The best brunch in Abu Dhabi runs at a calmer register than Dubai’s — here’s how to book the sitting worth its reputation
Best Brunch in Abu Dhabi: The Capital’s Calmer Sittings
A Calmer Register Than Dubai
Abu Dhabi’s weekend brunch scene runs on the same logic as Dubai’s, but with a noticeably calmer register — the capital’s best brunches lean toward refined, family-friendly formats rather than the party-atmosphere spectacles Dubai has become known for. One practical correction before booking: since the UAE moved to a Saturday–Sunday weekend in 2022, the headline sittings run on Saturday, with Friday surviving mainly as an evening format.
A More Measured Format
Most of Abu Dhabi’s best-regarded brunches run for a set three-hour window with a multi-station spread and a drinks package that varies by venue, much like Dubai’s format — but the atmosphere tends to be quieter, and many of the capital’s top hotels position their brunch as a family occasion first, entertainment second.
Where to Start
Four sittings, and the capital’s version of the format is visible in all of them.
- Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental — Saturdays from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, with a seafood station running local hammour, Alaskan king crab and oysters alongside a proper Middle Eastern spread
- Rosewood Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island — Saturdays 1pm to 4pm, outdoors in winter and indoors with the skyline through the glass in summer, with a children’s club running alongside
- Dai Pai Dong at the same hotel — a Sunday Cantonese version instead, built on dim sum and roast duck, for anyone who finds a buffet exhausting
- Hakkasan at Emirates Palace — an evening brunch on the first Friday of each month, 8pm to 11pm, sharing menu with Peking duck. The closest the capital gets to a night out in this format
The children’s club is the detail that separates the two cities. In Abu Dhabi a headline brunch is designed on the assumption that families are coming, and everything else follows from that — the volume, the pacing, the fact that most sittings end by four in the afternoon.
Booking Around the Weekend
Saturday is the busiest brunch day in Abu Dhabi, and the capital’s best-known venues, particularly those on Saadiyat Island, Al Maryah Island and the corniche, book out days to weeks ahead depending on the season and any coinciding events in the city.
How We Help
- Securing tables at Abu Dhabi’s most in-demand weekend brunches
- Matching a family-friendly or quieter format to the occasion
- Booking ahead of weekends that coincide with major events in the capital
- Arranging private tables or sections for larger groups
- Coordinating transport for a full day built around the booking
Book It With Perfect.Live
The hardest part of an evening like this is rarely choosing where to go — it’s getting the table. Our concierge team holds standing relationships with venues that don’t take public reservations, and can usually secure one with far less notice than booking direct
More Dining Guides in Abu Dhabi
Looking for something more formal? See our guide to Abu Dhabi’s best restaurants.
Frequently Asked Questions
The format is similar — a set window, multi-station spread, and a drinks package — but Abu Dhabi’s brunches generally lean quieter and more family-oriented than Dubai’s party-atmosphere venues.
A few days to a week ahead is usually enough outside major events; during Abu Dhabi Finance Week or other citywide events, book further ahead. Visit Abu Dhabi’s official site has a broader events calendar.
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