Sixteen Abu Dhabi dining choices by cuisine and occasion, with current Michelin distinctions, LPM brunch tiers and corrected restaurant locations and schedules.
My Abu Dhabi restaurant shortlist starts with the food I want: Erth for contemporary Emirati cooking, Talea for Italian, Hakkasan for Cantonese and Oak Room for steak. For a Sunday brunch, I’d compare LPM’s published package rather than build an unrelated dinner bill. Choose the cuisine and district first. A star is useful context, but it cannot choose the meal for the table.
My choice
For visitors, I’d put an Emirati meal high on the list; for an occasion, I’d choose the cuisine everyone is excited about. A walk-in at 3Fils and a reserved hotel dinner need different evenings. That practical distinction gives this shortlist more value than declaring one restaurant the answer to every Abu Dhabi booking.
For a Japanese sharing meal, compare Zuma Abu Dhabi’s Japanese sharing formats. For a waterfront seafood plan, use seafood and waterfront options; the cuisine and actual address should decide the next shortlist.
The three plans I would separate before choosing
For a fixed-time celebration, I would secure the table before organising the rest of the outing. For a flexible Al Bateen meal, 3Fils is a different proposition: its current contact page says no reservations and no waiting list, with Abu Dhabi service noon–midnight daily. I would not promise a large party a particular seat at a set time. Michelin places 3Fils beside The Abu Dhabi EDITION on Al Bateen Marina. Oak Room is the hotel’s separate steakhouse: being neighbours does not make their booking arrangements interchangeable.
For a Sunday family brunch, I would cost LPM by the whole party. Its published Abu Dhabi menu lists adult tiers at AED370, AED465 and AED610, and AED185 for children aged 6–11. For two adults and one child in that age band:
| Adult package choice | Three-person listed-package subtotal | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Two mocktail packages + child | AED925 | Starting comparison |
| Two cocktails-and-wine packages + child | AED1,115 | AED190 more for the party |
| Two Champagne packages + child | AED1,405 | A further AED290 |
Those are listed package components before any extras or additional applicable charges, not an all-in private event quote. I would choose around what the adults will drink, not treat the highest tier as compulsory. The menu gives a Sunday 11am–4:30pm service window; confirm your seating duration, other child ages and the actual booking terms rather than assume every arrival buys the whole window.
For an award-led meal, use the specific edition. Michelin’s 2026 selection lists Erth, Hakkasan and Talea with one star each. Its awards do not rank this guide’s sixteen cuisines in one order or establish a current table. My choice remains the food and format the group wants.
The Quick List: Best Restaurants in Abu Dhabi by Occasion
- Best for a Michelin-starred splurge: Talea by Antonio Guida
- Best for a proper occasion dinner: Hakkasan
- Best Emirati fine dining: Erth
- Best for a lively group night out: COYA or Zuma
- Best Lebanese: Li Beirut
- Sunday brunch with published tiers: LPM, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
- Casual Emirati choice: Meylas, Al Raha Beach
- Best Bib Gourmand find: 3Fils Abu Dhabi, walk-ins only
Michelin-Starred and Fine Dining in Abu Dhabi
The 2026 selection lists Erth, Hakkasan and Talea by Antonio Guida with one Michelin star each. An award identifies the restaurant recognised by the Guide; the particular service, menu and table still decide your booking. Start with the cuisine you want before comparing a pasta meal with Cantonese dishes or contemporary Emirati cooking.
1. Talea by Antonio Guida
Cuisine: Italian | Location: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, West Corniche
Talea by Antonio Guida is the Italian choice at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. The hotel describes its family-style Italian concept and a terrace, with seasonal menus. Our recommendation is to compare its current pasta and set-menu options before choosing the service. A chef-associated venue is a restaurant run by a local team; the name does not guarantee Antonio Guida is personally cooking that evening. Establish your preferred table and menu when making an occasion booking.
2. Hakkasan
Cuisine: Modern Cantonese | Location: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, West Corniche | Price: use the menu for your booked service
Choose Hakkasan for contemporary Cantonese cooking at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. Its seafood dim sum sits within a wider menu, with private rooms, a terrace, and a bar and lounge among the published spaces. We would start with the booked service and sharing order for the table. A dinner reservation and a drinks-inclusive event have different menus and costs, so use the offer that actually applies to your date.
