Abu Dhabi, AE

An Emirati fine-dining room inside Emirates Palace that plates heritage Gulf dishes, from camel and lamb machboos to date-based desserts, with local ingredients and real ceremony. The most refined place in the city to actually eat Emirati food.

A Michelin-starred modern Emirati restaurant by Qasr Al Hosn that reworks Gulf cooking with farm-sourced ingredients from across the Emirates in a striking contemporary space. The forward-looking counterpart to the heritage restaurants.

An Emirati restaurant decked out like 1960s Dubai-Abu Dhabi, serving heritage dishes such as machboos, harees, and luqaimat that are hard to find on standard Levantine menus. The reliable, accessible place to taste genuinely Emirati food.

A relaxed, family-style spot for Emirati and Gulf comfort food, big platters of slow-cooked meats, spiced rice, and stews served generously and without fuss. Where local families eat rather than where tourists are steered.

A Lebanese cafe on the Corniche from the Beirut Em Sherif name, turning out a long spread of mezze, salads, and grills in a pretty, tiled room with sea views. Polished Levantine cooking that consistently delivers.

A refined North Indian restaurant on the waterfront plating rich Punjabi classics, from dal makhani simmered overnight to tandoori platters, in a plush setting. The go-to for a special Indian dinner in the capital.

A busy South Indian vegetarian institution serving crisp dosas, idli, and thalis at prices that keep the tables full of residents. The honest, pocket-friendly counter to the city's fine-dining scene.

A refined Indian restaurant on the Corniche inside Emirates Palace, reviving heirloom regional recipes with modern polish. A more creative, special-occasion take on Indian cooking than the standard Mughlai default.

A lively Peruvian restaurant of ceviche, anticuchos, and pisco-fueled energy with a stylish, see-and-be-seen crowd. The change of pace when the table wants something far from Gulf and Indian flavors.

The Abu Dhabi outpost of the contemporary izakaya, plating robata-grilled meats, sushi, and black cod miso to a polished crowd. Reliably excellent modern Japanese, and a dependable special dinner.

A multi-floor independent cafe in a converted villa, beloved by residents for all-day breakfasts, Levantine-leaning plates, and proper coffee in a homey, art-filled setting. The anti-mall daytime spot.

A warm, traditional Tuscan restaurant in the St. Regis on the Corniche doing handmade pasta, wood-grilled mains, and a proper Italian wine list without the trend-chasing. The dependable Italian dinner when you want comfort over spectacle.

A seafood restaurant in a thatched overwater pavilion at Beach Rotana, grilling the day's catch with a sea breeze and an island feel. The relaxed waterfront fish dinner away from the city bustle.

A boardwalk threading through pristine mangrove forest on the city's edge, with viewing platforms over channels where herons, flamingos, and small fish gather. A flat, accessible nature walk that feels remote despite the nearby towers.

A waterfront promenade backing onto the eastern mangrove lagoons, with a paved walk, cafes, and kayak and paddleboard launches into the channels. The easy, central way to get on the water among the mangroves.

A reclaimed island turned outdoor-activity hub, laced with cycling and running tracks, a pump park, beaches, and adventure trails. The city's go-to for an active day outdoors rather than a mall or museum.

The capital's best-loved city park, with shaded lawns, a botanical greenhouse, a small animal barn, and an amphitheater, all walkable on landscaped paths. The everyday green lung where Abu Dhabi families spend the evening.

A landmark museum under a vast latticed dome that rains dappled 'light' onto the galleries below, telling a single connected story of human art across civilizations. The building by Jean Nouvel is as much the draw as the collection inside.

A purpose-built immersive digital-art venue on Saadiyat — the world's largest digital art museum at 17,000 square metres — where rooms of water, light, and projection respond to your presence, blurring the line between artwork and environment. A walk-through experience rather than a hang-on-the-wall museum.

An indoor-outdoor theme park under a vast red roof on Yas Island, home to the world's fastest roller coaster and a fleet of Ferrari-themed rides. The headline thrill day for families and speed fans.

A fully indoor theme park on Yas Island themed around cartoon and superhero worlds, all rides, shows, and immersive streets under one air-conditioned roof. The summer-proof family day, comfortable whatever the heat outside.

An Emirati-themed waterpark on Yas Island with dozens of slides, a tornado funnel, and a pearl-diving storyline woven through it. One of the region's best for a full day of slides and lazy-river floating.

A marine-life park on Yas Island built around one of the largest aquariums in the world, with a vast multi-level tank and research-and-rescue focus rather than orca shows. A modern, mostly indoor day with serious scale.

The Formula 1 grand prix track that opens between races for karting, passenger hot laps, and cycle nights on the actual circuit. A rare chance to get onto a real F1 track, not just watch one.

A viewing lounge on the 74th floor of the Etihad Towers, looking down the Corniche, Emirates Palace, and the gulf from the highest accessible point in the city. The classic high-tea-with-a-view stop.

The arts center at the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District, hosting rotating exhibitions, cultural programming, and the annual Abu Dhabi Art fair. The free, lower-key counterpoint to the Louvre next door.

A half-day or overnight trip into the dunes east of the city for dune-driving, camel rides, sandboarding, and a camp dinner under the stars. The classic Arabian-desert experience, and the best escape from the city's glass and marble.

A buzzing waterfront strip on Yas Island lined with restaurants, bars, and a major arena, the city's liveliest after-dark promenade. Where Abu Dhabi comes to eat, drink, and catch a show in the evening.

One of the world's largest mosques, a vision of white marble inlaid with flowers, reflecting pools, and the biggest hand-knotted carpet ever made. It shifts color from noon-white to soft gold at dusk, and the after-dark 'lunar' lighting tracks the moon's phase.

The working presidential palace opened to visitors, a gleaming complex of vaulted halls, a vast domed great hall, and a library of rare manuscripts. Less a museum than a walk through the ceremonial heart of the state.

A gold-leafed grand hotel built like a palace, with a domed lobby, manicured gardens, and a private beach, open to non-guests for afternoon tea and a wander. Over-the-top by design, and the easiest way to see Abu Dhabi's idea of grandeur.

The landscaped waterfront that runs the length of the city's seafront, with a wide cycle path, shaded lawns, and a Blue Flag public beach. The everyday outdoor heart of Abu Dhabi, busiest at dawn and after sunset.

The oldest stone building in the city, a whitewashed fort that grew from a 1790s watchtower over the founding settlement's freshwater well. Restored as a museum, it is the one place that tells Abu Dhabi's story from before the oil.

A protected stretch of soft white sand on Saadiyat Island where hawksbill turtles still nest and dolphins are sometimes spotted offshore. The city's best natural beach, managed lightly to keep the dunes and wildlife intact.

A monumental tribute to the UAE's founding president, centered on a vast three-dimensional portrait formed from hundreds of suspended geometric shapes that resolve into a face from the right angle. A quietly moving piece of public art on the waterfront.

A memorial to the country's fallen across a reflecting pool from the Grand Mosque, built from leaning aluminum tablets that lean on each other for support, a deliberate metaphor for unity. Solemn, spare, and often overlooked beside its famous neighbor.

A skyscraper engineered to lean dramatically westward, tilting far more than the tower of Pisa and holding a record for it. A quick architectural curiosity near the exhibition center rather than a long stop.

A reconstructed old Emirati settlement on the breakwater with a fort, souk stalls, and craftspeople demonstrating weaving, metalwork, and pottery, set against a postcard view back at the skyline. A simple, free window into pre-oil Gulf life.