Seven French and French-Italian dining choices in Abu Dhabi: current set lunches, service windows, menu formats and locations.
The quick verdict
For a French-style lunch with a defined food price, our shortlist starts with Le Bistrot at the Sheraton and LPM on Al Maryah Island. For a cultural outing, choose Fouquet’s at Louvre Abu Dhabi or Taparelle at Manarat Al Saadiyat. For a dinner built around an à la carte or tasting format, compare Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard. Raclette and Le Beaujolais give two other settings: Mamsha Al Saadiyat and a city-centre hotel. These seven choices cover different meals and locations, rather than one supposed winner for every occasion.
Bord Eau’s current hotel page lists dinner Monday–Saturday, 6–11pm, with Sunday closure. Choose a date in that service window before arranging the rest of the evening; the chef’s reputation and an old seasonal announcement do not establish a Sunday booking.
At a glance
- Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi — Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island — Michelin Selected 2026, business lunch from AED 165; three-course site/booking prices differ
- Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard — Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri — Michelin Guide-listed, contemporary French, $$$
- LPM Abu Dhabi — The Galleria, Al Maryah Island — French Riviera/Mediterranean, business lunch AED 135–180
- Taparelle — Manarat Al Saadiyat — French-Italian fusion, Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi selection, breakfast, lunch and dinner 7:30am–11pm
- Raclette Brasserie & Café — Mamsha Al Saadiyat — Alpine-French classics, open until 1am on weekends
- Le Beaujolais — Novel Hotel City Centre — French restaurant; AED 249 net food-and-wine offer
- Le Bistrot — Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort — French-Italian bistro lunch, three courses from AED 115
1. Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi — a French brasserie at Louvre Abu Dhabi
Fouquet’s is our cultural-outing choice at Louvre Abu Dhabi, with a French brasserie menu created with Pierre Gagnaire. Its English website lists business lunch Tuesday–Friday, noon–4pm: AED 165 for two courses and AED 200 for three. The booking card currently displays AED 220 for the three-course option, so use the amount attached to your reservation. Afternoon tea is listed at AED 390 for two with tea or coffee, or AED 450 for two with Champagne, from 3–6pm, with an advance reservation required. The operator directs valet arrivals to Gate 2, the North Gate.
2. Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard — dinner and tasting menus at Shangri-La
Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard is our shortlist choice for a dinner built around contemporary French cooking and a choice of à la carte or tasting menus. The hotel names French Classics and Travels Around the World as its tasting experiences. It lists smart casual dress, no smoking inside, and dinner 6–11pm Monday–Saturday. Sunday is closed. The address is Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Khor Al Maqta, with Level 3 identified as lobby level. Its Michelin Guide listing is separate from a claim that this Abu Dhabi restaurant itself holds a star.
3. LPM Abu Dhabi — French-Mediterranean food on Al Maryah Island
LPM’s French-Mediterranean menu makes it our Al Maryah Island choice for a weekday lunch or whole-table dinner. The current business menu is valid 5–30 October, Monday–Friday noon–3:30pm: AED 135 for one starter and one main; AED 180 for either two starters and one main, or one starter, one main and one dessert. Escargots carry an AED 50 supplement and sides are AED 30 extra. Le Menu Signature is AED 450 per person, minimum two guests, taken by the whole table. Choose the format before booking rather than assume every LPM meal has the same price or course arrangement.
4. Taparelle — French-Italian dining at Manarat
Taparelle describes its own cuisine as French-Italian, so choose it for that crossover rather than a purely French menu. Its Manarat Al Saadiyat location makes it our choice for dining combined with the cultural district. The operator now lists breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7:30am–11pm, earlier than the 8am start in the previous guide. The restaurant and Manarat’s exhibition hours are separate schedules. For a morning meal, use the restaurant’s service information; for an exhibition-and-dinner visit, check the cultural programme separately.
