Menu-led bar choices in Abu Dhabi, including current Dragon’s Tooth food prices, Belgian dishes, a brewery meal and accurate Yas Island and hotel service details.
For bar food in Abu Dhabi, our first picks are Dragon’s Tooth for dim sum and a broader Cantonese order, Belgian Café for mussels and frites, and CRAFT by Side Hustle for a smokehouse-and-brewery meal. Choose Library Bar when the drinks-led hotel-lounge format fits the evening, or a Yas Island venue when the booking belongs there. The useful question is how much food you want: a few plates with drinks, a full restaurant order or a set package. That decides the bill and the service before the view enters the choice.
The eight choices below have distinct menus and addresses. Our recommendation is to choose the main meal or drinks plan first, then reserve the service that provides it. A poolside food order, an ordinary restaurant table and a brunch package are different bookings. Keep the food budget and drinks allowance separate when building an à la carte meal. The current Dragon’s Tooth examples below give you a concrete starting point for a sharing order, while the venue pages provide the menu for the visit.
Quick Comparison: Abu Dhabi’s Best Bars For Food
| Venue | Area | Food Style | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library Bar, The Abu Dhabi EDITION | Al Bateen | Refined bar bites | A polished evening in |
| Dragon’s Tooth, Rosewood Abu Dhabi | Al Maryah Island | Asian small plates and dim sum | Speakeasy theatrics |
| Buddha-Bar Beach | Saadiyat Island | Neo-Asian, robata-grilled plates | Beachfront glamour |
| Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-Bar | Yas Bay Waterfront | Tapas-style small plates | Marina views with music |
| Belgian Café, InterContinental | Al Khubeirah | Belgian comfort classics | Mussels, fries and beer |
| Craft by Side Hustle | Al Maryah Island (The Galleria) | Smokehouse comfort food | Sport, beer and sharing plates |
| Bar du Port | Yas Marina | Riviera-style Mediterranean | Superyacht watching |
| WET Deck, W Abu Dhabi | Yas Island | Rooftop bar bites | Pool-club energy with a view |
1. Library Bar, The Abu Dhabi EDITION: quiet polish and proper bites
Library Bar is at The Abu Dhabi EDITION, Al Bateen Marina. The hotel describes it as a quieter, intimate setting and publishes several drinks menus, including Negroni Sessions, Book Club and a Japanese-inspired selection. It is our hotel-lounge choice when the drinks programme is the main interest. Choose the actual current food menu to go with that order; the venue’s design and programme do not establish an independent tasting verdict. Its published hours are 5pm–1am Sunday–Thursday and 5pm–2am Friday–Saturday.
- Area: Al Bateen, The Abu Dhabi EDITION
- Hours: Sunday–Thursday 5pm–1am; Friday–Saturday 5pm–2am
- Food: Use the current bar-food menu alongside the selected drinks programme
- Choose for: a drinks-led hotel-lounge evening
2. Dragon’s Tooth, Rosewood Abu Dhabi: dim sum behind a hidden door
Dragon’s Tooth at Rosewood Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island is accessed through Dai Pai Dong’s Tea Room, according to the hotel. Its current food menu makes it our strongest starting point here for a Cantonese bar meal: steamed dim sum AED 118, fried dim sum AED 108, crispy fried squid AED 68, and half roast duck AED 188. These are separate dishes, with service charges and taxes included. Choose a small-plate order for drinks or compare the duck and main dishes for a fuller meal. Contact +971 2 813 5550.
- Area: Al Maryah Island, Rosewood Abu Dhabi
- Hours: Sunday–Thursday 5pm–1am; Friday–Saturday 5pm–2am
- Food: Steamed dim sum AED 118; fried dim sum AED 108; squid AED 68
- Choose for: dim sum or a fuller Cantonese bar meal
3. Buddha-Bar Beach, St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort: neo-Asian on the sand
Buddha-Bar Beach is the Asian-fusion restaurant and bar at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. Its canonical current hotel page lists daily 1pm–midnight, with smart-casual dress for the restaurant. It is our Saadiyat choice when the restaurant meal and beachfront setting belong in the same visit. Use the current menu for the actual seafood or cooked dishes you want, and arrange the intended seating. The hotel lists smart-casual dress and +971 2 498 8443 for reservations.
- Area: Saadiyat Island, The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort
- Hours: Current canonical hotel listing: daily 1pm–midnight
- Food: Use the Asian-fusion restaurant’s current menu
- Choose for: a restaurant-and-bar visit in the Saadiyat setting
4. Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-Bar, Yas Bay Waterfront: tapas with a marina backdrop
Siddharta Lounge at Yas Bay is a separate venue from the closed Dubai Marina lounge. The operator’s current Abu Dhabi menu page and Yas Bay directory list it at The Pier, Yas Bay Waterfront, serving Mediterranean and Asian dishes. Choose it when a Yas Bay rooftop meal and its current programme fit the evening. The published schedule is Sunday–Thursday, 5pm–2am and Friday–Saturday, 5pm–3am, with smart-casual dress. Contact +971 50 601 1194. A current menu is a better booking basis than an old Formula 1 offer.
- Area: The Pier, Yas Bay Waterfront
- Hours: Sunday–Thursday 5pm–2am; Friday–Saturday 5pm–3am
- Food: Mediterranean and Asian dishes; ordinary menu and events differ
- Choose for: a rooftop meal with the actual Yas Bay programme
5. Belgian Café, InterContinental Abu Dhabi: fries, mussels, no pretence
Belgian Café is at InterContinental Abu Dhabi, ground level overlooking the marina. IHG describes mussel pots, frites and a Belgian food-and-beer menu. It is our comfort-food choice on this list when those dishes are what the table wants. The hotel lists noon–midnight, with detailed food service at noon–2:30pm and 3pm–midnight. Use the current menu for the preparation and portion, then add the drinks separately. Contact +971 2 666 6888. The published dress code is business casual.
