Best takeaways in Abu Dhabi

What’s On reveals the best takeaways in Abu Dhabi, including pizza, Indian, Japanese, burgers, Lebanese, Asian, Thai, Mexican and healthy.

PIZZA

Pizza di Rocco
How long they said it would take: 30 to 45 minutes
How long it actually took: 42 minutes
Pizza di Rocco is regarded by many as one of Abu Dhabi’s best spots to grab a piece of pie. Our lunchtime order consisted of two pizzas: the diavola and the verdure. The former was exemplary and proof that sticking to simple ingredients is often best. Big discs of spicy salami covered a thin crust with cheese and some oregano. The verdure in contrast was a bit of a dud. The abundance of veg (mushrooms, onions, olives and aubergine) sounded great, but there was so much it turned the whole pizza into a sloppy mess. Less really would have been more. A nice touch was receiving a call from the restaurant hours later to ask for feedback.

Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 11am to midnight. Tel: (02) 6418300. Taxi: Corner of Salam and Falah Streets, Tourist Club. pizzadirocco.com

Two more to try…

Biancorosso
Italian pizzas cooked by Italians, and the super-thin crusts are good. Try the parmigiana with aubergine, turkey breast and parmesan.

Biancorosso, Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Thur 11am to 11pm, Fri 3pm to 11pm. Tel: (02) 6584244. Taxi: Y Tower, Al Mamoura. biancorossoitaly.com

Pizzeria Olivella
We’ve found the service here to be a little on the wayward side when dining in, so getting a pizza delivered is a good compromise as the food is excellent.

Pizzeria Olivella, Fotouh Al Khair, Abu Dhabi, daily 11am to 10.30pm. Tel: (02) 6225111. Taxi: Marks And Spencer building. olivella.ae

LEBANESE

Mono
How long they said it would take: 45 minutes
How long it actually took: 43 minutes
The perky, joking voice at the end of the line wasn’t joking about the delivery time. It was almost correct to the minute. The portion sizes here aren’t to be mocked, either: we were given enough food to last three days, thanks to a tonne of extras including flatbreads, pickles, salads, garlic sauce and tabbouleh. Mono’s mixed grill is a decent bet for a takeaway order (the meat wasn’t stringy or dry), although the chips arrived cold and soggy. We ordered a plate of falafels that were the size of golf balls, and were delighted to see we’d been given a bigger portion than stated in the menu – we got 15 instead of 12. They were a tad dry on their own, but leapt into life when added to the hummus and wraps. The quality of the packing was also excellent, no spillages here, and, with the bill coming in at Dhs75, we’d class it as a bit of a bargain.

Al Dhafrah, Abu Dhabi, daily 9am to midnight. Tel: (02) 6416655. Taxi: Opposite Burjeel Hospital, Defense Road

Two more to try…

Lebanese Flower
An Abu Dhabi institution selling mixed grills, escalope, seafood, and mezze. Portions again are gigantic.

Al Matar, Abu Dhabi, daily 7am to 3am. Tel: (02) 4488130. Taxi: Lebanese Flower, Muroor Road, near Alam Supermarket. lebaneseflowerrestaurant.com

Mora Levantine
Quirky service at this Levantine eatery, but the food’s well made and it’s wallet-friendly. The shakshouka, traditionally a breakfast dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, is a great option.

Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 8am to midnight. Tel: (02) 6455532. Taxi: Opposite Abu Dhabi Mall 

HEALTHY

Urban Bites
How long they said it would take: 30 minutes
How long it actually took: 28 minutes
All those rich, calorific buffets at iftar can take their toll on your body. But if you’re at home and fancy banking a few calories for your next feast, Urban Bites delivers healthy sandwiches, pasta and noodle dishes. Try the fusilli, which is a big circular tub of pasta served cold with aubergine, courgette, butternut squash, onion, pine nuts and walnut pesto. We also ordered the soba noodles, a colourful but bland dish only rescued by a spicy coriander dressing. The wholemeal ciabatta with chicken and avocado was a hearty, fresh sarnie, which wasn’t sloppy or smothered in mayo: it’s worth ordering in for lunch if you’re not fasting this month. Urban Bites left us with a smile on our faces. The food is filling and healthy.

Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Thur 7am to 10pm, Fri noon to 10pm. Tel: (02) 2222302. Taxi: Shining Tower, Khalidiyah. urbanbites.me

Two more to try…

Slices
Choose from a massive selection of salads and sandwiches at Slices. Plus, they do power smoothies with whey protein.

Al Nayhan, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Thur 7am to 6pm, Sat 7am to 5pm. Tel: (02) 4918599. Taxi: Al Mamoura Building. slices.ae

Bite Rite
On a diet? Bite Rite’s menu even includes the calories of dishes on it, from omelettes to turkey patties and grilled sandwiches to pizzas.

Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi, daily 8am to 11pm. Tel: (02) 6179847. Taxi: NMC Hospital, Electra Street. biterite.ae

ASIAN

Hanoi Naturally
How long they said it would take: 45 minutes
How long it actually took: 23 minutes
A polite and efficient telephone manner and an even more efficient service form Hanoi, who were knocking on our door in half the quoted delivery time. This Vietnamese restaurant has built up a reputation for serving quality grub in Abu Dhabi minus the calories. The caramelised ginger chicken was incredibly fragrant and the meat was bouncy and soft. The colourful lemongrass and chilli tofu dish tasted sweet without being sickly and was again swamped with veg. There’s unfortunately a minimum spend on deliveries of Dhs100, so we bolstered our order with a sweet potato shrimp patty, which was cold, limp and a let-down compared to the rest of the order.

Al Markaziyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to 11pm. Tel: (02) 6251112. Taxi: Opposite NBAD, Khalifa Street

Two more to try…

The Noodle House
Good food, although portions could be bigger considering the steep prices. The Thai style chili prawns with basil are a must-try.

 Al Wahda Mall, Al Wahda, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Wed noon to 11.30pm, Thur to Sat noon to midnight. Tel: (02) 4437391. Taxi: Al Wahda Mall. thenoodlehouse.com

Kawloon
Recently reopened after a refurb, the specials are a sight to behold here at Kawloon, especially the whole garlic lobster on a plate.

Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to 3.30pm, 6pm to midnight. Tel: (02) 6715299. Taxi: Tourist Club Area, Electra Park

THAI

Lemongrass
How long they said it would take: 45-60 minutes 
How long it actually took: 48 minutes
If you have rumbling tummies, then Lemongrass won’t be for you. The portion sizes for some dishes are not just small, they’re miniscule, which considering the prices might leave a sour taste in your mouth. Lemongrass’s pad Thai might also leave a sour taste, and we found it a tangy disappointment with not enough peanuts or egg for our liking. We fared better with the spring rolls, though: they’re sturdy and full of delicately shredded veg – a dip into some plum sauce will perk up proceedings. The chicken red curry raised the whole meal, although we’d have liked the sauce to have delivered more of a kick and been thicker. You might have to order two rice portions with your meal, though, as they’re so small ours was gone before we’d eaten half of the curry. There are good dishes here but you’ll need recommendations, or repeat orders, to find them.

Mushrif Mall, Al Mushrif, Sun to Thur noon to 10.30pm, Fri and Sat noon to 11.30pm. Tel: (02) 6500205. Taxi: Mushrif Mall. lemongrassrestaurants.com

Two more to try…

Royal Orchid
Decent Thai food just of Salaam Street. Try the curiously named magic prawns and lemongrass seafood sticks.

Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to 3.30pm, 7pm to 11pm. Tel: (02) 6779911. Taxi: Adnoc Building, between Salam Street and Electra Street

Thai Express
Another Thai in a mall but the menu here is varied, featuring a few dishes we’d not seen before. Make sure you order the papaya salad with shrimp.

Khalidiyah Mall, Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 11am to 11pm. Tel: (02) 6396630. Taxi: Khalidiyah Mall

BURGERS

Grand Central
How long they said it would take: 30 minutes
How long it actually took: 34 minutes
A deluge of recent openings means its reputation as the city’s most talked about burger joint might be under threat, but Grand Central still serves satisfying patties. We ordered a beef burger with cheddar, onions and mushrooms, plus a veggie burger with a portobello mushroom, cheddar and a fried egg. A portion of sweet potato fries rounded off proceedings, which, while nicely cooked (crunchy on the outside, soft within) lacked pizzazz. The meat burgers here are always of a very high quality, neither greasy nor sloppy, and extremely well made. But it didn’t take long for the veg option to disintegrate into pieces in our hands, and we were left wondering if there were a few too many ingredients involved. Our only issue was with the food’s temperature – the burgers were lukewarm and the fries cold by the time they arrived. 

Grand Central, Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, daily 11.30am to 11.30pm. Tel: (02) 6426499. Taxi: Behind NBAD, Muroor Road. grandcentral.ae

Two more to try…

Burger Hood
An enormous selection of burgers, sliders, hotdogs and Philly steak sandwiches – that hit dish from Philadelphia, USA, can be had here.

Guardian Towers, Al Madina Al Riyadiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 11am to 11pm. Tel: (02) 4499990. Taxi: American International School of Abu Dhabi, near Holiday Inn. bhuae.com

Burger Bureau
The standard here can be hit and miss, but it’s great when they get it right. A diverse menu includes build-your-own burgers, plus unexpected dishes such as salt and pepper squid.