3. Erth
Cuisine: Modern Emirati | Location: Qasr Al Hosn compound, Al Markaziya
Erth is at Al Hosn’s North Parking, alongside Qasr Al Hosn and the Cultural Foundation. The operator describes contemporary Emirati cooking and ingredients sourced from UAE farms and producers. It is our first pick here when a contemporary Emirati menu is the purpose of the meal. Establish the service directly: the site contains different opening-hour panels, so a breakfast visit needs a date-specific confirmation. A cultural-site address adds context to the outing, without making every dish a historical recipe.
4. Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard
Cuisine: French | Location: Shangri-La Abu Dhabi, Qaryat Al Beri
Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard is the French choice at Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri. Its current operator schedule gives dinner Monday–Saturday, 6pm–11pm, with Sunday closed. We would choose it for a French dinner in that neighbourhood and request the intended table when booking. The hotel’s waterfront position and views are part of the setting, but should not be confused with the outlook from every allocated seat.
International Icons Worth the Splurge
The following venues give the list Japanese, Peruvian, French-Mediterranean, steak and Italian options. Compare their Abu Dhabi menus and formats rather than treat an international brand’s other branches as the same reservation.
5. Zuma
Cuisine: Contemporary Japanese | Location: The Galleria, Al Maryah Island
Zuma is at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island, with its contemporary Japanese izakaya-style menu. It is our choice on this shortlist when sushi, robata and shared dishes are the plan. Choose the actual service before comparing its lunch, brunch and dinner: they have different ordering structures. For a mixed group, start with the dishes people want and dietary needs, then arrange the table. The brand’s Dubai or London menu is not automatically the Abu Dhabi order list.
6. COYA
Cuisine: Peruvian | Location: Four Seasons Hotel, The Galleria, Abu Dhabi
COYA gives this shortlist a Peruvian-led menu at The Galleria, Al Maryah Island. The operator lists the location at Four Seasons Hotel, The Galleria. We would choose it when ceviche and the Peruvian menu are the reason for dinner, then use the current programme if music is part of the plan. A bar-side table is a seating request, not a guarantee of a particular atmosphere or soundtrack.
7. LPM
Cuisine: French-Mediterranean | Location: The Galleria, Al Maryah Island
LPM is our French-Mediterranean choice at The Galleria. Its Sunday La Vie en Rosé brunch runs 11am–4:30pm, with current packages of AED 370, AED 465 and AED 610; children aged 6–11 are listed at AED 185. Choose the actual tier and included drinks. A Sunday package and ordinary à la carte lunch are separate orders. Our LPM brunch guide explains the comparison.
8. Oak Room
Cuisine: Contemporary steakhouse | Location: The Abu Dhabi EDITION, Al Bateen
Oak Room is the contemporary steakhouse at The Abu Dhabi EDITION in Al Bateen Marina. Its operator currently lists Tuesday–Saturday, 6pm–11:30pm, with Sunday Roast on the last Sunday of the month. We would choose it for a steak-led dinner and compare the actual cut, weight, sides and drinks when costing the meal. The monthly roast should not be treated as an every-Sunday offer, and a premium cut is a choice rather than a requirement for the table.
9. Villa Toscana
Cuisine: Regional Italian (Tuscany, Umbria, Emilia-Romagna) | Location: The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, Nation Tower, Corniche | Price: Current menu examples: spaghetti AED 105, ravioli AED 120, sharing Fiorentina AED 900
Villa Toscana at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi gives the Corniche an Italian option. Its current menu lists Spaghetti ai Tre Pomodori at AED 105, eggplant-filled Ravioli del Plin at AED 120 and a 1.6kg Wagyu T-Bone Fiorentina at AED 900. Choose the pasta meal for individual orders or ask about the sharing cut when that fits the table. The current homemade-pasta section is presented as “Chef Vittorio’s Childhood Favorites”.
10. TAON
Cuisine: Korean BBQ | Location: Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche
TAON is the Korean restaurant at Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche, with its own hotel dining and reservation information. The hotel publishes Korean BBQ offers for that venue. We would choose it when Korean cooking is the point of dinner and use the standard current menu for the visit. A New Year’s Eve set for two is a dated event product, so its price and unlimited-drinks terms should not be applied to an ordinary evening.
Lebanese and Levantine: choose the menu and neighbourhood
For Lebanese and Levantine menus, start with the setting and order format: a hotel dinner at Li Beirut, Lebanese-Armenian dishes at Almayass, or a Mamsha Al Saadiyat visit at Beirut Sur Mer. These give the group different neighbourhood plans without a claim that one city cooks the cuisine better than another.
