We’ll admit it, we love fine food but we aren’t so keen on paying through the nose for it. So, if you’re also sick of forking out for overpriced grub, we’ve tracked down some of the tastiest cheap meals Abu Dhabi has to offer. Here’s where to go if you want to enjoy a great dinner without dropping too many dirhams.
Pizza Amore: This humble pizza joint might charge you next to nothing, but it still manages to give it’s fancier wood-fired, rocket leaf-strewn competition a run for its money. Its pizzas, garlic bread and salads are all well-prepared, and you can even add some caviar to your pie for the princely sum of Dhs6. We make that approximately 700 per cent cheaper than other purveyors of the fishy delicacy – a bona fide bargain.
Eat for under Dhs50: Small Pizza Amore Dhs26, plus extra caviar Dhs6. Total: Dhs32. Tourist Club Area (02 644 9990)
Just Falafel: The menu might be a little limited: you can have a falafel sandwich, or uh, a falafel sandwich. But they come in all sorts of varieties, including Mexican, Indian and Greek, and are extremely satisfying. Best of all, the price means Just Falafel is a real just-before-payday lifesaver – in fact, it’s truly embarrassing how often we have to ring the gents at Just Falafel and beg them to bring us just a Dhs7 wrap. If you feel like really pushing the boat out, add fries and a soft drink for an extra Dhs5.
Eat for under Dhs50: Regular Lebanese sandwich Dhs7, plus fries and soft drink Dhs5. Total: Dhs12 Hamdan Street (02 626 2099)
Samurai: We can safely say this is the only budget sushi spot in the capital. If you’re used to spending eye-watering amounts of money on raw fish, you’ll love this casual Japanese cafeteria, which serves up sushi and sashimi, as well as awhole range of authentic regional platefuls for a snip. Portions are very generous, and their bento boxes include rice, miso soup and salad, as well as fish or meat.
Eat for under Dhs50: Tori Teri Bento Dhs45. Mina Road (02 676 6612)
Le Boulanger: It’s not that this place is any cheaper than the other Arabic restaurants in the city, which are, on the whole, reasonably priced and comfortably under Dhs50 per person anyway. But we certainly don’t know of any others in Abu Dhabi that offer such sensational views over the Gulf waters, which you can enjoy while you tuck into your moutabel and fattoush. Le Boulanger might be in a prime location, but it hasn’t bumped its prices up to match, so you get to enjoy your meal from the waterside sofas overlooking the Corniche (possibly the most romantic scenery in the city), and a remarkably low bill. It’s almost too good to be true.
Eat for under Dhs50: Spicy fish, served with fries and salad Dhs35. Breakwater Road (055 324 8043)
Hanoi: One of the city’s best loved budget eateries, this Vietnamese cafe is constantly packed out with people tucking into huge steaming bowls of pho, the country’s national dish. Essentially a noodle soup made with beef or chicken, vegetables and herbs it’s as healthy as it is inexpensive. Just one word of warning – be prepared for long queues at lunchtime.
Eat for under Dhs50: pho with beef or chicken: Dhs25. Khalifa Bin Zayed Street (02 626 1112)
