The 15 Best Indian Restaurants in Abu Dhabi Right Now

Abu Dhabi takes its Indian food seriously. This is a city where a Michelin-listed tasting menu on the Corniche and a banana-leaf seafood feast in Najda can both be the best meal of your week, and where everyone from your office manager to your building’s security guard has a firm opinion on who does the proper biryani.

So we did the legwork. We cross-checked every restaurant below against its official listing, pulled the latest MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi selection, read through the past year of public reviews and trawled the Reddit threads where residents argue about dosa at midnight. The result is 15 Indian restaurants in Abu Dhabi worth your appetite, split into date-night splurges and wallet-friendly local legends. With Diwali landing in early November, now is the time to lock in a table.

Quick picks: the best Indian restaurant in Abu Dhabi for…

• A proper splurge: Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
• Big groups and big kebabs: Punjab Grill, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal
• Regional cooking done properly: Namak, Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi
• Waterfront date night: Zeera by Buddha-Bar, Yas Bay Waterfront
• Grand Mosque views: Ushna, Souk Qaryat Al Beri
• Hotel-restaurant value: Indigo, Beach Rotana
• Vegetarians: Pincode by Kunal Kapur (upscale) or Sangeetha (everyday)
• Kerala seafood: High Range, Najda Street
• Hyderabadi biryani: Aadaab Hyderabad, Electra
• Pani puri: Chaat Junction

Fine dining and date-night Indian restaurants in Abu Dhabi

These are the tablecloth-and-cocktail options for anniversaries, visiting in-laws and nights when the butter chicken needs to come with a view.

1. Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi – Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental

The biggest name on the list, in the grandest building. Chef Hemant Oberoi spent years as grand chef of India’s Taj group and Martabaan is his modern Indian showcase, a MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi selected restaurant with Gulf views and its own Tikka Le Bar. The tasting menu is the move if you want the full story, but the à la carte hits just as hard: think varqui crab, slow-braised dum ki nalli and Amritsari chole kulche, with a masala chai crème brûlée to finish.

• Where: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, West Corniche Road, Al Ras Al Akhdar
• Book: +971 2 690 7999 or moauh-restaurants@mohg.com
• Hours: 12.30pm to 10pm (check midweek closures when you book)
• Budget: Splurge. Licensed.
• Order: Varqui crab, dum ki nalli, masala chai crème brûlée

Vibe check: Diners rave about the flavour, the plating and seriously strong vegetarian options, just go in knowing your card is attending this dinner too and flag any dietary swaps twice so nothing gets lost between the palace corridors.

2. Punjab Grill – The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal

A long-standing fixture in the Venetian Village and still one of the most consistently loved Indian restaurants in the city. Punjab Grill does royal North Indian and Punjabi cooking with a lot of theatre, from the peacock-themed dining room to a canal-side terrace that comes into its own once the weather cools. It is MICHELIN selected, and its private rooms make it a strong shout for family milestones (see our guide to the best private dining rooms in Abu Dhabi).

• Where: The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal, Venetian Village, Al Maqta
• Book: +971 50 668 3054
• Hours: Daily from 12.30pm until midnight, with later closing on some weekend nights
• Budget: Splurge, from around AED 185 per person (AED 370 plus for two)
• Order: Kashmiri lamb chops, butter chicken, coconut prawns

Vibe check: With well over a thousand glowing reviews, this is the one people bring visiting parents to, just ask for the terrace in winter and make sure the starters land hot, because nobody wants a lukewarm tikka at these prices.

3. Namak – Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi

Namak (it means salt) takes you on a lap of India’s regions, and it is the lamb that keeps people coming back. The Kashmiri rogan josh and kakori reshmi seekh are the headline acts, and the royal sharing platters make light work of feeding a table. It is MICHELIN selected, yet it still offers a vegetarian thali at AED 95 and a weekend family feast at AED 139 per person, which makes it a smart alternative to a hotel brunch in Abu Dhabi.

