Isabel at The Galleria: AED 149 three-course lunch plus its stated service charge, current menus, afternoon tea and booking details.
Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi is my pick at The Galleria when the plan calls for a dressier Mediterranean meal. I’d start with the AED 149 three-course business lunch; for afternoon tea, the dedicated menu lists AED 125 per person before its 10% service charge. Dinner with caviar, truffle or a sharing cut is another budget altogether. Choose the occasion first. There is no need to order the most expensive version of the restaurant to enjoy the one you wanted.
My recommendation
Editorial recommendation: 4/5. This is a guide-based judgment of the menu, setting, value and booking fit described here, not a scored tasting or a customer-review average.
The verdict: Four out of five for the choice of a defined lunch, afternoon tea or a larger Mediterranean dinner. My first booking would be lunch rather than an open-ended premium order. The trade-offs are plain: the dress policy rules out a very casual shopping outfit, and a menu headline does not settle service charges or the cost of extras. Arrive for the restaurant you booked, not the mall you walked through.
For other Al Maryah Island choices, compare Novikov’s menu and bill example and Zuma’s different dining services. Isabel gets my vote when the Mediterranean menu and dressier occasion are the brief; the name alone does not justify an unrestricted bill.
My two-person choice: lunch costs AED52.80 more than tea
| Two-person booking | Base | 10% service | Total before extras | My reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three-course business lunch | AED298 | AED29.80 | AED327.80 | A starter, main and dessert for each guest. |
| Afternoon tea | AED250 | AED25 | AED275 | A pastry-led catch-up with the menu’s beverage selection. |
The difference is AED52.80 for two, not another full dinner bill. I’d pay it for lunch when we wanted a main course; I’d choose tea when pastries and conversation were the point. These are different services, not identical baskets with one priced more cheaply. The lunch PDF also marks fish in the slow-cooked Wagyu dish and nuts in roasted hammour: the main ingredient alone is not an allergen guide. Discuss requirements before ordering rather than infer a safe dish from its name.
In This Article
- The setting and dress policy
- Menu choices and prices
- Desserts and preparation times
- Golden Hours and the bar
- Lunch, fees and booking
- Our recommendation
- Frequently Asked Questions
The setting and dress policy
The London restaurant opened in 2017; the Abu Dhabi venue is at The Galleria’s Level 2 Luxury Collection on Al Maryah Island. The attraction is a restaurant-and-bar format within a mall visit, rather than a standalone beach or hotel resort outing. We would choose it for lunch followed by shopping, afternoon tea or a dinner booking with drinks separately budgeted.
Dress is part of planning this visit. Isabel asks for smart, elegant clothing and excludes shorts, ripped jeans, caps, sportswear, hoodies and casual trainers. A designer label does not create an exception. For a meal during a shopping trip, arrive dressed for the restaurant rather than assume a mall location means every casual outfit is accepted. The interior is non-smoking, including vapes; a designated terrace area is available for smokers.
The retained interior photographs illustrate the Isabel aesthetic; they are not independently confirmed views of the Abu Dhabi dining room. Use the restaurant’s current Abu Dhabi gallery for the setting you are booking.
Menu choices and prices
The current à la carte menu spans Mediterranean dishes, pasta, fish, meat and larger plates to share. It gives you a genuine choice between a relatively contained order and a premium one. Our advice is to choose the main first, then build starters around it: a rich pasta and a caviar opener can turn a simple meal into a large bill before you reach dessert. The October menu provides actual prices, not just a general luxury label.
Starters: where the price jumps
Caviar French Toast is listed at AED 280, while aubergine caviar is AED 60: they are different dishes, despite the shared word. Burrata is AED 120 and tomato salad AED 95. For a meal centred on a substantial main, our preference is a vegetable starter rather than automatically taking the richest appetiser. Choose the caviar toast when that is specifically what you want, and budget it as a premium addition.
Vitello tonnato is AED 155 and includes veal with tuna sauce. The beef tartare has two sizes: 90g at AED 200 or 160g at AED 350. Those details matter for sharing and dietary needs. A dish’s headline ingredient does not list everything in the sauce; use the menu’s allergen markers and discuss the complete preparation before ordering for someone with an allergy.
