Grand Rotana 02 6742020

Al Safina opp. Hilton 02 6816085

Al Sofon Breakwater opp. Hilton 02 6816134

Mawal Hilton Hotel 02 6811900

Yakoot The Domain 02 6667700

Austrian

Café Melange Sheikh Zayed Rd 02 3323040

Vienna Plaza Hilton Hotel 02 6811900

Chinese

Bambu Marina Club 02 6456373

Golden Crown opp. Al Noor Hospital 02 6772828

Golden Tower Madinat Zayed 02 6311766

Hot Plate bet. Old Airport Rd & Muroor Rd 02 6344696

Imperial Sands Hotel 02 6335335

Mandarin Chinese Al Ain Palace Hotel 02 6795288

Ro-Ro Khalidia Palace Hotel 02 6663936

Royal Orchid Salam St 02 6444400

Hong Kong Seafood Chinese Marina Club 02 6440300

Shanghai Hamdan St 02 6329926

French

La Brasserie Le Méridien 02 6446666

Le Rabelais Novotel Centre Hotel 02 6333555

The Bistro The Domain 02 6667700

German

Brauhaus Beach Rotana Hotel 02 6443000

Indian

Ashiana Emirates Plaza Hotel 02 6722000

Bukharah Regency Hotel 02 6765000

Indian Palace opp. ADNOC-FOD HQ 02 6448777

Kwality Salam St 02 6727337

Maharja Le Méridien 02 6446666

Nihal Restaurant Electra Rd 02 6318088

Taj Mahal Zakher Rd 02 6272400

International

Al Dhabi Zakher Hotel 02 6275300

Al Fanar Grand Rotana Hotel 02 6742020

Al Finjaan Le Méridien 02 6446666

Al Safina Jazira Resort Hotel 02 5629100

Bank Street Café York International Hotel 02 3555500

Café Columbia Beach Rotana Hotel 02 6443000

Café Ceramique Choitrams, Khalidiya 02 6664412

Café Cappuccino Corniche Res. Hilton 02 6276000

Casa Verde Abu Dhabi Golf Club 02 5588990

Cappuccino’s Lobby Café Crowne Plaza 02 6210000

Captain’s Arms Le Méridien 02 6446666

Cybercafé Sahara Res. Zayed Second St 02 6319000

P.J. O’Reilly’s Grand Rotana Hotel 02 6742020

Gulf Maiden Khalidia Palace Hotel 02 6662470

Harvester’s Sands Hotel 02 6335335

Heroes Diner Crowne Plaza Hotel 02 6210000

Ibrahimi Restaurant Electra Road 02 6346258

Jazz Bar Hilton Hotel 02 6811900

Jumana Restaurant Al Hamra Plaza Residence 02 6720100

La Brasserie Le Méridien 02 6446666

La Brioche BHS Bld, Hamdan St 02 6326635

La Piazza Coffee Shop
Sands Hotel 02 6335335
Le Jardin
Al Diar Dana Hotel 02 6456000
Level 2 Baynunah Hilton
02 6327777
Liwa Brasserie Sheraton Resort & Towers 02 6773333

Oasis Le Méridien 02 6446666

Palm Beach Al Diar Gulf Hotel 02 4414777

Palm Court Café Grand Rotana Hotel 02 6742020

Pool Café Restaurant Intercontinental Hotel
02 6666888
Regent’s Court Regency Hotel 02 6765000

Rose Bud’s Beach Rotana Hotel 02 6443000

Sheherazade Al Diar Gulf Hotel 02 4414777

Shuja Yacht Al Mina Port 02 6742020

The Bar Le Méridien 02 6446666

The Garden Crowne Plaza Hotel 02 6210000

The Pearl Hilton Hotel 02 6811900

Windows International Rotana Inn
02 6779900

Italian/Mediterranean

Amalfi Grand Rotana Hotel 02 6742020

Bella Italia International Rotana Inn 02 6779900

Bistro Med Grand Continental Hotel 02 6262200

Chequers Sands Hotel 02 6335335

Cosme Prima Beach Rotana Hotel 02 6443000

Il Palazzo Al Ain Palace Hotel 02 6794777

La Mamma Sheraton Resort & Towers 02 6773333

La Piazza Sands Hotel 02 6335335

La Terazza Hilton Hotel 02 6811900

90 Degrees Intercontinental Hotel 02 6666888

Papagallo Le Méridien 02 6446666

Pizza Pomodoro Grand Rotana 02 6742020

Pizzeria Italiana Al Diar Federal Hotel 02 6789000

Pizzeria Peppino Zakher Hotel 02 6275300

Portofino Marina Club 02 6440300

Trattoria Pizzeria Novotel Centre Hotel 02 6333555

Versachino
Khalid bin Walid Rd 02 6344000

Japanese

Arirang Khalidia Palace Hotel 02 6662470

Bonsai Abu Dhabi Health Club 02 4436333

Kei Hilton Hotel 02 6811900

The Wok Crowne Plaza Hotel
02 6210000
Zen Japanese Al Ain Palace Hotel 02 6794777