• Where: Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street (Muroor Road), Al Nahyan
• Book: +971 2 698 8137 or reservation.table@dusit.com
• Hours: Wednesday to Friday 7pm to 11.30pm; Saturday and Sunday 12.30pm to 11.30pm; closed Monday and Tuesday
• Budget: Mid-range to splurge, royal sharing platters AED 225 to AED 425
• Order: Kashmiri rogan josh, kakori reshmi seekh, bhatti ka bhuna gosht

Vibe check: Portions are generous, the service team get namechecked in review after review and the room feels special without being stiff, so the only real way to mess this up is turning up on a Monday and staring at a closed door.

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Namak is dinner-only on weekdays and shuts Monday and Tuesday. For a lazy weekend lunch, book the family feast on Saturday or Sunday and give yourself the afternoon to recover.

4. Zeera by Buddha-Bar – Yas Bay Waterfront

Modern Indian sharing plates with a Yas Bay backdrop, live entertainment and a shisha terrace for when the evenings cool down. Zeera has picked up a steady run of local Best Indian awards since opening, and its Kerala-leaning dishes are the ones to chase: Thalassery fish biryani, pepper mutton and prawn molee. The multi-course tasting menu is a fun way to try a bit of everything before a show at Etihad Arena. More ideas for the area are in our Yas Bay Waterfront guide.

• Where: The Pier, Yas Bay Waterfront, Yas Island
• Book: +971 50 601 1193 or zeera-abudhabi.com
• Hours: Daily 2pm to midnight
• Budget: Mid-range to splurge. Licensed.
• Order: Thalassery fish biryani, pepper mutton, beetroot kebab

Vibe check: The waterfront setting and the tasting menu win people over almost instantly, just skip the big-night rush like New Year’s Eve if you want your food arriving before the fireworks do.

5. Ushna – Souk Qaryat Al Beri

Ushna has been serving regional Indian classics at the Souk Qaryat Al Beri since 2005, which in Abu Dhabi restaurant years makes it practically a heritage site. The pull is the terrace, with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque lit up across the water, and a slow-cooked dal makhni that regulars order without looking at the menu. The tandoor section is the other reason people keep coming back.

• Where: The Souk Qaryat Al Beri, Khor Al Maqta, between the Shangri-La and Traders hotels
• Book: +971 2 559 9747 or soukqaryat@ushna.ae
• Hours: Daily noon to 11pm
• Budget: Splurge. Licensed.
• Order: Dal makhni, Kerala fish curry, anything from the tandoor

Vibe check: Come for a terrace view that makes every photo look professionally lit and tandoori dishes that deserve the hype, just clarify any vouchers or offers before you order so the bill does not turn into a group debate.

6. Indigo – Beach Rotana

The best-value hotel Indian restaurant on this list. Indigo does modern North Indian from a show tandoor, and chef Rajendra Singh, who hails from Uttarakhand in the Himalayan foothills, keeps the cooking honest. Afternoon thalis from AED 99 are one of the capital’s better midday deals, and the sikandari raan is worth planning a table of four around.

• Where: Beach Rotana, Al Zahiyah, next to Abu Dhabi Mall
• Book: +971 2 697 9186
• Hours: Daily 1pm to midnight; thalis 1pm to 5pm
• Budget: Mid-range, typically under AED 110 per person; thalis AED 99 to AED 125
• Order: Sikandari raan, butter chicken, the Maharaja Bhoj thali at lunch

Vibe check: Generous portions and a relaxed room make this the grown-up choice that will not flatten your wallet, just order off the main menu rather than a package deal if you want the full-size servings.

7. Asha’s – The Galleria Al Maryah Island

Founded by Bollywood singing legend Asha Bhosle and inspired by her years on the road with her father’s travelling theatre company, Asha’s is the polished, grown-up way to do North-West Indian in a mall. The murgh malai kebabs are silky, the dal makhani is pure comfort and the Kerala chilli garlic prawns bring a welcome kick. It makes an easy pre-cinema or post-shopping dinner, and there is a second branch at Yas Mall if you live on the other side of town.

• Where: Level G, Section A, The Galleria Al Maryah Island (second branch on the first floor of Yas Mall, Town Square, Yas Island)
• Book: +971 2 492 6833 (Galleria) or +971 2 492 6680 (Yas Mall)
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11am to 11pm; Friday and Saturday 11am to midnight
• Budget: Mid-range
• Order: Murgh malai kebab, dal makhani, Kerala chilli garlic prawns

Vibe check: Reviewers single out warm, attentive service and a sleek room that skips the clichés, just eat in rather than ordering delivery, because those kebabs are at their best straight off the grill.

