Here it is: the Time Out Abu Dhabi Restaurant Awards 2012 shortlist. The restaurants below have been chosen by our panel of judges because they are among the best in their field.
Whether new and old, big or small, flash or understated, we are happy to name any of the restaurants below and say ‘if you want a good meal, try here’.
The capital’s top restaurants in each field – and the city’s best restaurant overall – are somewhere in the listings below. They will be revealed at the glittering ceremony at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi on Monday November 5.
View more on Time Out Abu Dhabi Restaurant Awards 2012
BEST BAR FOOD
Chameleon (Fairmont Bab Al Bahr)
Belgian Café (InterContinental)
Left Bank (Souk Qaryat Al Beri)
Stars ’n’ Bars (Yas Marina & Yacht Club)
Cooper’s (Park Rotana)
The Retreat (The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa)
Y Bar (Yas Rotana)
Stills (Crowne Plaza Yas Island)
BEST BUSINESS LUNCH
Kababs & Kurries (The Souk Central Market)
Prego’s (Beach Rotana)
Toki (Hilton Abu Dhabi)
Jones the Grocer (Various locations)
Shang Palace (Shangri-La Hotel)
BEST CAFE
Nolu’s Cafe (Al Bandar)
Jones the Grocer (Various locations)
Shakespeare and Co. (Various locations)
Café Arabia (Al Mushrif)
Api Cae Gourmet (Al Khalidiyah)
BEST FAMILY
Jones the Grocer (Various locations)
Shakespeare and Co. (Various locations)
Stars ’n’ Bars (Yas Marina & Yacht Club)
Grand Central (Al Mamoura)
Nolu’s Cafe (Al Bandar)
Flavours (Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort)
BEST BRUNCH
Pearls & Caviar (Shangri-La Hotel)
CuiScene (Fairmont Bab Al Bahr)
Origins (Yas Viceroy)
Le Deck (Monte-Carlo Beach Club)
Bubbalicious (The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa)
Café Arabia (Al Mushrif)
Sofra Bld (Shangri-La Hotel)
Oléa (The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort)
BEST BUDGET
Tanjara (Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre & Gold Centre)
Tarbouche al Basha (The Souk Central Market)
Hanoi Café (Khalifa Street)
Le Beaujolais (Mercure Centre Hotel)
De Thali (Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre & Gold Centre)
BEST ROMANTIC
Bord Eau (Shangri-La Hotel)
Pearls & Caviar (Shangri-La Hotel)
Finz (Beach Rotana)
Beach House (Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas)
Sontaya (The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort)
BEST SEAFOOD
Finz (Beach Rotana)
Sayad (Emirates Palace Hotel)
Fishmarket (InterContinental)
Pearls & Caviar (Shangri-La Hotel)
La Mer (Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche)
BEST STEAKHOUSE
Marco Pierre White (Fairmont Bab Al Bahr)
Rodeo Grill (Beach Rotana)
Entrecote (Souk Qaryat Al Beri)
The Park Bar and Grill (Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas)
55&5th, The Grill (The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort)
BEST CHINESE
Shang Palace (Shangri-La Hotel)
Hakkasan (Emirates Palace Hotel)
Shanghai Surprise (Al Diar Capital Hotel)
New City Palace (Khalifa Street)
Mongolian Chinese Restaurant (Khalifa Complex Building)
BEST CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN
Etoiles (Emirates Palace Hotel)
Bord Eau (Shangri-La Hotel)
Amador Restaurant and Cellar (Park Rotana)
Kennedy (The Armed Forces Officers’ Club & Hotel)
Sardinia (Abu Dhabi Country Club)
BEST INDIAN
Ushna (Souk Qaryat Al Beri)
India Palace (Various locations)
Kwality (Al Salam Street)
Kababs & Kurries (The Souk Central Market)
Angar (Yas Viceroy)
De Thali (Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre & Gold Centre)
Evergreen Vegetarian Restaurant (Al Markaziyah)
BEST INTERNATIONAL
Rosewater (Jumeirah at Etihad Towers)
Vasco’s (Hilton Abu Dhabi)
Sofra Bld (Shangri-La Hotel)
CuiScene (Fairmont Bab Al Bahr)
BBQ Al Qasr (Emirates Palace Hotel)
Beach House (Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas)
Ginger (Park Rotana)
BEST ITALIAN
Prego’s (Beach Rotana)
Mezzaluna (Emirates Palace Hotel)
Spaccanapoli (Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi)
Porto Bello (Grand Millennium Al Wahda)
Frankie’s (Fairmont Bab Al Bahr)
Bocca (Hilton Abu Dhabi)
Biancorosso (Al Nahyan)
Sevilo’s (Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi)
Pappagallo (Le Méridien Abu Dhabi)
BEST JAPANESE
Toki (Hilton Abu Dhabi)
Toshi (Grand Millennium Al Wahda)
The Yacht Club (InterContinental)
Taiki (Al Ain Palace Hotel)
Sho Cho (Souk Qaryat Al Beri)
BEST MENA
Atayeb (Yas Viceroy)
Li Beirut (Jumeirah at Etihad Towers)
Tarbouche al Basha (The Souk Central Market)
Saudi Cuisine VIP (Al Khalidiyah)
Agadir (The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa)
Mawal (Hilton Abu Dhabi)
Lebanese Flower (various locations)
Tanjara (Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre & Gold Centre)
Abdel Wahab (Souk Qaryat Al Beri)
BEST SOUTH EAST ASIAN
Cho Gao (Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi)
Rouge (Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi)
Quest (Jumeirah at Etihad Towers)
Sontaya (The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort)
Silk & Spice (Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche)
Talay (Le Méridien Abu Dhabi)
BEST AFTERNOON TEA
The Drawing Room (The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort)
The Library (Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas)
The Chocolate Gallery (Fairmont Bab Al Bahr)
Le Café (Emirates Palace)
Lobby Lounge (Jumeirah at Etihad Towers)
BEST NEWCOMER
18° (Hyatt Capital Gate)
55&5th, The Grill (The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort)
Park Bar and Grill (Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas)
Nolu’s Cafe (Al Bandar)
Amador Restaurant and Cellar (Park Rotana)
