Photo via Google, Mahmoud HijaziAl Dhafra Restaurant
- Hours
- Today: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Getting there
- On Corniche Street in Al Zahiyah, back from the waterfront promenade
Why it’s in the log
Al Dhafra has been serving the Al Zahiyah stretch of Abu Dhabi's corniche for years, built around grilled whole fish and machboos-style rice rather than a polished seafood-restaurant format. It's the kind of place where portions are sized for a family table, not a single diner.
The room is functional rather than scenic — no waterfront view despite the corniche address — but the fish is fresh and the prices stay reasonable for what's a well-known local name. It draws a mostly Emirati and Gulf crowd rather than a visitor one.
Go in a group if you can, order the catch of the day, and expect the meal to run long and unhurried, the way a family seafood dinner is supposed to.
“Big platters of grilled fish over rice, made for sharing across a full table rather than eating alone.”
What people said recently
From Google reviews · see all 2,676 ↗
“Our favorite seafood place in Abu Dhabi. The seafood is always fresh and their seafood chowder is a must try. It’s honestly the best. We also love their Arabic grill. The staff are always welcoming, the service is consistently good, and…”
“It’s one of the oldest and yet best seafood Restaurants in Abu Dhabi. The fish is always fresh, and they have a wide variety of salads and sweets. Najla was very welcoming and helpful and took great care of our table, Mohammed serves the…”
“What a truly unforgettable family evening 🌟 We were a group of more than twenty people, including children, and yet everything was exceptional from start to finish. The food was outstanding in both quality and taste, the atmosphere was…”
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