11. Li Beirut
Cuisine: Lebanese fine dining | Location: Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, West Corniche
Li Beirut at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers is our hotel-based Lebanese choice. Hilton describes hot and cold mezze and grills, with outdoor Gulf-view dining. The current schedule is daily noon–11pm, last orders 10:30pm. Build a sharing order around the table’s preferences and ask about portions before filling the table. That gives you a clearer bill based on the actual plates and drinks you choose.
12. Almayass
Cuisine: Lebanese-Armenian | Location: The Galleria, Al Maryah Island
Almayass at The Galleria serves Lebanese-Armenian cooking and appears in the 2026 Bib Gourmand list. We would choose it to explore that specific menu, then balance the mezze and main dishes around the party’s appetite. Bib Gourmand is a value distinction within Michelin’s selection; it does not make every order cost the same. Start with a manageable number of sharing dishes and add more if needed, instead of ordering excess food as part of the recommendation.
13. Beirut Sur Mer
Cuisine: Lebanese | Location: Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island
Beirut Sur Mer is the Lebanese option at Mamsha Al Saadiyat and appears in the 2026 Bib Gourmand list. Choose it when the Saadiyat location and Lebanese menu fit the outing. A terrace request should be settled with the restaurant, along with the specific breakfast, lunch or dinner service. The beachside address does not by itself include beach access or guarantee a particular table, and the restaurant bill is separate from any other activity nearby.
Casual, Bib Gourmand and Budget-Friendly Picks
For a less formal plan, compare the current walk-in format at 3Fils, seafood at ryba and Emirati cooking at Meylas. Their menu structures differ, so use individual dishes and portions to set a budget rather than give all three one assumed spend.
14. 3Fils Abu Dhabi
Cuisine: Asian small plates | Location: Al Bateen Marina, beside The Abu Dhabi EDITION
3Fils Abu Dhabi is at Al Bateen Marina, beside The Abu Dhabi EDITION. Its own contact page gives walk-ins only, no reservations and no waiting list for Dubai and Abu Dhabi; the Abu Dhabi branch lists noon–midnight daily. Choose it when flexible timing fits the evening, then use the Abu Dhabi menu and portions. Michelin describes its three-storey building beside The Abu Dhabi EDITION. Oak Room is the hotel’s separate steakhouse, not another name for 3Fils. The 2026 Bib Gourmand recognition identifies this branch, while the Dubai flagship has its own team and details.
15. Ryba
Cuisine: Seafood and Emirati | Location: Souq Al Mina, Mina Zayed
Ryba is at Souq Al Mina, near the Zayed Port fish market. Michelin describes a seafood menu with local catch and global influences. It received Bib Gourmand recognition in the 2025 selection and retains it in the 2026 list. We would choose it when the seafood order and Mina Zayed location fit the visit. Ask about the fish, preparation and portions rather than assume a port address gives every table a direct harbour view.
16. Meylas
Cuisine: Emirati | Location: Al Muneera, Al Raha Beach | Price: current dish and portion choices
Meylas is at Al Muneera, Al Raha Beach. Founded by Shaikha Al Kaabi, it describes recipes passed through Emirati mothers and grandmothers. It is our casual Emirati choice on this list; the current menu should decide the actual budget. The previous blanket AED 35–75 band does not establish what a complete meal costs today. Meylas is separate from Al Meylas, the lounge at Four Seasons, so use the correct name and destination when choosing a menu or directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Michelin-starred restaurants in Abu Dhabi?
As of the 2026 Michelin Guide, Abu Dhabi has three starred restaurants: Talea by Antonio Guida and Hakkasan, both inside Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, and Erth at Qasr Al Hosn — the first Emirati restaurant anywhere to hold a Michelin star.
Where can you eat well in Abu Dhabi for under AED 100?
Meylas is our casual Emirati choice, but use its current order prices for an AED 100 budget. Specify whether that limit includes drinks and other charges. A dish under AED 100 is different from a complete meal under AED 100.
What’s the best area in Abu Dhabi for restaurant-hopping?
The Galleria on Al Maryah Island places Zuma, COYA, LPM and Almayass in the same destination. Choose the meal and any second stop separately, with its own service time and reservation. The shared location makes planning easier without guaranteeing a five-minute route or availability at every venue.
Is Li Beirut in Abu Dhabi still open?
Yes. Hilton currently lists Li Beirut as open daily from noon to 11pm, with last orders at 10:30pm. Check the hotel listing before booking.
Checking the Abu Dhabi booking
Base venue and menu checks: 9 October 2026. LPM’s brunch tiers, 3Fils’ walk-in format and Michelin’s published 2026 selection were rechecked on 22 October. Other listed menus and opening hours remain the earlier dated snapshot; confirm the actual service when reserving.
