Great new eatery Maté opening soon in Abu Dhabi May 2022

After a new restaurant in Abu Dhabi? Ready for some fire and grills? Maté is opening in the capital very soon in the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi. The new eatery is bringing open-fire brick grill cooking and a fusion of Lebanese and Argentinian flavours. Time Out Abu Dhabi got an exclusive first look look at the new space on Saadiyat Island before it opened on Friday May 6.

Maté Abu Dhabi restaurant with open kitchen and bar

If you like dinner and show, Maté Abu Dhabi strives to give carnivores just that with the aforementioned open-fire brick grill taking up prime real estate in the centre of the room. There’s plenty of counter seating so diners can watch the chefs at work. You should get a full sensory experience as you smell the oak wood, watch the chefs basting and carving then get to taste everything fresh off the grill.

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Maté is about combining the flavours of the north (Lebanon) and the south (Argentina) in a contemporary space. The darkened restaurant has a bar tucked away in one corner and the room is filled with dramatic lighting so you can still see what the chefs are cooking up. The moody Insta vibes continue with artwork that highlights famous Argentinian and Lebanese people.

Even the new restaurant’s name, Maté, references the South American caffeinated herbal drink maté that Lebanese travellers brought back from Argentina. Maté is associated with the communal ceremony of sharing it with friends and family, and the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi restaurant wants that same communal feeling in the restaurant.

Maté Abu Dhabi Seared Scallops with Burnt Ends

Wondering what’s on the Maté menu? As you might have guessed, the licensed spot uses maté in many of its drinks to really bring the theme home. A range of soft mixology and mixed drinks will be available including classics as well as signatures. Yes, the grape menu includes options from Lebanon and Argentina. (Noticing a theme?)

As for the food, Maté is headed by Argentinian chef Mauro who uses a traditional asado cooking style, complete with a traditional Argentinian El Asador grill, but with a modern Lebanese twist. The result is food prepared on a metal frame over a low-burning fire with smoky flavours cooked on wood and charcoal.

All the premium cuts of meats – except for the wagyu – are sourced from Argentina while the organic vegetables come from Lebanon.

Meat-lovers will likely love all the grills, but the menu aims to cater to all, including vegetarians with a mix of meat, seafood and veggie options all available.

Ready to dig in? The Maté menu includes yerba maté smoked beef tartare, beef kofta wood-fire tomato salad with hummus, ember-cooked scallops with burnt avocado and a wagyu tomahawk steak.

Dinners can let time pass away as they take in the cooking and listen to the tunes. The late-night venue will have a playlist featuring electro tango, Mediterranean and deep house beats with a resident DJ spinning to the early hours.

You can discover it all for yourself now that Maté is open from Friday May 6.

Opened Fri May 6. Daily, 6.30pm-11pm (restaurant); 5pm-1am (bar, Sun-Thu), 5pm-2am (bar, Fri-Sat). Licensed. Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, hyatt.com (02 407 1234).