Your Guide To Al Qana | Abu Dhabi’s Waterside Destination For Dining And Entertainment

Article by

Danika Star

April 12, 2026

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The Al Qana precinct in Abu Dhabi is a go-to for great restaurants, stacks of entertainment and even a cheeky drive-thru area full of your favourite food trucks: you could visit every day for weeks and still find something new to eat! It’s popular with locals - meaning great coffee is a given! - and its proximity to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque makes for a perfect lunch or dinner spot after your Mosque visit.

You can find a great breakfast - we’re fans of James Cafe for some strong brekky options - and late opening hours mean you’re sorted well into the night, too: it’s a great place to catch up with friends or entertain colleagues by the water.

Home to the Abu Dhabi National Aquarium, Pixoul Gaming and Adenark Adventure, as well as a big cinema complex and the newly opened Butterfly Gardens, it’s a popular spot for a family day out in the capital - so save this for your next family adventure!

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Where to Eat in Al Qana

Finding the best restaurants in Al Qana is quite the adventure if you’re up for it! There’s so many great spots to choose from, but as the area is quite big we suggest going in with at least some idea of where you want to eat - especially in summer when it’s hot, hot, HOT outside!

We have our favourites - Grand Beirut is hard to skip, plating up some of the best Lebanese food in the city in a lovely setting (you can even spot the Grand Mosque from the terrace), and Otoro has a delicious and decently priced Japanese offering. James Cafe is great for both coffee and food - try the acai bowl or the avocado on toast that comes in a fresh, crispy croissant if you’re looking for a good breakfast - and crowd favourite Al Safadi is always busy.

Another must try? Oii! You’ll find excellent Mediterranean food - the risotto is to die for - and some great sharing options too (don’t sleep on the baked Camembert topped with honey and walnuts). It’s a favourite amongst BB+ members, with a great BB+ exclusive menu filled with highlights from the main menu at a great price.

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Check out some more of our favourites here - we’re always up for an Al Qana trip to see what new additions have popped up since our last trip!

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Al Qana Drive Thru

If you don’t fancy parking and wandering around Al Qana, this bit’s for you! The UAE LOVES a drive thru - from pulling up at your favourite coffee shop and tooting the horn, to the thousands of food trucks dotted around Abu Dhabi, Dubai and beyond - there’s no shortage of food-to-go options without even leaving your car.

Al Qana has leveled up the food truck game though, with a HUGE amount of take away spots all in one spot: from pizza, burgers and noodles to coffee, baked sweets and dessert, you can find something to hit every craving in this cute trailer park!

We love Slice 45 - giant pizza slices bigger than your face, with flavours like X and Y - and you can’t go past Wayback Burgers for a proper burger fix. Matcha girlies (and the boys!) love Cult Matcha by Trio, and Hoop Desserts and Shakes have opened their first Abu Dhabi outlet so you can get your decadent shake fix in the capital - love that for us!

Who else will you find at the Al Qana Drive Thru?

Need Bakery
Wayback Burgers
Noodly
Cult Matcha by Trio
Project Café
Sauced
La Baguette de l’Entrecôte
Slice 45
Woofers
Hoop Desserts and Shakes
Seven Seas Café
House of Melo
Acai Hub
Two Blends Cafe
Gather On
MLT
Chocolicious Sweets
Rolls 33
White Lounge Café
Hoka
White Smoke
Hangry Joe’s

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What to Do in Al Qana

Whether you’re looking for school holiday ideas in Abu Dhabi, you need to entertain your visitors or you’re just looking for your next family day out, Al Qana has bucketloads of things to do for all ages.

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