Various locations, including Al Wahda Mall, Al Wahda, Abu Dhabi, daily 11am to 11pm. Tel: (800) 1287437. Taxi: Al Wahda Mall. facebook.com/burgerbureau

MEXICAN

Cantina Laredo
How long they said it would take: 45 minutes
How long it actually took: 41 minutes
Ordering here was an awkward affair, as it was clear we were speaking to a call centre and not the restaurant. The lady taking our order had little knowledge of the menu and had to call us back when we asked questions about the dishes. The food fared better, though. The vegetarian quesadillas and the chicken fajitas with soft corn tortillas were both winners. Portion sizes were huge and could easily serve four. The food didn’t feel too unhealthy: the quesadillas were served with loads of carrot, onion and broccoli. We ordered a side of guacamole only for both dishes to arrive with their own side of the dip.

Khalidiyah Mall, Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Wed 11am to midnight, Thur and Fri 11am to 1am. Tel: (02) 6354877. Taxi: Khalidiyah Mall. facebook.com/CantinaLaredoUAE

Two more to try…

Chili’s
You’ll find tacos and quesadillas on the menu at this chain from America’s southwest. Try the trio of fajitas.

Various locations including Deerfields Townsquare, Al Shahama, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Thur 10am to 10pm, Fri and Sat 1pm to midnight. Tel: (600) 561112. chilisuae.com

TGI Fridays
Another American chain with plenty of Tex-Mex dishes, including nachos, fajitas and quesadillas.

Various locations, including Al Mushrif Mall, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Wed 9am to 11pm, Thur to Sat 11am to 3pm. Tel: (600) 523334. Taxi: Mushrif Mall. tgifridays.com

INDIAN

Lazeez
How long they said it would take: 60 minutes
How long it actually took: 30 minutes
A big round of applause for the friendly staff at Lazeez, who managed to deliver in half the time they estimated. But a curry in a hurry needs to taste good as well, and Lazeez’s dishes proved to be pleasing enough. To start we tucked into a bhel puri (puffed rice, vegetables and tamarind sauce) and dahi papdi chat (yoghurt with potatoes and small crunchy pieces of deep fried bread, tamarind chutney and chilli powder). The bhel was disappointingly sharp and sour, but the papdi was a knockout dish, with a great consistency: the yoghurt and the spuds made sure it didn’t taste too sweet. Big is beautiful at Lazeez, it seems, as all portions were substantial and weighty. The murg tawa masala had huge chunks of chicken off the bone, plus garlic the size of onions. The palak paneer makai was packed with giant pieces of paneer in a thick creamy sauce. Lazeez’s food also arrived piping hot and the delivery man refused to take our tip. One word of warning: the food is piping hot in more ways than one: our taste buds were on fire by the end of the meal.

Lazeez, Al Markaziyah, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (02) 6777070. Taxi: Behind E-Max building, near national cinema, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street. lazeez-uae.com

Two more to try…

Biryani Pot
Posh Indian in The Galleria, which also delivers. Try the excellent, signature biryani in a pot, which comes with a bread roof.

Biryani Pot, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Wed 7.30am to 10.30pm, Thur and Fri 10.30am to 11pm. Tel: (02) 6766555. Taxi: Galleria, Al Maryah Island. biryanipot.ae

Chhappan Bhog
There’s a street food vibe to the menu here. The dosas are magnificent and they also sell a huge selection of Indian sweets.

Chhappan Bhog, Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi, daily 9am to 11.30pm. Tel: (02) 6778864. Taxi: Adnoc Building, between Salam Street and Electra Street

JAPANESE

Fresh Way
How long they said it would take: 40 minutes
How long it actually took: 38 minutes
A bit of a hidden gem, but it comes with a warning: the ordering process can be tricky. When we called, most items on the menu weren’t available, meaning our telephone call lasted almost 10 minutes. However, what they did have made it worth the hassle. The shrimp tempura is great value: two jumbo prawns, plus plenty of battered aubergine, carrot, okra and courgette. The sushi was immense – the chunks of salmon and tuna nigiri were so big they smothered the rice like a duvet. The rainbow nori maki was equally as plump. With a bit more TLC given to the menu, this could become the go-to place in the city for sushi.

 Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (02) 6503028. Taxi: Corner of Salam and Hamdan Street, Tourist Club. facebook.com/FreshwaySushiJapaneseCuisine

Two more to try…

Samurai
Decent sushi and a teppanyaki menu featuring beef tenderloin and cuttlefish.

Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 12.30pm to 12.30am. Tel: (02) 6766612. Taxi: Al Diar Capital Hotel, Meena Street, Tourist Club. samurai.ae

Sushi Central
A well-established Japanese joint – the gyoza and salads are good.

Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (600) 520007. Taxi: opposite Dana Plaza, Al Khalidiyah. sushicentral.ae