Don't Miss This! Taste of Abu Dhabi 2025 - All The Day One Highlights
Article by
Danika Star
-
November 14, 2025
Abu Dhabi’s culinary event of the year is here - kicking off from November 14th - 16th for a massive weekend of fun - and we had a BALL on day one! From the minute we walked through the gates, it was go, go, GO: full of excellent food, celebrity chefs, cooking workshops, market stalls and stands, fab live music, great bars and enough to keep you occupied for HOURS. It’s back and better than ever. Literally, we didn’t stop for over 9 whole hours of action - and this was just day one of a wonderful weekend to come!
What's New This Year?
There’s so much newness, where do we even begin? You’ll find plenty of your favourite Abu Dhabi restaurants representing at Taste of Abu Dhabi for the first time - we loved the butter chicken slider from Pincode by Kunal Kapur, alongside newbies Ilios and Gala - the first fully vegetarian offering at Taste - how cool is that!
What else? Test drive a BMW - yes, really! We zoomed around in a brand new BMW and it handled like a dream. Hone your coffee skills with another new addition: coffee workshops. Super fun, plus the expert baristas are so nice!
New for the kids? Don’t miss Gen X Kids - a dedicated area for the older kids, it’s a great idea for the tweens who want to chill for a while, and right by a funky new Korean mini market filled with Korean snacks.
Every day, the first 100 entrants through the gate score a free drink from the Drink Dry 0.0% bar - not bad at all, and great for the designated drivers in your crew. Bread Ahead is here from London - don’t miss them - the firepit section is back, some new bars have popped up, new bands have joined the roster AND of course, it’s in a new location - but don’t worry, it’s not far from the old one!
The Food Was Excellent
With so many fabulous Abu Dhabi restaurants in the spotlight, each serving a menu of delectable 'taster' size dishes, there is SO much to try. We put in some serious legwork today, but still have plenty more to try tomorrow! Notable mentions so far?
Desert Lotus whipping up their signature mango sticky rice - always a must!
Pincode by Kunal Kapur’s butter chicken slider
Bread Again’s crème brûlée donut - yes, it’s worth the hype!
Grilled picanha (black Angus) from The Director’s Club…
…Aaaaand The Director’s Club has a darling tres leches cake while you’re at it!
CRAFT by Side Hustle’s pulled pastrami pumpernickel slider
Tomorrow, we’re headed to The Oak Room, Fouquet’s, Amara, Catch at St Regis - ok, we’re headed everywhere. Don't miss the stalls dotted through the festival serving up excellent desserts, baked goods, ice cream, coffee, pasta and plenty more - the big guys are awesome but the little guys are well worth a visit too!
The Drinks Were Flowing
Looking for the perfect beverage pairing with your dish or a refreshing drink to cool down after dancing? No worries! Head to one of the 21+ licensed lounges within the event. We tasted some fab imported Czech wines and chatted all things vino with Lukas at The Bottle Store pop-up - they’re even doing guided tastings, how great is that? Be sure to pop by, but if you aren’t into wine there are plenty more tipples to tempt you: margaritas, whiskey, beer aplenty (hello, Side Hustle!) and a gin bar were just a few of the dedicated stands this year. My favourite? The Side Hustle seltzer on tap at The Bottle Store. Light and refreshing, perfect for these warm Abu Dhabi days!
We Met The Stars
A foodie festival wouldn't be complete without some culinary stars, and Taste of Abu Dhabi is serving them up in abundance! We got to meet some of our favourite chefs today (stay tuned for more on this later!) and can we just say - talking food with maestros like Matt Preston, Gino D’Acampo, Jenny Morris and Fred Casagrande was a total treat! You can catch them (and many more) at masterclasses and cooking demonstrations all weekend long, and make sure you do: they speak so lovingly about food and have plenty of tips and tricks up their sleeves for you to take home and impress your friends.
The Kids Had A Ball
As well as the mega kids zone (with bouncy castles and trampolines), the little ones will love the kids' cooking workshops and PLENTY of activities suitable for all ages - including the new Gen X Kids zone! Try your hand at cookie decorating, spin some prize wheels, play games and take photos with the mascots and best of all: refuel! All restaurants have a kid-friendly dish on the menu. Plus, children aged 12 and under enter the event for free!
Tickets
Tickets are available for purchase at Platinumlist.net - don’t miss out on one of the best weekends of the year.
Download the Best Bites app for your full event guide - and then come and show us the app on your phone for your chance to win some epic prizes!
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