Eating, drinking and enjoying the nightlife in Abu Dhabi

Eating

Like Dubai, Abu Dhabi has a huge variety of immigrants from across the world. Unlike Dubai, this mixture of immigrants hasn’t really brought with it a huge variety of restaurants. Nevertheless there are still plenty of restaurants around to be able to cater to every taste. Hotel restaurants are generally a safe bet, albeit an expensive one. Venturing into the city centre can unearth some gems, especially at the lower price range, where you’ll find cheap and delicious food.

Vegetarians will be especially in their element with a broad range of Indian and Asian cuisine available for next to nothing. For the carnivores, you should certainly try a shawarma, the Arabic fast-food, which looks much like a doner kebab (and is broadly similar) but has a more refined, Middle Eastern flavour. As with Dubai, you can spend pennies on a main course-size portion of Indian food, or rack up a bill that would seem standard at the swankiest London restaurants, often with fairly average food.

Drinking and Nightlife

The only restaurants and bars licenced to serve alcohol are those located in hotels. That means that most people either stay at their own hotel to drink or visit some of the more popular spots around the hotel circuit. The nightlife here is not as vibrant as Dubai, but quite a lot more varied than much of the Middle East.

Ramadan

During Ramadan (approximately 10 March-9 April 2024 and 28 February–30 March 2025), Eid Al Adha (approximately 16 June-20 June 2024 and 6 June-10 June 2025) and Eid Al Fitr (approximately 9 April-10 April 2024 and 31 March-1 April 2025), there may be some restrictions on drinking and dining. However, you'll still have plenty of dining options - speak to your travel consultant for more information.