The best restaurants in Abu Dhabi, well beyond Dubai’s shadow, and how we book during Finance Week and the rest of the year.
Best Restaurants in Abu Dhabi: Where to Book
Beyond Dubai’s Quieter Neighbour
Abu Dhabi’s dining scene has grown well beyond its reputation as Dubai’s quieter neighbour, with a genuinely serious mix of Michelin-recognised kitchens, waterfront terraces and international chef outposts spread across the emirate’s islands and downtown core.
A Calmer Counterpart to Dubai
Abu Dhabi’s dining culture tends toward a more measured pace than Dubai’s — fewer party-brunch spectacles, more emphasis on refined, longer-format dining, particularly around Saadiyat Island and the downtown corniche. This makes it a genuinely different proposition for business travellers and residents alike, not simply a smaller version of Dubai’s scene.
Where to Start
The 2026 Abu Dhabi guide covers 56 restaurants, up from 42 when the selection launched. Three hold a star, and there are no two- or three-star rooms in the capital at all.
- Erth, Qasr Al Hosn — modern Emirati cooking built on ingredients from farms across the Emirates, and the only one of the three that could not exist anywhere else
- Talea by Antonio Guida at Emirates Palace — Italian cucina di famiglia, run day to day by Luigi Stinga, who took the guide’s inaugural Abu Dhabi Young Chef Award
- Hakkasan, also at Emirates Palace — contemporary Cantonese, open here since June 2010 and starred every year the guide has run
Below the stars, 3Fils in Al Bateen holds a Bib Gourmand, took Opening of the Year in 2026 and sits at number 42 on MENA’s 50 Best — which makes it the most interesting table in the emirate that does not require a month’s notice.
Notice that two of the three stars are inside the same hotel. In Abu Dhabi that concentration is an advantage rather than a limitation: a client dinner and the following night’s dinner can be booked in one building, with one relationship, and neither guest need know how little travelling that took.
Booking Around Abu Dhabi Finance Week
Abu Dhabi Finance Week brings a concentrated spike in demand for the emirate’s best restaurants, as international finance clients compete for the same limited supply of tables suited to serious business entertaining. Outside that week, the city’s dining scene is considerably more accessible than Dubai’s equivalent tier.
How We Help
- Securing tables at Abu Dhabi’s most in-demand restaurants during Finance Week
- Arranging waterfront and Saadiyat Island dining for a quieter register
- Coordinating client entertaining around business schedules in the capital
- Managing scheduling adjustments around Ramadan, when hours shift citywide
- Booking private dining for celebrations and larger groups
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
Planning something more casual? See our guide to Abu Dhabi’s best brunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Demand rises sharply for restaurants suited to business entertaining, and the emirate’s best-known tables are often fully committed well ahead of the week itself.
It’s smaller but growing quickly — the 2026 selection covers 56 restaurants with three holding a star, against Dubai’s far larger list. See the Michelin Guide’s Abu Dhabi selection for the current list.
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