Gourmet Guide To Abu Dhabi's 8 Best Restaurants Eats

Abu Dhabi has a reputation for being one of the most sophisticated Emirates, and the cuisine is no exception. From desert dining to Italian gelaterias, there is a wide range of food to enjoy, with local and international tastes catered for abundantly. We’ve revisited Abu Dhabi to find out what new cuisines are on offer and whether Abu Dhabi’s Michelin-starred chefs have transformed the desert city into a culinary destination.

1. Indigo

Restaurant, Indian

Palak Paneer or Saag Paneer-Indian cottage cheese with Spinach served with rice and roti, selective focus

For those looking for an Indian restaurant which is more regional in its approach, Indigo is ideal. Cooking up North Indian cuisine, the traditional dishes are combined with a modern, avant-garde approach to cooking. For two people to share, the sikandari raan comes highly recommended, consisting of a pot roasted leg of lamb, stuffed prunes, pickled onion and cheese baked under the ‘purdah’ pastry and served with roast gravy. Diners can also find contemporary favourites on the menu such as biryani, kebabs and chaat.

2. Vasa Vasa

Gelato, a selection of flavors of Italian ice cream

Vasa Vasa

3. Villa Toscana

Villa Toscana

Villa Toscana mixes the rusticity of hand-crafted, regional Italian specialities with panache in a modern and sophisticated setting, with the inspiration behind the regional dishes coming from Tuscany, Umbria and Emilia-Romagna. Despite offering a wide range of tasty pizzas for takeaway, it is the a la carte menu in which they excel: try the veal rolls stuffed with porcini mushrooms, and the cheese stracciatella, Milanese style, served with mashed potatoes and green pepper veal jus. The menu is twinned with a sophisticated and thoughtful wine list.

Villa Toscana, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, Nation Towers, Corniche, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, +971 2 694 4575

4. Rodeo Grill

Restaurant, Steakhouse

steak. Image shot 07/2014. Exact date unknown.

Award-winning Rodeo Grill at the Beach Rotana is not only Abu Dhabi’s first steakhouse; it is also widely regarded as the best. The high-backed emerald green leather chairs give the restaurant a truly intimate and cozy feel. The various cuts of meat are some of the most tender and tasty you will find in the whole of the Emirates. Ranking as one of the most popular dishes on the menu, the Blackmore 9+ is a superior Wagyu steak. The cattle is grain fed for a minimum of 600 days, which creates a minimum marble score of grade 9+ and will be one of the finest steaks you will ever have the chance to try. As well as steaks, the restaurant also has an offering for other tastes and requirements, including their famous Tijuana-style Caesar salad.

Marakesh

As it name suggests, Marakesh is a sophisticated Moroccan restaurant located in the center of Abu Dhabi. Even if there were a number of Moroccan-inspired restaurants in Abu Dhabi (which there isn’t), this restaurant would still rank amongst the best. Its interior is a very opulent and resembles a banquet hall. Every day, there are a number of post-dinner entertainments such as belly dancers, singers and Moroccan bands. The menu consists of a Moroccan classics like tagines, along with North African-inspired salads, fish, seafood and meat grills.

Marakesh, Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, +971 26146020

5. Bord Eau

Restaurant, French, European, Vegetarian

Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Bord Eau is an extremely decadent restaurant in the heart of Abu Dhabi, and the number one destination for any lovers of French cuisine. The restaurant was commended as the Restaurant of the Year in the BBC Good Food Awards 2013. Assiduous in its use of haute cuisine techniques, Bord Eau combines fine ingredients with just the right amount of creative flair. An example of this is the pan-seared venison tenderloin with William pear, brussels sprouts, figs and cassis reduction, which is simply divine. Only the best ingredients imported straight from France will suffice, making Bord Eau one of the most celebrated restaurants in Abu Dhabi.

6. Al Maqam

Restaurant, Asian

arabic bread. Image shot 07/2013. Exact date unknown.

Living up to its name, Al Maqam is Arabic for ‘gathering place’. The restaurant is set in the Arabian Nights Village, a cultural area in the desert just outside of the Emirate. Customers can choose whether they want to sit at dining tables or in a more traditional fashion, on low sofas, or traditional floor cushions. The guests can also choose whether they would like to dine in the spacious hall with fire pits in the winter months, or the palm-thatch terrace with romantic views of the desert. From the traditional local Emirati and Arabic recipes to classics of international cuisine, Al Maqam also offers a full culinary experience, including bread-making lessons.

7. Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill

Restaurant, Steakhouse, Seafood, European, Mediterranean

Marco Pierre White is one of the world’s best chefs, having been awarded three Michelin stars, and his Steakhouse and Grill certainly lives up to expectations. The restaurant is certainly a carnivore’s dream, serving some of the best steaks in the city. Although the menu is big and tasty, the restaurant stands proudly amongst the more elegant fine dining restaurants in the city. Try not to miss the Master Kobe, pure bred Wagyu cattle with a marble score of 9+. Although excelling in steaks, the extensive menu also accommodates other tastes and includes a wide selection of seafood, with Kelly oysters, Scottish salmon and Devon and Alaskan crab soup on the bill.

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