Brenda Khan
Abu Dhabi's food scene is a melting pot of international cuisines, from Italian and French to Chinese and Japanese. However, the local Emirati cuisine, rooted in Middle Eastern cooking traditions, is what truly defines the city's culinary landscape. With a focus on wellness and clean eating, the diet in Abu Dhabi offers a range of delicious and healthy options. Traditional dishes are often cooked in a single pot, featuring an abundance of fresh fish, meat, and rice, and vegetables spiced with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, and dried lemon. The street food culture, including shawarma, falafel, and hummus, adds a casual and tasty element to the dining experience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Local dishes | Arabic Shawarma, Tabbouleh, Al Harees, Khuzi, Balaleet, Luqaimat, Esh Asarya, Chabab, Arabic Coffee, Kebabs, Hummus, Falafel |
| Traditional dishes | Heavily feature fresh fish, meat, and rice, and are simple and healthy |
| Spices | Cardamom, saffron, carmon seeds, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, rose water, dried lemon |
| Fine dining locations | Coya, Zuma, Dai Pai Dong, Nusr-Et, 99 Sushi Bar, Café Milano, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers |
| Healthy meal plans | Low-carb, high-fibre, gluten-free, dairy-free, meat-free, high-protein, low-calorie, low-GI, organic, plant-based |
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What You'll Learn
Local dishes and street food
Abu Dhabi's local dishes showcase a variety of flavours and ingredients, with many dishes consisting of rice, meat, and an array of spices. One of the simplest yet most delicious dishes is a one-pot meal similar to Indian biryani. This dish combines rice with beef, lamb, chicken, shrimp, or fish, along with onions, vegetables, and spices like cumin, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, saffron, and chillies. Dried lemons, known as 'loomi', add a unique twist. The dish is typically served with thick spicy sauces or raita and salad.
Another popular dish is Saloona, a type of meat stew with vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, okra, tomatoes, and peppers, often served with boiled rice. Thereed is a similar stew made with chicken, goat, or lamb, slow-cooked with roasted vegetables and served with thin Emirati bread called Rigag. Al Madrooba, a dish reserved for special occasions like Ramadan, is a time-intensive dish of salted fish cooked in a thick sauce with spices and served with rice, nuts, saffron, and other spices.
For breakfast, balaleet is a traditional Emirati dish of sweet saffron- and cardamom-scented vermicelli topped with a thin omelette. Chbab pancakes with date syrup, local honey, and processed cheese are another breakfast favourite. A unique dessert called kunafa, made of thin strands of spun pastry, cheese or cream, syrup, and crushed pistachios, is also popular in Abu Dhabi, although it originates from Palestine. Esh Asarya is an Emirati cheesecake with a cream frosting.
Street food in Abu Dhabi offers a variety of tasty treats, including the famous shawarma, a non-vegetarian dish with slices of chicken, beef, or lamb, wrapped in rotis or flatbread, and filled with vegetables, sauce, and onions. Fried patties and balls made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, served with spicy sauces, are another popular street food option, and can be found at the Just Falafel Street Food chain. Tabbouleh, a vegetarian dish made with green onions, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, crushed wheat, lemon juice, and fresh mint, is a healthy option available as an appetiser or a full meal.
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Healthy eating and meal plans
Abu Dhabi's local cuisine is rooted in Middle Eastern cooking traditions and features a unique blend of spices, including cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, ginger, and dried lemon. While traditional dishes like Al Harees, Khuzi (also known as Ghuzi), and Al Machboos are hearty and flavourful, they are also simple and healthy. These dishes typically include a combination of fresh fish, meat, rice, and vegetables.
However, if you are specifically interested in healthy eating and meal plans in Abu Dhabi, there are several options available. Here are some details:
Basiligo
Basiligo is a meal delivery service in Abu Dhabi that focuses on clean eating and plant-rich diets. Their meals are made from whole foods and are packed with hydrating produce and nutrient-dense superfoods. They promise to provide 100% of your daily protein needs, essential vitamins, and minerals, as well as a high fibre content. Basiligo's meals are carefully planned to ensure fresh ingredients, and they avoid all refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup. They also offer organic options and use ingredients like almond flour, quinoa, and coconut flour.
VMeals
VMeals is another meal delivery service in Abu Dhabi that provides expertly crafted meal plans designed to match your fitness goals and dietary preferences. Their meals are freshly prepared and delivered to your doorstep. VMeals takes a personalised approach, with their nutritionists understanding your body's response and tolerance to tailor the plans accordingly.
Healthy Eating Options in Restaurants
While traditional Emirati cuisine is already considered relatively healthy, some restaurants in Abu Dhabi cater specifically to healthy eating. Meshwari, for example, offers affordable Arabic food with fresh produce and healthy ingredients.
Additionally, when dining out in Abu Dhabi, you can find healthy options like tabbouleh, a vegetarian dish made with green onions, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, crushed wheat, and seasoned with lemon juice and fresh mint. Abu Dhabi also has some outstanding restaurants offering world-class cuisine, including Coya, Zuma, Dai Pai Dong, and 99 Sushi Bar, where you can find a variety of healthy options.
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Fine dining and luxury restaurants
Abu Dhabi is known for its luxurious dining experiences, offering everything from traditional Emirati cuisine to world-class international fare. The city's fine dining scene is constantly evolving to meet the demands of locals and tourists alike, with a focus on both trendiness and innovation.
