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The gahwa ritual

Gahwa is Arabic coffee brewed with cardamom and saffron, made over open fires, and still poured from a dallah pot at the centre of every gathering. The ritual has rules: the guest is served first, the cup is poured only a quarter full so it can be refilled, and one to three cups is the respectful amount — a gentle shake of the cup means you've had enough. Gahwa was added to UNESCO's cultural heritage list in 2015, and you can join the ritual daily at Bait Al Gahwa at Qasr Al Hosn.

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The dishes to know

Start with harees, wheat and meat slow-cooked to a porridge, the dish of Ramadan and weddings. Machboos is the everyday staple: spiced rice with chicken, lamb or fish. For something sweet, luqaimat are crisp fried dough balls soaked in date syrup, and chebab are Emirati pancakes with date molasses. Most appear on every Emirati menu in the city, so you can work through the list in a week.

Where to eat Emirati

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Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe
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Meylas
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Al Mrzab
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Yadoo's House
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Al Maqam
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Shop where the boats come in

Fresh fish, piled spices and dates by the kilo at Mina Market.
Visit Mina Market

Experience more Abu Dhabi culture

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Emirati culture & heritage
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Museums & art
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Craft & design
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Music & performances
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Poetry & literature

Frequently asked questions

Slow, shared dishes built on rice, wheat, dates and fish: harees, machboos, luqaimat and chebab are the core four. Gahwa, the spiced Arabic coffee with dates starts every meal and every welcome.

Al Fanar, Meylas and Al Mrzab all serve traditional menus, and Bait Al Gahwa at Qasr Al Hosn serves gahwa and dates the ceremonial way.

Aromatic rather than hot with cardamom, saffron, dried lime and cinnamon do the work. Most dishes are mild enough for children.

Arabic coffee brewed with cardamom and saffron, served in small cups from a dallah pot. It's a UNESCO-recognised ritual: guest served first, cup part-filled, and a shake of the cup means no more.

Both travel well. Dates keep for months and khalas is the safe crowd-pleaser. Camel milk chocolate is the gift people haven't seen before.