There is no such thing as the best place to eat in Abu Dhabi as there are countless excellent restaurants, snack bars and fast food joints featuring cuisine from all over the world. From the German Brauhaus serving pork chops, Schnitzel and beer to the traditional local restaurant serving Harees and Umm Ali, you will find the chance to taste yourself through exciting new dishes.
Food prices, even at foodcourts, are generally very high. In an average restaurant you will have to pay a minimum of AED160 for 2 persons for a pizza and 2 soft drinks and if you go to a hotel restaurant, you will fork out a minimum of AED350 for 2 persons for a dish of pasta with 2 beer. Hotel restaurants are adding a 25% tax on their dishes and are generally more expensive.
McDonalds, KFC, Hardees, Burger Queen and co are in contrast cheaper than in Europe or USA.
Our favorite is definitely the PF Changs Restaurant with the incredibly delicious Dynamite Shrimps and other upscale chinese inspired dishes. All our vsitiors have been thrilled by the food so far and demanded to go there more than once.
Alcohol and pork dishes are only available in hotels and selected venues. But dont let this stop you to visit a restaurant or a snack bar outside the hotel. The Arabic food is very similar to the Turkish. Try the delicious Shish Tawook BBQ with plenty of fresh salads and tasty appetizers (meze) or a shawarma or falafel sandwich, you will be impressed ... and dont forget to taste the best arabic dessert "Knafeh" but beware: its highly addictive!
Our choice: The best Knafeh we ever ate in Abu Dhabi is available in the turkish restauarant Petek at the Marina Mall.
We advise you to purchase the ENTERTAINER APP if you are planning on dining outside a lot during your vacation. Most of the UAE residents are using this app as it has thousands of ONE plus ONE free vouchers. They can be easily shown to any restaurants and deducted from your bill. It comes at a price of AED360.
