The UAE capital is truly coming into its own as a culinary hub.
This month, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was well served by popular restaurants including Nobu, Estiatorio Milos, Hakkasan and Ce La Vi, while the second Michelin Guide for the city will be announced at Louvre Abu Dhabi on December 7, followed by an "art of flavour" food festival.
The emirate has also been abuzz with restaurant launches these past couple of months, from SLRP Ramen by 3Fils to Greek Ela Ela and Japanese Mr Moto.
Here are four new ones to check out this month.
Flamingo Room by tashas
Cuisine: Contemporary South African
South African restaurateur Natasha Sideris has finally opened the doors to her Flamingo Room by tashas in The Galleria Al Maryah Island. The airy space resembles its Dubai outpost.
The restaurant is part of Flamingo Collection, which has also opened two other concepts in the capital: African Lounge offers a luxury tented safari camp ambience and has mocktails, savoury bites and Mariage Freres tea. Meanwhile, Collective Africa, founded by Nicky Greig, is a boutique store that stocks pieces inspired by Africa and others hand-picked from around the world.
From the Flamingo Room menu, diners can sample calamari Mozambique, lobster pasta, prawn arancini, scallops and Liza's lemon cake.
Monday to Thursday, noon-4pm, 7pm-midnight; Friday to Sunday, noon-4pm, 7pm-1am; The Galleria, Al Maryah Island; 02 675 9301
Alma
Cuisine: Mexican
Las Brisas at Emirates Palace has been replaced by Alma, a picturesque poolside eatery that offers comfort food influenced by Mexican and Latin American cuisines.
On the menu are a variety of tacos, tostadas and ceviche, plus other street snacks such as meat yuca croquettes, chicken empanadas and veal pibil gordita. Mains include lamb barbacoa, a cuisine staple with onions, coriander and Mexican salsa; and adobo roasted baby chicken with almond and cascabel chilli.
Vegetarians have options such as mushroom and bean ceviche with mango; and oven-baked cauliflower with guajillo chilli, cashew nuts and orange.
Churros aside, the creatively flavoured dessert menu offers corn caramel, avocado and roasted pineapple with lemon gel; a guava-raspberry pavlova.
Open daily, 9am-7pm on weekdays; 9am-10pm on weekends; Emirates Palace, Corniche Road; 02 690 7999
Nuri Grill & Bar
Cuisine: South Korean
K-food is on the rise in the UAE, and Nuri on Yas Bay Waterfront is the UAE's latest iteration.
Grilled meats are the stars of the show, and in-the-know diners will be best served with the Butcher’s Feast section of the menu, which offers starters, cuts of meat cooked tableside, soups, salads, sides and desserts.
Premium meat cuts aside, dishes include ban-chan (pickled seasonal vegetables); mixed greens and gochujang salad; lettuce with ssam-jang (a sauce of fermented soybeans and chilli paste); egg souffle and seaweed broth; spicy kimchi stew; tteokbokki (rice cylinders coated in sauce); and snow bingsu for dessert, with red bean and coconut-topped ice cream.
Sunday to Wednesday, noon-midnight; Thursday to Saturday, noon-1am; Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island; 054 211 5151
Alya
Cuisine: Lebanese
The restaurant will have a launch party on Wednesday and open fully the following day at Beach Rotana Residences. Alya pays homage to the Levant and, as such, is inspired by the Mediterranean artichoke.
The superfood ingredient also makes its way to the menu by way of an artichoke hummus, with marinated artichoke and Parmesan, and a tartare-style dish.
Other chef-recommended dishes include Lebanese ceviche, with lemon-cured white fish; kebab halloumi with caramelised molasses sauce; and cheesy truffle kebbeh nayyeh with crispy Lebanese crackers.
Dessert includes a mhalabiyeh pistachio cigar with white chocolate valherona.
Opens Thursday, opening hours TBC; Beach Rotana Residences, Al Zahiyah
