Abu Dhabi’s food scene makes much more sense when you remember that the city has always looked both towards the desert and out across the Gulf. Traditional Emirati cooking sits alongside influences brought by generations of trade and by people who have made the UAE their home.
Try Emirati food
Do not leave without trying at least one traditional Emirati meal. Machboos combines spiced rice with meat or fish and the distinctive flavour of dried lime. Harees is a slow-cooked dish of wheat and meat, while luqaimat gives you something sweeter: small fried dumplings often served with date syrup.
Arabic coffee, or gahwa, is also part of the experience. Traditionally flavoured with spices such as cardamom and often served with dates, it is closely connected with Emirati hospitality.
A genuinely international food city
You could eat your way around the world without leaving Abu Dhabi. Lebanese, Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Persian, Japanese, Italian and many other cuisines are easy to find. Some of my most interesting meals in Gulf cities have been in simple restaurants serving the communities that actually live there, rather than in luxury hotels.
Markets and seafood
The city’s coastal location also makes seafood worth exploring. Mina Market is a good place to see another side of Abu Dhabi’s food culture, with fish and fresh produce playing a central role.
From casual to extravagant
At the other end of the scale, Abu Dhabi has an extensive fine-dining scene and restaurants in many of its major hotels and resorts.
My suggestion is to mix the two worlds. Enjoy one special dinner if that appeals to you, but also seek out a traditional Emirati meal and a modest neighbourhood restaurant. The contrast tells you far more about Abu Dhabi than eating every meal inside a hotel.