8. Pincode by Kunal Kapur – The Galleria Al Maryah Island

A MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi selected restaurant from celebrity chef Kunal Kapur that doubles as a love letter to Indian street food, with each dish named after the postcode it comes from, then dressed up for a Galleria crowd. Vegetarians are spoilt here: the potato spiral chaat and dal makhani are both excellent, and the rasmalai tiramisu is the dessert everyone photographs. Heading over for a full day out? Our Al Maryah Island guide has the rest.

• Where: Level 3, Section B, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
• Book: +971 2 234 0111
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10am to 10pm; Friday and Saturday 10am to midnight
• Budget: Mid-range, around AED 280 to AED 350 for two
• Order: Potato spiral chaat, dal makhani, rasmalai tiramisu

Casual, regional and wallet-friendly Indian restaurants in Abu Dhabi

This is where most of Abu Dhabi actually eats Indian food: fluorescent lights, fast service, huge portions and bills that barely register. Most of these sit in the Al Danah, Electra and Najda grid downtown. For more cheap eats, see our round-up of the best places to eat in Abu Dhabi for under Dhs50.

9. Sangeetha Vegetarian Restaurant – Salam Street

The default answer whenever someone on Reddit asks where to get a decent dosa in the city, and with thousands of Google reviews it has earned that status. Breakfast is the sweet spot: crisp onion rava dosa, a mini tiffin platter and a steel tumbler of filter coffee. At lunch, the North Indian thali is a proper bargain.

• Where: Mubarak Al Qubaisi Building, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (Salam Street), Al Zahiyah
• Contact: +971 2 676 3519
• Hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 11pm; Saturday and Sunday 7.30am to 11.30pm
• Budget: Around AED 85 for two. Fully vegetarian.
• Order: Onion rava dosa, mini tiffin, filter coffee

Vibe check: Quick, warm service and dosas worth setting an alarm for make this the city’s favourite veg breakfast, just come early, because some South Indian favourites vanish around midday like the last parking spot on Salam Street.

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Treat Sangeetha as a breakfast spot. Arrive before 11am for the full South Indian menu, then save the thali for a separate lunch visit.

10. High Range Restaurant – Najda Street

For Kerala food with the volume turned up, High Range is the one. The kadal sadya, a seafood feast served on a banana leaf, is the order that has people driving across town, and the beef fry with flaky porotta and kappa (tapioca) with fish curry are close behind. It opens at 6am, which is very Kerala of it.

• Where: Najda Street, near National Hospital, Al Danah (second branch in the Tourist Club Area, Al Zahiyah)
• Contact: +971 2 553 4700
• Hours: Daily 6am to 11.30pm
• Budget: Around AED 80 to AED 95 for two
• Order: Kadal sadya, beef fry with porotta, kappa and fish curry

Vibe check: Huge, fresh seafood spreads and staff who remember your name keep this rated among the best in the downtown grid, just stick to the seafood headliners rather than the side dishes if you want the version everyone raves about.

11. Rahmath Calicut Restaurant – Al Wahda

Malabar cooking from Kozhikode, and a name that comes up again and again in Kerala expat circles when the conversation turns to biryani. The beef and mutton biryanis are the draw, along with mutton stew and paratha, kallappam with egg curry and a strong, sweet milk tea that will fix most afternoons.

• Where: Airport Road, next to Al Wahda Mall, Al Nahyan
• Contact: +971 50 280 3839
• Hours: Daily 7am to 1am
• Budget: Wallet-friendly, under AED 50 per person
• Order: Mutton biryani, kallappam with egg curry, milk tea

Vibe check: Hearty meat portions and proper home-style Malabar flavours keep the tables full until 1am, just double-check your order before you tuck in, because the rush can occasionally scramble a ticket or two.

12. Aadaab Hyderabad Restaurant – Electra

Ask Reddit where to find proper Hyderabadi biryani in Abu Dhabi and Aadaab is usually the first answer. The mutton and chicken dum biryanis come in portions built for sharing, and the Sufiyani biryani is a milder, creamier option for anyone not in the mood for a chilli workout. Wash it all down with a lassi.

