Our glorious capital attracts some of the best talent in the food world, with sensational international restaurants such as 99 Sushi Bar talents like No.Fifty Seven Boutique Cafe flourishing in the city.
Abu Dhabi has embraced plenty of food trends over the years, with some sticking around (think avocado on toast) and others over in the blink of an eye (the less said about rainbow food the better).
In 2021, Abu Dhabi has already picked up on plenty of global crazes already, and we’ve rounded up seven to try right now.
We wonder which ones will be around to see 2022, and which ones will be left in the dust…
Do-it-yourself kits to ease you into cooking
During lockdown last year, we all tried our handin the kitchen, from baking our own bread to perfecting our best comfort food dishes. And while some attempts were more than successful than others, now that we’re back in the office most of us are perfectly happy to hang up our chefs’ whites. But if you’re still craving the feeling of a home-cooked meal, do-it-yourself cooking boxes can give you the best of both worlds.
Where to try it: Carrefour has just launched at home recipe boxes, and you can learn how to make chicken and mushroom tagliatelle, salmon teriyaki salad or aubergine masala.
Fine dining is back on the agenda
All that cooking at home in 2020 has given us a newfound appreciation for the amount of effort and skill that goes into dishes at restaurants across the city, and we’re not afraid to shell out some serious cash to try it. From Japanese and Italian to French and Peruvian, there’s no shortage of spenny spots to enjoy some next-level grub in Abu Dhabi..
Where to try it: Zuma, the current title holder of our best fine dining brunch award, seems like an excellent place to start.
Gourmet food halls are HOT right now
Planning a trip to Dubai any time soon? Then we think you should be heading over to Time Out Market, where you can enjoy the best of the city’s restaurants and bars under one roof. No longer will you have to trek from Pitfire in JLT for Dubai’s best pizza before heading up to BB Social Dining in DIFC for wagyu katsu sandos. In case you’re not in the loop, Time Out Market is the region’s first editorially curated (that means Time Out Dubai editors chose the vendors) food hall at Souk Al Bahar and has top eateries including Brix, Local Fire by The Mattar Farm, Long Teng, folly Workshop and Pickl. It’s easily the coolest place in the city right now (and we’re not just saying that).
Where to try it: Time Out Market is at Souk Al Bahar in Downtown Dubai, and you can find everything you need to know about visiting by clicking here.
Ghost kitchens (well, some of them)
Setting up a restaurant in Abu Dhabi is expensive, and here at Time Out we’ve seen plenty of promising concepts come and go in the blink of an eye. Ghost kitchens, aka delivery-only spots, can reduce costs massively for startups, and mean restaurants can test the waters before shelling out on seating and service staff. We’ve certainly spent a lot of the past year scrolling through our favourite delivery apps on the hunt for deals, and plenty of ghost kitchens have caught our eye.
Where to try it: While POKAI actually has a physical restaurant in Dubai, fans of poke bowls in Abu Dhabi can instead get their fix through Deliveroo thanks to the brand’s ghost kitchen in the city.
Immune-boosting foods for the win
With the focus on health over the past year, it makes sense that people across the globe are looking to boost their immune system. While we can’t claim to be nutritionists, nor would we recommend overhauling your diet without first chatting to a professional, there are plenty of healthy restaurants and other dishes packed with vitamins that claim to help your body fight against illness.
Where to try it: The Raw Place offers up organic cold-pressed juices across the UAE, and you can grab trendy immune C or ginger shots.
Low-waste meals (for the planet)
For those of us who are looking to reduce our carbon footprint, living in Abu Dhabi can throw up plenty of obstacles. While shopping at the supermarket, it’s basically impossible to avoid single-use plastic packaging; when we order in, we end up with tonnes of plastic cutlery (even if we say we don’t need it); and eating out at a restaurant often means at least a few rogue plastic straws making it to the table. Eco-friendly packaging is on the rise in Abu Dhabi, meaning you can tuck into a takeaway without having to feel sad looking at a drawer filled with unused plastic spoons and a bin overflowing with non-recyclable takeaway containers.
Where to try it: Freedom Pizza has ditched plastic straws and moved over to biodegradable cutlery, making that late-night pizza less guilt-inducing than ever.
Plant-based eating and living
Plant-based food has been on the rise for years, and in 2021 it shows no sign of slowing down. The vegan foodie scene in Abu Dhabi is booming, with Cooper’s offering up new vegan dishes, Rosewood Abu Dhabi hosting nights dedicated to showing off the best plant-based food, and Starbucks adding veggie-friendly options to its menu. New spots are popping up all the time, and you can read all about them in our dedicated vegan Abu Dhabi section here.
Where to try it: Basically everywhere in Abu Dhabi has a meat-free menu these days, but we think you should be heading over to Wild & The Moon for the dreamy cookie ice cream sandwich.
