Nice Restaurants in Abu Dhabi for Middle Eastern and Regional Cuisine

This is where to eat in Abu Dhabi if you want to sample the finest dishes from Abu Dhabi and around the Middle East.

Tean

Tean is recommended by the Michelin Guide and is one of many breathtaking Saadiyat Island restaurants. With a warm and welcoming atmosphere and spectacular sea views, this Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean restaurant is a great stop for a relaxing lunch or afternoon tea, or even an informal dinner.

Tean is a friendly, open-kitchen style restaurant that serves grilled meat and seafood dishes with outstanding flavours. Tean’s dishes represent the very best cuisine from around the Middle East, Lebanon, Greece and Turkey. 

Don’t miss its excellent breads, hummus or shisha. 

Tean, Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort
jsirestaurants@jumeirah.com

Erth

From its striking location at Qasr Al Holn, Abu Dhabi’s oldest stone building, Erth serves traditional Emirati cuisine of the highest order.

However, don’t be fooled into thinking you are about to step back in time; you’ll be at one of the boldest, most modern-looking restaurants in town. This place offers a Michelin-starred fine dining experience that is simply ‘heaven on Erth’.

Fantastic dishes are made from locally sourced ingredients that change regularly. However, you are likely to be able to explore the best local seafood, Arabian-style salads, succulent grilled meats, and desserts featuring beloved local flavours like date syrup and orange blossom.  

Erth, North Parking, Al Hosn
info@erthrestaurant.ae

Best Places to Eat in Abu Dhabi for International Cuisine

There are good restaurants in Abu Dhabi representing every major cuisine from around the globe. Indulge in the best flavours from around the world at these two highlights.

Sontaya

Sontaya means ‘sunset’ in Thai and it’s an apt name for this stunning restaurant that promises some of the best sunset views around. Come aboard Sontaya’s dreamy floating pavilions at the beachside St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort to take a culinary journey across Asia. Highlights include Indonesian tuna tartare, Korean beef, Dim Sum and Thai curries. 

Sontaya is one of the best restaurants in Saadiyat Island and is a nominee for Best Asian Fine Dining in the What’s On Abu Dhabi Awards 2025. With private areas and spacious terraces with ocean views, it’s perfect for every occasion, from celebrations with friends to intimate and romantic evenings. 

Sontaya, St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort
restaurant.saadiyat@stregis.com

Raclette

Raclette is a French brasserie beloved to the people of Abu Dhabi and it makes frequent appearances as a nominee and winner of awards like Time Out Abu Dhabi and What’s On Abu Dhabi. Raclette is one of several outstanding restaurants at Mamsha Al Saadiyat, a pretty beachside promenade. 

For dinner and lunch, Raclette serves exquisite and authentic French cuisine, like foie gras, bouillabaisse, and steak frites. It’s also known for its gourmet desserts, such as Crepes Suzette and Tarte Tatin, as well as being home to one of the best breakfasts in Abu Dhabi.  

Raclette, Mamsha Al Saadiyat
info@raclette.ae

Top Restaurants in Abu Dhabi for Fine Dining

Treat yourself to a dinner-of-a-lifetime at one of these incredible restaurants.

Talea

Talea is the only Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in Abu Dhabi. It magically combines its sophisticated and elegant surroundings within the Emirates Palace hotel with the very best homestyle Italian cooking for a fine dining experience like no other. 

At Talea, you’ll be delighted by some of the best pasta dishes you’ll ever taste as well as its vibrant and welcoming setting. Only the finest and freshest ingredients are selected by Milanese head chef Antonio Guida to ensure an authentic Italian meal of the finest quality.

Talea, Mandarin Oriental Emirates Palace
moauh-reservations@mohg.com

COYA

COYA serves traditional Peruvian cuisine, such as ceviche and anticuchos, skewers of grilled meat, vegetables or seafood. It’s one of the best restaurants in Abu Dhabi with a view. However, what makes this fine dining venue truly special is how it weaves Peruvian and Latin American influences into international dishes, too. 

COYA is bold, colourful and energetic. Enjoy a glorious lunch or dinner admiring both the food and the views through its floor to ceiling windows out over the waterfront of Al Maryah Island towards the Abu Dhabi skyline.   

COYA, Four Seasons Al Maryah Island
reservations.ad@coyarestaurant.ae

Best Restaurants in Abu Dhabi for Casual Dining

These restaurants are great for those who’d like a casual dining option without compromising on the quality of food.

Buddha-Bar Beach

For bar bites and low-key dining, it’s hard to beat Buddha-Bar Beach. It sits right on the most picturesque of beaches and has all the laid-back vibes you would expect from the internationally renowned Buddha-Bar name. 

According to Time Out Abu Dhabi, which named it the best outdoor restaurant in Abu Dhabi for 2024, this is the place to see and be seen on Saadiyat Island.

The kitchen serves up amazing Pan Asian and seafood dishes that celebrate bright and fresh flavours, like ceviche, bao buns, tom yum and sushi. For those with larger appetites, wagyu steak and ribs will dazzle your taste buds. Give into temptation with the desserts at Buddha-Bar Beach, too; they are as special as the surroundings.  

Buddha-Bar Beach Abu Dhabi, St Regis Saadiyat Island
restaurant.saadiyat@stregis.com

Niri

Niri, also on the Mamsha Al Saadiyat promenade, is well-known as one of the best Japanese restaurants in Abu Dhabi. This hotspot was recently voted the best casual dining restaurant by Time Out and has also been featured in the Michelin Guide. Niri is loved for its vibrant atmosphere, fuss-free attitude and view of Soul Beach as much as for its delectable cuisine. 

Niri’s food is out of this world. Its most popular dishes include its beautifully prepared sushi, sashimi, sakana and niku. But, despite its outstanding cuisine, Niri is also an inexpensive dinner option. There’s no better place to gather with friends and family for a great night out.   

Niri,  Mamsha Al Saadiyat
reservations@nirirestaurant.com

Experience the Best of Saadiyat Island and Abu Dhabi Restaurants

With these eight incredible restaurants, you have plenty of options for finding some of the very best food in Abu Dhabi, no matter what you’re in the mood for. 

Have fun exploring Saadiyat Island and Abu Dhabi’s best restaurants.