Have you been to Zuma yet? If not, you really should go. We’re pretty sure everyone who reads Time Out Abu Dhabi likes a slap-up meal, so make a booking, you won’t regret it.
So, why are we telling you about it now? Well, the Japanese eatery has just been named our Restaurant of the Year, again. After wins in 2015 and 2016, the Al Maryah Island venue gave another restaurant a chance 12 months ago, when neighbour COYA picked up the title after a barnstorming year.
However, like all good champions, Zuma didn’t panic and instead concentrated on what it does best in 2018 – incredible service and superb cooking, and in doing so rose to the top again.
It’s not easy choosing the winner of this award, we spend a long time going back to the top contenders again and again (each time dining anonymously and paying out of our own pocket) to make sure we make the correct final decision.
There are no votes for our awards, and they’re not influenced by advertising spend or any commercial pressure, the choices are made based on the experiences of our team of experts in the city’s dining scene. The decisions are impartial and made so you know where best to spend your money and time.
We know it’s not the most affordable place, but we really do think it represents great value for money. There’s nowhere that is this consistent across everything it does. From the booking to the welcome, to the service and the quality, we’ve never been let down by a visit to Zuma.
The brunch is a fantastic way to sample the restaurant’s big hitters, and dishes that maybe you wouldn’t always order. The choice is incredible, and the house beverage package comes in at less than Dhs500. It’s just won our first Fine Dining Brunch award, which shows just how much we love it.
We know there are people that say it’s not traditional Japanese cooking, and as a global chain it should be good. To those people we say, order some sashimi, robata and miso black cod and tell us it isn’t great. We’ll wait.
Al Maryah Island (02 401 5900).
WHAT IS IT…
The best restaurant in Abu Dhabi, bar none
WHY GO…
See above. That’s why