5. Raclette Brasserie & Café — a cheese-led brasserie meal at Mamsha
Raclette is our Mamsha Al Saadiyat choice for a French brasserie meal with cheese as a specific reason to visit. The Saadiyat listing describes raclette, escargots, bouillabaisse and steak frites, with a separate raclette burger. Its published hours are 9am–midnight Sunday–Thursday and 9am–1am Friday–Saturday. Choose the actual restaurant menu and kitchen service for a late meal; an open venue until 1am is not proof that every dish can be ordered at 12:55am. For a cheese-led order, agree whether the table wants the raclette dish or individual mains before adding several shared starters.
6. Le Beaujolais — a city-centre food-and-wine offer
Le Beaujolais is the French restaurant option at Novel Hotel City Center on Sheikh Hamdan Street. Its operator advertises Dine & Chill at AED 249 net per person for a full-course meal and two hours of house wine. The stated price includes applicable service charges, local fees and taxes. Two packages total AED 498 under those published terms. We would choose it for that defined food-and-wine format rather than an invented description of the crowd or room. Confirm the menu choices and the offer’s availability for the evening you intend to book.
7. Le Bistrot — a daily set lunch on the Corniche
Le Bistrot is at Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort on Corniche Road. Its current page describes Mediterranean and international bistro dining, with French and Italian flavours in the business lunch. The three-course lunch starts at AED 115 and is listed daily, 12:30–3:30pm. That is our price-led set-lunch starting point among the confirmed offers here, but it is a starting rate rather than a promise that every menu choice has no supplement. Its general opening-hours field is inconsistent with the lunch service, so use the lunch-specific window and call +971 2 697 0318 for another service.
Choose the cuisine and location
We would use this shortlist for a French or French-Italian meal. For Italian-only cooking, a beach-club day or a Spanish small-plates dinner, choose a guide built around that format. The address matters too: a Saadiyat cultural visit, a Corniche lunch and a Khor Al Maqta dinner need different travel plans. Decide whether the restaurant is the outing itself or part of another activity, then choose the area and service window that fit.
FAQs
Is there a Michelin-starred French restaurant in Abu Dhabi?
As of the 2026 Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi selection, Fouquet’s, Bord Eau and Taparelle all carry Michelin Guide recognition (Selected or Guide-listed status), though none currently hold a Michelin star in the emirate. Check the current Michelin Guide selection for the latest award status.
What’s the best French restaurant in Abu Dhabi for a business lunch?
For a price-led choice, Le Bistrot’s three-course lunch starts at AED 115 and runs daily. For Al Maryah Island, LPM’s October weekday menu is AED 135 or AED 180 depending on the courses. Fouquet’s is the Louvre-area choice; settle its current three-course booking price because the site and booking card differ.
Is LPM Abu Dhabi actually French?
Its own Abu Dhabi menu is French-Mediterranean, with Italian dishes among the options. Choose LPM for that menu rather than expecting a strictly regional French restaurant.
Is Bord Eau taking bookings?
The hotel lists dinner Monday–Saturday, 6–11pm, and Sunday closure. Use the current reservation for your date and chosen à la carte or tasting format.
Our choices for two
For food-only lunch, LPM’s smaller October menus total AED 270 for two, or AED 360 for two larger menus before supplements. Two minimum-rate Le Bistrot lunches start at AED 230 before any applicable extras. For a longer shared LPM meal, two Signature menus start at AED 900; its separate AED 200-per-person apéritif and wine-pairing option would add AED 400 for two. Le Beaujolais’s published AED 498 total for two includes a different meal-and-wine format. Compare the courses and drinks, rather than call these equivalent meals.
For a Saadiyat day, Fouquet’s, Taparelle and Raclette are three distinct stops: Louvre Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat and Mamsha. Follow the address of the restaurant you choose instead of treating the island name as the entrance. Bord Eau is at Khor Al Maqta; LPM is on Al Maryah Island. We would choose the area around the rest of the outing, then the menu around the meal.
Facts checked on 9 October 2026.
