This modern Japanese lounge managed to bag what must be one of the most sought-after locations in the city when it opened all those years ago.
Overlooking the Grand Canal and with views of the Grand Mosque in the distance, this is a dream spot for watching the sunset and getting those all-important pics for your needy Instagram followers.
When you have visitors and want to go somewhere that says “see how lucky I am to live in Abu Dhabi?” this is the kind of place you should choose.
It’s for this exact reason that we don’t linger in the restaurant area when we arrive on our latest visit. Indoors is usually very quiet and it’s no different on this occasion. We’ve said it before, but the all-white décor is a little dated in these days of industrial-style starkness. Nevertheless, we head straight outside to the wide, wooden terrace that despite having the same kind of seating, hasn’t got the same slightly old-fashioned vibe, thanks to those views, which immediately capture your attention.
It’s a Friday evening, it’s happy hour and we’re the only customers. That such a prime location can be so quiet, despite having some good deals is a little worrying, but it does mean we can take our pick of the not-quite-white-enough-any-more tables.
You might think that being the sole recipients of the staff’s attention would mean we get served quickly, but you’d be wrong. Thankfully someone does arrive for our order before the happy hour finishes at 8pm.
Classic mixed drinks, shorts, hops and grape are Dhs30 between 5pm and 8pm every day. If you want to push the boat out a lot further there are some insanely expensive bubblies on the menu, and a wider selection of fancier mixed drinks.
It doesn’t take long for our drinks to arrive once we’ve managed to place the order, and the slow start almost fades from the memory once the candles are placed on the tables outside, the sun slowly disappears over the horizon and the funky lounge tunes are turned up.
Sadly, the lack of other patrons really affects the atmosphere and even though it’s such a sweet setting, we don’t linger once our first drinks are finished.
It’s easy to imagine having a great night out here in Sho Cho, but unfortunately until more people fill the bar up, that’s all we’ll be able to do.
WHAT IS IT…
A stylish sushi bar and nightspot overlooking the Grand Canal.
WHY GO…
The views, the terrace and the regular deals.
