The best bars and cafés - Abu Dhabi in 2025

Practical information : Take a break Abu Dhabi

Timetable

In Abu Dhabi, the hours are very flexible, but let's just say that the day doesn't really start until 10am and the cafes are always full. Here, the key word is to take your time, no one really looks stressed. You won't see anyone running around let alone the Emirati population. They often linger and chat as if time was extensible, men with men, women with women, whether it's during the week or the weekend. If there are no "aperitif" traditions, it is mostly at the end of the evening, after dinner and quite late, that groups of friends meet again for tea and sometimes a shisha. As for the expatriate population, they go out in the numerous hotel bars, quite late at night, and generally from Wednesday to Saturday included. During Ramadan, the hours change. During the day, the establishments are not very busy and most of the places open after sunset and all night long.

Budget & Tips

Abu Dhabi is expensive, even for a coffee. Hotel bars are particularly expensive because of the high taxes on alcohol. Everywhere you can pay with a credit card and you can leave a tip of around 5-10%, although this is by no means a requirement.

Age restrictions

Alcohol can only be consumed from the age of 21, and the legislation is very strict. It is difficult to enter bars under this age. Please note, however, that it is forbidden to consume alcohol on the public highway or in public spaces that are not regulated for it.

What's very local

In the middle of the afternoon, one can find in all the neighborhood cafes, hotel lobbies and shopping malls, Emirati friends and families who come to have tea, coffee and especially to eat some pastries. It is also very popular to smoke a shisha as soon as the sun goes down. It is not uncommon to drink coffee until very late in the evening, because we do not go to bed early in the city. Remember that a large part of the population does not drink alcohol. It is absolutely necessary to try the coffees and dates, signs of the local hospitality.

Kids

Children are welcome everywhere except in the bars and there will be no exceptions.

The best bars and cafés Abu Dhabi

ART HOUSE CAFE

OBSERVATION DECK AT 300

LA CUISINE DE MANOU

PJ O'REILLY’S

TENTES À CHICHA

PALM COURT COFFEE SHOP

ORNINA ARABIAN LOUNGE

STRATOS LOUNGE BAR & GRILL

MC GETTIGANS

CARTEL CAFE

HILTONIA CLUB HOUSE

HERITAGE VILLAGE CAFE

TRADER VIC'S

LEVEL LOUNGE

TJAARZ COFFEE WORK

SPACE CAFE

BARFLY BY BUDDHA BAR

L'ATTITUDE

HORIZON TERRACE

ESCAPE RESTAURANT & CAFE

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