• Where: Electra Road (Al Tibari Street), Al Danah (second branch in Mussafah)
• Contact: +971 52 398 9862
• Hours: Daily 10.30am to midnight
• Budget: Wallet-friendly, biryani plates easily feed two
• Order: Mutton dum biryani, Sufiyani biryani, sweet lassi

Vibe check: Big portions and small prices have made this the city’s go-to biryani stop, just know that recent reviews are a little hit and miss on consistency and the upstairs seating comes with a staircase steep enough to count as leg day.

13. Bikanervala – Airport Road

The sweets and snacks institution that started out in Bikaner in 1905 is a one-stop shop for North Indian vegetarian comfort food. Upstairs, it is thalis, chole bhature and pav bhaji. Downstairs, it is a glass counter of mithai that makes Diwali shopping dangerously easy. Arguably the best-value thali in the city.

• Where: East Bin Hamila Building 2, Plot C-27, Airport Road, Al Danah
• Contact: +971 2 631 0029
• Hours: Daily 9am to 11pm
• Budget: Around AED 65 for two. Fully vegetarian.
• Order: Deluxe thali, pani puri, chole bhature, a box of kaju katli to take home

Vibe check: The thalis get top marks and the menu roams happily from Delhi to Chennai, just order an extra side if you are hungry and give yourself a few laps to find parking.

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Planning Diwali gifting? Bikanervala’s sweet counter gets properly busy in the week before the festival. Pre-order mithai boxes by phone and swing by to collect instead of queuing.

14. Chaat Junction

If there is one dish that sparks more arguments than biryani, it is pani puri, and Chaat Junction wins a lot of those arguments. There is a live pani puri station, a chaat platter built for sharing, pav bhaji and paneer 65. It is fast, cheap and ideal for a quick snack before dinner.

• Where: Near the vegetable market, Madinat Zayed, Al Danah (second branch on Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street)
• Contact: +971 2 441 1916
• Hours: Daily 9am to midnight
• Budget: Wallet-friendly, under AED 50 per person
• Order: Live pani puri, chaat platter, pav bhaji

Vibe check: Regularly crowned the best pani puri in town and priced like it is still 2015, just do not expect fine china, and check your takeaway bag before you leave so the chutney makes it home with you.

15. Salam Bombay Vegetarian Restaurant – Electra

A decade-plus of loyal regulars cannot be wrong. Salam Bombay serves Mumbai’s greatest street-food hits in a Bombay-themed room that doubles as a nostalgia trip for anyone who grew up there: vada pav, ragda pattice, pav bhaji and a poha-and-jalebi breakfast combo that makes zero sense on paper and perfect sense on the plate.

• Where: Building 8, ground floor, Electra Street, Al Danah (more branches in Madinat Zayed and Mussafah)
• Contact: +971 2 677 7076
• Hours: Daily 7am to 11.30pm
• Budget: Wallet-friendly. Fully vegetarian.
• Order: Vada pav, ragda pattice, poha with jalebi

Vibe check: It is the closest thing to a Mumbai street corner without the traffic, just bring a little patience at peak hours and note that breakfast prices have crept up recently.

Coming soon: Gymkhana on Saadiyat

London’s Gymkhana has been confirmed for Louvre Residences Abu Dhabi, next door to Saadiyat Grove, which is due to open in Q4 2026. No firm opening date has been set for the restaurant yet. We will add it here once the doors open and we have eaten there. In the meantime, here is everything to know about Saadiyat Grove.

How we chose the best Indian restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Every restaurant on this list was checked against its official hotel, mall or restaurant listing for location, phone number and opening hours in September 2026. We cross-referenced the MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026 selection, read through the last 12 months of public reviews on Google and TripAdvisor and followed the resident conversations on r/abudhabi and r/UAE. We left out restaurants with unclear status or contact details, as well as Dubai names that do not have an Abu Dhabi branch. We also left out places whose recent reviews have dipped, however famous the name.

Frequently asked questions

Details were checked in September 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so call ahead before you go, especially around Diwali and public holidays.