Fish, pasta and meat: choose the main first
The October à la carte menu lists red mullet at AED 250, roasted hammour at AED 170 and grilled chicken at AED 200. Red mullet comes in a Provençal fish stew; hammour has fennel and a kaffir-lime garlic sauce. For a fish-led order, choose the preparation you actually want rather than treat both as interchangeable mains. Pair it with a starter that adds a different texture, not simply more seafood.
Slow-cooked Wagyu is AED 250, with Sarawak pepper and butternut squash and tonka-bean purée. Beef ragù pasta is AED 150, lobster ravioli AED 200 and linguini Alfredo AED 120. The pasta section also lists white-truffle and Kristal-caviar additions at AED 250 and AED 350. These extras cost more than several base dishes, so order them deliberately; they are not included finishing touches.
Desserts and preparation times
The October à la carte menu lists an XXL pistachio madeleine at AED 150, for a minimum of two people, with a 30-minute preparation time. That is a reason to order it earlier in the meal, not proof that it requires a pre-order days before your visit. The separate older dessert PDF still shows AED 250 for it. Use the newer menu as the planning reference and establish the actual price when ordering. The current menu also has chocolate pie soufflé at AED 90 and several individual desserts at AED 70.
Golden Hours and the bar
The bar offers a different reason to visit from a full dinner. Golden Hours advertises selected signature and classic cocktails at AED 45 daily from noon to 7pm. For two people having one qualifying cocktail each, that is AED 90 before any applicable additions. The site’s bar closing times conflict between sections, so confirm a late booking directly. There is no verified standing Thursday–Saturday 10pm DJ schedule to promise here. A dinner booking should stand on its food and service time, rather than an assumed performance.
Lunch, fees and booking
The strongest value choice is the three-course business lunch at AED 149 per person. Its current PDF specifies 5% VAT included and a 10% service charge added, giving AED 163.90 per person or AED 327.80 for two before drinks and extras. Bread is an additional AED 25. For a couple choosing that lunch, the menu and service charge give a defined food total before the separate drinks order. À la carte can cost more, but that depends on the actual dishes.
Reservations and service times
Reserve through Isabel’s official website or call +971 2 562 0045. Select lunch, afternoon tea or dinner rather than leaving the service ambiguous. For a group planning a sharing dish, discuss the portions and preparation time before arriving. The venue’s dress restrictions apply to all guests, so pass them to your party with the booking details instead of discovering them at the entrance.
The website lists à la carte lunch from noon to 3pm, with last booking at 2:30pm, and dinner from 6pm to 11pm, with last booking at 10:30pm. The current business-lunch PDF gives noon–3:30pm Monday–Friday, with last reservation at 3pm, while the website footer still states an earlier cutoff. For an uncomplicated plan, reserve before 2:30pm; confirm directly if you need the later lunch slot. Afternoon tea is 3pm–6pm, last booking 5:30pm.
Location and Accessibility in Abu Dhabi
Isabel is at The Galleria, Level 2 Luxury Collection, Al Maryah Island. Use that specific location rather than directing your party only to the mall. For a meal combined with shopping, agree the restaurant arrival time and leave enough time to reach the Luxury Collection area. A booking at another Galleria restaurant is not a reservation here.
The operator lists valet parking. Establish the current valet arrangement if you intend to use it rather than assume that it is free or validated. For a taxi, use Isabel’s exact venue name and The Galleria location. The useful planning detail is where you need to arrive, not a guessed journey time from another part of Abu Dhabi.
Our recommendation
Our recommendation is to start with the weekday business lunch: a defined three-course meal makes the price and format easy to judge. Choose afternoon tea when pastries and a drink are the point, or à la carte dinner when particular dishes justify the larger budget. The restaurant’s premium add-ons are optional. You do not need caviar, truffle and the largest sharing cut to make a complete meal here. The strongest order is the one that matches your appetite and occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dress code at Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi?
Smart, elegant clothing. The published policy excludes shorts, ripped or distressed jeans, caps, sportswear, hoodies and casual trainers, including designer versions. Local dress is welcomed. Check that everyone in your party is dressed for the restaurant before arriving.
