Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe

If authentic Emirate culture and cuisine is what you’re after, then head to Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe in Abu Dhabi, adjacent to Ferrari World at Yas Mall. This Emirati-themed restaurant and café serves up distinctive, traditional flavours in a nostalgic space. With branches across the emirate, each restaurant boasts unique flavours, including fresh salads, seafood and meats.

This is a great place to step back into the UAE’s past. Kick off your day with a traditional Arabic breakfast or enjoy a mix grill platter for lunch. For dinner, indulge in appetisers to begin, such as grilled jumbo shrimp, grilled squid, deep fried fish roe or ali wallam (thin potato slices oven baked with onion, garlic and Arabic spices).

Main dishes include classic laham nashef (mutton cooked in rich gravy and special spices), machboos samak (fish cooked with yellow rice and simmered in fish stock and Arabic spices) or biryani deyay (chicken served with a mix of rice, onions, lentils, beans and raisins).