One of the standout fine dining experiences in Abu Dhabi is COYA on Al Maryah Island, known for its vibrant Incan-inspired decor and experimental fusion cuisine. The menu blends Latin, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish influences, creating a unique dining experience. For a more traditional Arabic dining experience, the Al Dhafra Dinner Cruise offers a memorable evening with a majlis set-up on the upper deck and air-conditioned lower deck. Here, you can savour Arabic and Middle Eastern dishes while cruising along the Abu Dhabi Corniche.
If you're seeking a modern twist on traditional Lebanese cuisine, Li Beirut is a sophisticated option with captivating sea views. Their menu artfully combines Lebanese and European elements, offering a unique culinary journey. For those who appreciate Cantonese cuisine, Dai Pai Dong in Rosewood Abu Dhabi is a must-visit. Chef Dong showcases his passion in every dish, and the warm and inviting ambiance enhances the overall dining experience.
For an exceptional Japanese dining experience, Zuma on Al Maryah Island stands out with its sophisticated atmosphere and Japanese izakaya-style sharing menu. The intense flavours and beautiful presentation of their signature sushi and robata-grilled meats will surely impress. Another notable fine dining establishment is Hakkasan, housed within the stunning Emirates Palace. Their modern Chinese cuisine has earned Michelin stars, and the combination of opulent design and ambitious cooking creates an unforgettable evening.
When it comes to luxury and dining, Abu Dhabi offers a range of options to suit different tastes and preferences. While meal prices can vary, with street-style meals starting at AED 10-15 and high-end restaurants commanding higher prices, the city's relaxed and modern vibe ensures that you can dress as you like while enjoying world-class cuisine.
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Traditional Emirati cuisine
Meats traditionally used include chicken, small fowl like Houbara bustards, and goats. Camels, valued for their milk and transportation abilities, are reserved for special occasions. The dishes often resemble stews, with everything cooked in a single pot. Saffron, cardamom, turmeric, and thyme are core flavours in Emirati cookery.
A traditional breakfast in the UAE features breads like raqaq, khameer, and chebab, served with cheese, date syrup, or eggs. These breads are cooked over a curved hot plate, similar to the method used by Bedouins. Chebab, or chubab, is a type of yeasted pancake flavoured with cardamom and saffron and often served with butter, honey, or sugar. Another breakfast dish is Baleetat, a combination of sweet and salty elements, including an omelette and sweetened vermicelli with spices and a thin egg omelette on top.
Machboos is the most popular rice dish in Emirati cuisine, enjoyed by locals and expats alike. It can be prepared with chicken, lamb, or fish, and flavoured with cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, lemon, and sometimes saffron. Lamb Machboos is a favourite among diners. Saloona is another traditional Emirati dish, a hybrid between a soup and a stew that combines vegetables and chicken.
Okra salouna, or bzar, is an Emirati spice mix similar to Indian Garam Masala. It is blended with butter and drizzled over soups and stews, as well as a rice dish called Emirati Foga, which has a meat topping.
Seafood has been a mainstay of the Emirati diet for centuries due to the region's fishing trade. Popular seafood dishes include thereed, which combines meat, potatoes, and vegetables, and is best enjoyed with Raqaq bread.
Traditional mealtime customs include welcoming guests with dates and gahwah (Arabic coffee), which are offered throughout their stay. At the end of the meal, it is customary to serve red tea infused with mint as a digestive.
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Arabic and Middle Eastern food
Another popular Arabic dish in Abu Dhabi is Meshwari, which offers a range of fresh and healthy ingredients at affordable prices. The city is also home to many Lebanese restaurants, with shawarmas and shish shawarma being crowd favourites. Tabbouleh, a vegetarian dish made with green onions, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, crushed wheat, and seasoned with lemon juice and fresh mint, is another popular choice in Abu Dhabi.
For those with a sweet tooth, Esh Asarya, also known as the 'bread of the Harem', is a must-try. This Emirati cheesecake is made with bread soaked in lemon juice, rosewater, and orange blossom water, topped with cream. It is one of the most famous Emirati desserts, and a perfect way to end a meal.
The Middle East also offers a diverse array of dishes, with countries like Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, and Iran contributing their unique flavours and cooking methods. Hummus, made from chickpeas and tahini, is a well-known Middle Eastern dish that can be enjoyed as a veggie dip or with pita chips. Pita bread, also known as Arabic or Syrian bread, is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine and is perfect for stuffing with falafel and grilled vegetables.
Other notable Middle Eastern dishes include the Iraqi-Israeli breakfast favourite, Shakshuka, a hearty vegetarian dish; baba ghannouj, a silky dip made from grilled and mashed eggplants; and baklava, a rich dessert made with layered phyllo dough, nuts, and honey.
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Frequently asked questions
Traditional Emirati cuisine is rooted in Middle Eastern cooking traditions and features meat, grain, and dairy. Vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes are also commonly eaten, as are mangoes. Saffron, cardamom, turmeric, and thyme are the core flavours used in Emirati cookery.
Traditional dishes include maq'louba, harees, machbous, frsee'ah, fireed, jisheid, and mishwy. Al Machboos, for example, is made of rice, lamb, chicken, shrimp, beef, vegetables, onions, lemon and spices. Another example is Al Harees, a dish made of meat and wheat, usually cooked during Ramadan and for weddings.
Abu Dhabi has a variety of restaurants that offer world-class cuisine, including Coya, Zuma, Dai Pai Dong, Nusr-Et, and 99 Sushi Bar.
Some popular local dishes in Abu Dhabi include Arabic shawarma, falafel, hummus, and tabbouleh.
Healthy food options in Abu Dhabi include plant-based meal plans from services like Basiligo, which offers clean eating, whole food, plant-rich diet plans with organic ingredients.