Korean

Arirang Khalidia Palace Hotel 02 6662470

Mexican

Alamo
Marina Club 02 6440300
Casa Maria Zakher Towers 02 6275300

Chi Chi’s Le Méridien 02 6446666

Don Pepe Beach Rotana Hotel 02 6443000

El Sombrero Sheraton Resort & Towers
02 6773333
El Torito Intercontinental Hotel 02 6666888

Polynesian/Pacific Rim

Trader Vic’s Beach Rotana Hotel 02 6443000

Waka Taua Le Méridien 02 6446666

Russian

Petrov Le Méridien 02 6446666

Troika Zakher Towers 02 6275300

Seafood

Beach Restaurant
Sheraton Resort & Towers 02 6773333
Fishmarket Intercontinental Hotel 02 6666888

Samakmak Marina Club 02 6440300

South American

Hemingways Hilton Hotel 02 6811900

Thai

Fishmarket Intercontinental Hotel 02 6666888

Talay Le Méridien 02 6446666

Taste of Thailand Al Ain Palace Hotel 02 6794777

The Royal Orchid Salam St
02 6444400

Fast Food

Abu Shakra Estiqlal St 02 6337849

Chicken Tikka Sh. Zayed Second St 02 6723723
Anand Vegetarian Hamdan St 02 6724677

Bavaria Pastries Khalifa St 02 6794459

Burger King Hamdan Centre 02 6332338

Domino’s Pizza Sh. Zayed First St 02 6664545

Friendship Restaurant Sh. Zayed Second St 02 6793174

Golden Fork Hamdan St 02 6270787

Khalifa St 02 6277303

Hardee’s Hamdan St 02 6271803

Kentucky Fried Chicken Hamdan St 02 6277665

Al Mufrak 02 5824646

Abu Dhabi Co-op 02 6457213

Airport Rd 02 6419900

Al Muroor St 02 4480101

Buttain 02 6660003

Hamdan St 02 6277665

Khalidiya St
02 6665152
Mushraf St 02 4478455

Mc Donald’s Khalifa St 02 6261444

Pizza Haven Khalidya St 02 6733033

Pizza Hut Hamdan St
02 6272378
Khalifa St
02 6267300
Corniche 02 6669866

Pizza Inn Hamdan St 02 6791919

Al Ahla Prisunic 02 6662800

Rainbow Steak House Tourist Club 02 6212500

Hamdan St 02 6333434

Shakey’s Pizza opp. Al Noor Hospital 02 6741010

Subway Khalifa St 02 6765565

Southern Fried Chicken/Pizza Pan Madinat Zayed 02 6318111

Al Salam St 02 6760222

Ta bouche Hamdan St 02 6449288

Abu Dhabi Co-op 02 6459528

Restaurants in AL AIN

Café Med Intercontinental Hotel 03 7686686

Casa Romana Hilton Hotel 03 7686666

The Walk Intercontinental Hotel 03 7686686

Gardinia Al Ain Rotana 03 7515111

Golden Gate Al Ain Street 03 7662467

Golden Sheep Khalifa St 03 7655743

Jahili Restaurant Hilton Hotel 03 7686666

Min Zamam Al Ain Rotana 03 7515111

Peach Garden Hilton Hotel 03 7686666

Persian Restaurant Hilton Hotel 03 7686666

Tanjore Intercontinental Hotel 03 7686686

Trader Vic’s Al Ain Rotana 03 7515111

Luce, Italian Intercontinental Hotel 03 7686686

Fast Food

American Chicken Tikka Khalifa St 03 7666166

Hardee’s Khalifa St 03 7666266

Kentucky Fried Chicken Buraimi St 03 7642299

Khalifa St 03 7661682

Al Jimi St 03 7645299

Mc Donald’s Khalifa St 03 7660277

Pizza Haven Khalifa St 03 7661166

Pizza Hut Khalifa St 03 7645925