- Area: Ground level, InterContinental Abu Dhabi
- Hours: Venue noon–midnight; food service noon–2:30pm and 3pm–midnight
- Food: Mussels, frites and Belgian dishes from the current menu
- Choose for: a Belgian comfort-food order
6. Craft by Side Hustle, The Galleria: the beer is brewed on site
CRAFT by Side Hustle is at The Galleria, Level L1, Section E. The mall’s venue page describes on-site small-batch brewing and smokehouse-inspired food. That combination is our reason to choose it for a brewery-and-food visit. Build the order around the current menu and the party’s appetite, then establish the exact fixture if sport is part of the plan. The mall’s overall “open today” header is not the bar’s own kitchen timetable, so use the venue’s booking information for a late meal.
- Area: The Galleria, Level L1, Section E
- Hours: Use the bar’s actual booking timetable, separately from mall hours
- Food: Smokehouse-inspired food and on-site small-batch brewing
- Choose for: a brewery-and-food visit on Al Maryah Island
7. Bar du Port, Yas Marina: south of France, minus the flight
Bar du Port Abu Dhabi is at Building 1, ground floor, Yas Marina, according to the marina directory. Its own site separates à la carte food, drinks, BDP Sunsets, brunch and ladies’ night menus. Choose the ordinary order when the table wants different dishes and drinks, or the set offer when everyone agrees on that format. Published weekday service starts at 4pm, so a long weekday lunch is not the plan here. Saturday starts at 1pm. Use the Abu Dhabi menu rather than Dubai’s package prices.
- Area: Yas Marina, Building 1, ground floor
- Hours: Sunday–Wednesday 4pm–2am; Thursday–Friday 4pm–3am; Saturday 1pm–3am
- Food: Use Bar du Port Abu Dhabi’s à la carte or booked-event menu
- Choose for: a waterfront evening or a specific Saturday offer
8. WET Deck, W Abu Dhabi Yas Island: bar bites with a Grand Prix view
WET Deck is the adults-only rooftop pool venue at W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island. The hotel lists 8am–1am daily for the venue, with cocktails, resident DJs and poolside dining. Choose it for a poolside food-and-drinks plan, then establish the actual food and water-access arrangement for the booking. A late venue finish does not give every dish the same service window. For a race-weekend view or package, arrange the specific seat and offer before paying. Contact +971 2 656 0000.
- Area: W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island
- Hours: Hotel lists venue service daily 8am–1am; establish the food window
- Food: Choose the current poolside order and access arrangement
- Choose for: an adults-only poolside food-and-drinks visit
A note on Shala Beach Lounge
The hotel currently lists Shala Beach Lounge as temporarily closed, so it is absent from this guide. Check the hotel page for any reopening update.
Practical tips before you book
- Reserve the actual service. Establish the table, party size and menu for an occasion; a universal busy-night rule cannot settle availability.
- Use the venue’s dress policy. Belgian Café lists business casual; the Saadiyat Buddha-Bar and Yas Bay Siddharta list smart casual.
- Discuss the complete dietary order. Choose the preparation the kitchen can provide, including sauces and garnishes. A vegetable name is not a full ingredient list.
- Choose the programme. For music or a quieter conversation-led plan, establish the service and table position. A time before 8pm is not an acoustic guarantee.
Frequently asked questions about bar food in Abu Dhabi
Which Abu Dhabi bar has the best food, not just the best drinks?
Our menu-based picks are Dragon’s Tooth for dim sum and Cantonese dishes, Belgian Café for mussels and frites, and CRAFT for its smokehouse-and-brewery combination. Choose the meal format you want and use the current menu to build the order.
Do Abu Dhabi bars serve food all day, or only during set hours?
Food service varies by venue and may differ from bar opening hours. Check the current venue menu and hours before visiting.
Is bar food in Abu Dhabi expensive compared to Dubai?
There is no reliable single price comparison. Check the current menus for the Abu Dhabi and Dubai venues you are considering.
Do I need to book in advance?
Reserve when the meal needs a fixed time, table or group arrangement. Use the actual venue and service rather than assume every Thursday is full or every weekday admits walk-ins. A food booking and a poolside-access or event package can have different requirements.
Our advice is to choose the food first when dinner is the point of the evening. Dragon’s Tooth can support a small dim-sum order or a larger Cantonese meal; Belgian Café gives the table its mussels-and-frites direction; CRAFT pairs smokehouse food with its brewery proposition. For a poolside or rooftop visit, choose the menu and access that belong to that booking. Keep the current branch and service clear, then add the drinks the group actually wants.
A worked Dragon’s Tooth food order
The current linked menu lists Crispy Fried Squid at AED 68, Steamed Dim Sum Assortment at AED 118 and Fried Dim Sum Assortment at AED 108. Together they total AED 294, with the listed service charges and taxes included. For a more main-led order, Half Roast Duck at AED 188, Soya Roasted Black Cod at AED 228 and Wagyu Striploin Fried Rice at AED 118 total AED 534. These are different orders, not equal portions or fixed menus. We would start with the smaller-plate selection when drinks are the main plan, and compare the duck and mains when a full meal is the purpose. Add drinks and any further dishes separately. The steamed assortment includes seafood; use the whole recipe when communicating dietary needs. Facts checked on 9 October 2026.