Do I need a reservation for Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi?
Use the official reservation link or phone +971 2 562 0045 for your chosen service. The XXL pistachio madeleine is listed with a 30-minute preparation time and minimum two people; that is not a published requirement to pre-order days ahead.
What kind of cuisine does Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi serve?
Mediterranean-influenced cooking, with starters, pasta, fish and meat mains, and larger sharing dishes. The current menu includes vitello tonnato, lobster ravioli, red mullet, roasted hammour and slow-cooked Wagyu. Lunch has its own selection rather than every à la carte dish.
What are the price expectations for dining at Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi?
The business lunch is AED 149 per person before its stated 10% service charge, or AED 327.80 for two after that charge and before drinks. The dedicated afternoon-tea menu lists AED125 per person plus 10% service, or AED275 for two before extras; an à la carte-menu mention still shows a different tea price. Confirm the selected offer. Dinner depends on the chosen dishes; the examples below show the food arithmetic.
Does Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi have an after-hours scene?
There is a bar, and selected Golden Hours cocktails are advertised at AED 45 from noon to 7pm daily. The website’s late closing times conflict. Confirm a late reservation directly and check the actual music programme if entertainment is part of the plan.
Where is Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi located?
The Galleria, Level 2 Luxury Collection, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. The operator lists valet parking. Use the exact restaurant and mall-area names when organising the arrival, and check the chosen service’s reservation time.
Choose the service before reserving
For a first booking, choose the business lunch and keep premium add-ons separate. For dinner, work from the current menu and agree the main order before adding starters. Book through the restaurant’s own site so you are selecting Isabel’s actual service, date and party size.
More Going Out in the UAE
- Novikov Abu Dhabi: Galleria menu prices and booking
- Pincode at The Galleria: Indian and vegetarian choices
- French restaurants in Abu Dhabi
- LPM Abu Dhabi: La Vie en Rose brunch guide
Focused menu check: 19 October 2026. The business-lunch PDF, à la carte PDF and dedicated tea PDF were retrieved again. Lunch remains AED149 plus 10% service; the tea price has changed on its own menu, while a conflicting older tea mention remains in the à la carte document. The earlier broader review date below is retained for its original scope.
Compare the meal formats before booking
Facts checked on 9 October 2026. Two business lunches have a base food total of AED 298 and a stated 10% service charge of AED 29.80, giving AED 327.80 before drinks or extra bread. Two lunches plus one AED 25 bread order total AED 323 before the charge, or AED 355.30 after it. This is the clearest choice for a defined three-course budget.
The lunch menu includes tomato tart, the Isabel Perfect Egg or cured dorado as starters, followed by choices such as beef ragù, baked aubergine, slow-cooked Wagyu or roasted hammour. Dessert is part of the three courses. The vegetable option makes lunch workable for a vegetarian order, but do not treat it as automatically vegan: the baked aubergine includes Parmesan and the listed desserts have their own dairy, egg and nut markers.
For an à la carte example, one AED 120 burrata, one AED 170 roasted hammour, one AED 150 beef ragù and one AED 90 chocolate pie soufflé give a base food total of AED 530. That is a shared starter and dessert with two main dishes, not a prediction of every couple’s bill. The current à la carte document states VAT included but does not print the service-charge wording found on the lunch and tea PDFs. Establish applicable additions when booking rather than silently treating all documents as identical.
For a lighter afternoon visit, the dedicated tea menu and homepage now list AED125 per person. The PDF includes VAT and adds 10% service: two guests have a base of AED250 plus AED25 service, or AED275 before extras. It lists pastries and a selection of two beverages; confirm how the drinks allocation applies to your party. The à la carte PDF still advertises AED200 for two, so obtain the chosen offer’s price when booking. Our choice remains tea for a pastry-led catch-up, lunch for a complete meal and dinner for particular dishes.
Read the current menu documents for the chosen service. The newer à la carte menu and the separately linked older dessert PDF disagree on some dessert prices. Confirm the price when ordering a sharing dessert, especially the madeleine, rather than assuming every downloadable document has been updated together.
