Food guide: Where to dine at Yas Mall Abu Dhabi

But first, we dine…

The best way to prepare yourself for a shopping spree is to eat. Behold, your definitive guide on where to fuel up in Yas Mall…

Adrift Burger

After a successful run at Expo 2020 Dubai, Adrift Burger Bar by ‘Gypsy Chef’ David Myers, which began life as a pop-up on Venice Beach, lands in Abu Dhabi as a permanent address at Yas Mall. The menu features a range of burgers, milkshakes and sides, but the DM Burger, once described as ‘The Perfect Burger’ by The New York Times, is the signature here, served with a medium-rare patty topped with Vermont cheddar, lettuce, and secret sauce on a brioche bun.

@adriftburgerbar.ad

Sticky Rice

From a small family-run Thai restaurant in Dubai’s JVC to occupying prime real estate inside Yas Mall, the story of Sticky Rice is heart melting. On the menu, you’ll find refined SE Asian classics such as pad Thai, khao pad, and tom yum alongside rarer finds. We loved the umami-forward local clams stir-fried with fresh garlic. And, for a limited time, diners get the chance to battle the claw to win Kew, Sticky Rice’s cuddly duck mascot.

@stickyriceae

Al Fanar

Initially created to bring traditional Emirati flavours to a wider audience, Al Fanar – located alongside the entrance of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi – mimics a UAE of yesteryear, with stone walls, souk vibes and wind towers in its nostalgic décor. The extensive menu includes a selection of traditional Emirati breakfast options served on long trays, and main dishes of grilled or fried meats and fish, rice dishes and kebabs.

@alfanarrestaurant

Boo

Hailing from the UK, Boo Burger is the latest addition to the UAE’s smash burger scene with its first international branch now open in Yas Mall. Boo promises fast and fresh bites, crafted onsite with the best British and Irish-sourced products to make their classic American burger.

@boo.burgerae

La Serre

This popular Parisian-style bistro and boulangerie – originally from Dubai with outposts now in the capital and Doha – serves a wide range of French fare from onion soup and cordon bleu to escargots and croque monsieur. You should also tap into homemade baked goods, including the oven-fresh brioche iterations, buttery pain au chocolats and their regionally renowned French toast. Read our review here.

@laserreuae

Table Otto

A Kuwait import, Table Otto is an innovative fusion concept that marries French and Italian cuisine. The restaurant gives vintage brasserie vibes with art deco marble floors, brass plating, and a stunning egg timer-shaped brick pizza oven. If you’re breakfasting, go for the madame pastrami with fried eggs, gruyere cheese and mayo sandwiched between brioche. For lunch, it has to be the hot honey pepperoni pizza.

@tableotto.ae

Montauk Boutique Cafe & Restaurant

The first Montauk opened in Al Bateen in March 2021 and has been treating the capital’s coffee connoisseurs to a ‘Hamptons-inspired’ experience ever since. The new Yas Mall location follows through with that same energy, along with a menu made for the Instagram age, with beautiful breakfasts, extravagant mains and interiors fit for fashion mag shoots.

@montaukabudhabi

Huna Foodhall must try’s

BB Social Dining

Part of the eclectic mix of restaurants inside Yas Mall’s new gourmet-centric Huna Food Hall is the newly-opened counter-dining pop-up for BB Social Dining. The celebrated Asian restaurant, originally located in Dubai’s DIFC neighbourhood, serves up baos and Asian-meets-Middle Eastern bowls, barbecue and bites. Pull up a chair and opt for one of the new daily set menus featuring BB favourites, including truffle gems, cauliflower popcorn, chicken bang bang baos, ramen and more.

@bbabudhabi

Saigon

Now with two locations in the UAE – one in Dubai’s JLT neighbourhood and the second inside Huna Food Hall – this beloved authentic Vietnamese eatery is equally satisfying as a late breakfast choice or evening comfort meal. Either way, you’ll find food that is soulful and richly textured, providing unapologetically traditional Vietnamese flavours tempered with contemporary touches. The summer rolls are a must.

@saigon_dxb

Philotimos

The BB Dining boys have also brought their newest brand to Huna Food Hall. Philotimos is their authentic Greek eatery – its original outpost is located in Dar Wasl Mall in Dubai. Within Huna, Philotimos serves a more concise menu broken down into mezze and grill. Highlights include their Greek salad, freshly grilled jumbo prawns in tarhana pasta and melted feta, and the delectable Greek sundae with vanilla soft serve, pistachios and baklava.

@iamphilotimos

Taco Ville

Billing itself as the ‘first Mexican taqueria in Saudi Arabia’, Taco Ville brings their brand to the UAE for the first time. Its menu features shrimp, chicken and beef tacos, chicken and steak quesadillas, burritos and selection of sides, including nachos, papas fritas and fried chicken strips.

@tacoville.uae

Maxzi The Good Food Shop

For steak lovers, some key markers of top-quality beef often include the terms organic and grass-fed. But according to top cattle farmers, real luxury beef is full-blood wagyu fed with chocolates. That’s exactly what’s on offer at Maxzi, which serves up fantastic burgers, paninis, and their all-important steak dishes.

@maxzithegoodfoodshop

House of Joud

With six Joud Coffee’s around town, the new House of Joud in Yas Mall is now its flagship. The chic, homegrown café is known for speciality coffees, big breakfast options, authentic Neapolitan pizza and dainty pastries.

@houseofjoud

Joe & The Juice

Juice and caffeine addicts are pouring into trendy Scandinavian import Joe & The Juice for its super-fresh fruit and veggie juices, shakes, and salad bowls. WI-FI is free and fast so if you’re looking to get some work done this is the place. Cosy armchairs and communal tables fill the bare-bones space, where residents and locals can be seen noshing on the menu’s decent selection of light sandwiches and sipping on juices like the Stress Down with strawberry, apple, and ginger. Read more here.

@joeandthejuiceuae

% Arabica

Similar to other % Arabica locations across the world, the Yas Mall location is decked out with the shop’s signature clean, white aesthetic, a glowing white neon sign, counter seating and a stylish espresso machine. Founder Kenneth Shoji, who embarked on a coffee career in Kyoto a decade ago after purchasing a coffee farm in Hawaii, strives to share quality-minded espresso-based drinks and Chemex drip coffees.

@arabica.uae

Marks & Spencer Café

For a pot of English breakfast tea and a slice of lemon drizzle cake, the M&S café comes up trumps. Located opposite Pottery Barn almost immediately at the entrance, it’s a simple, bright and airy space, and at 1,500 square-feet, it’s easily one of the biggest M&S eateries in the UAE.

@marksandspencerme

Forever Rose Café

A comic book-inspired aesthetic, with chairs and tables that have been covered in white paint and outlined with bold black accents, is the gimmick here at Forever Rose Café, which serves breakfast, lunch, and speciality afternoon tea with 20 sweet and savoury bites, scones and coffee or tea for Dhs300 for two.

@foreverrosecafe