BEAUTIFUL BREAKFASTS IN ABU DHABI

What does your breakfast priority list look like?

Do you need a view, first and foremost? Or are you of the opinion that unless it contains actual bacon, it's not even a thing? Are you looking for amazing coffee or perhaps some epic French toast?

Whatever you want most, chances are Abu Dhabi can serve it to you. Here are some of our favourites.

TASHA'S

AL BATEEN MARINA

Tasha's is probably Abu Dhabi's most popular breakfast spot, being in a primo position on the Al Bateen marina and serving breakfast food that really manages to be fairly international in quality and options.

We absolutely love the breakfast bun (AED56), a massive burger complete with bacon and eggs and full of relishy flavour The French toast (AED66) is indeed very French with an appropriately caramelised top and the eggs dishes are outstanding, each a bit different and all more elevated than the average.

The servers are very engaging, happy to give their opinion and know their menu inside out - a refreshing change!

Breakfast served until: 6PM

Contact: 2 445 0890

DRVN COFFEE

MARSANA, HUDAYRIAT

There are ways in which DRVN is no-frills. Decor is industrial but it's heaven for petrol-heads who love to eat while ogling the latest sports car (at the moment it's a Mercedes CLK DTM convertible!) that has in fact been driven into the middle of the cafe. Sit outside on the terrace in better weather and get a good view of the marina with all its comings and goings. of all the DRVN branches, we like this one the best, for it's holiday vibe and lovely staff.

Breakfasts go for most of the day and have all the usual suspects. We can report that the avocado toast is excellent, as is the pancake stack. We also think the acai XL is the best acai bowl in Abu Dhabi and the DRVN version of the Spanish omelette is worth a return for.

It's not especially pocket-friendly, with breakfast for a family of 4, including 3 outstanding coffees, coming in at around AED400.

Breakfast served until: 4PM

Contact: 02 546 2482

NO.FIFTY SEVEN BOUTIQUE CAFE

AL BATEEN MARINA

This Marasy cafe is often overlooked amongst a slew of great breakfast spots in Al Bateen but it should be much more widely recognised than it is.

With a recent-ish refurb, decor is minimalist and gives relaxing vibes all year round. In terms of food, we swooned over the breakfast burrito which was insanely good, plump with egg, bacon and avo fillings and superbly hot and fresh. While we don't usually fall for gimmicks, the charcoal pancakes were insane - the butter drip conquering all!

iced spanish - AED 28.35

cappuccino - AED 21

breakfast items (2) - AED 139.65

Breakfast served until: 12:30PM (weekdays) 6PM (weekends)

Contact: 02 441 6100

JOUD COFFEE

AL QANA

Joud is an expansion success story, now getting on for at least 4 locations in Abu Dhabi. While there are good things about them all, we love the Al Qana location for its views onto the marina and interesting use of space - we also think the coffee is better there than in any other branch!

In terms of food, the breakfast sando is a stand out, especially if you like your bun with a hit of spice. The acai bowls are on point and we love the breakfast quesadillas are probably the best all-day snack in town. Pancakes are also good, being thick and pillowy with a good amount of syrup available to sort your pour.

freshly squeezed juice - AED 27

smoothie - AED 35

breakfast items (2) - AED 122

Breakfast served until: 11PM

Price guide: around AED200 for 2

Contact: 02 632 9599

EL&N

YAS BAY

This new breakfast kid on the block is not just sparkly and pink on the inside, the food matches the glitz!

Besides the usual breakfast suspects and a million different tea and coffee options, we love the pink waffles and chicken and the mini pancakes cereal (AED58) where Nutella and milk are poured over a bowl of mini pancakes and fruit to make a really fun and properly decadent cereal.

There's a separate kids menu where most dishes come in at AED40 - this is 100% the place to take your kids for breakfast because there's also the large area great for scooting in cooler weather.

Elan also ticks the 'breakfast with a view' box: its amazing position on Yas Bay makes for great people watching and a lovely water view. It'll be a stand-out once the weather gets cooler too!

Open: 12PM - 11PM

Price for 2: AED200

CAFE 302

AL MAHA ARJAAN

20% OFF WITH BB+

Cafe 302 is a great place to get breakfast in the city. The interior is funky and the food is great. While we love the shakshuka, we can't go past the waffles and the pancakes which are especially fluffy and good.

One of the big draws of Cafe 302 is that it has an extensive vegan menu and the blueberry pancakes are lovely, whether you follow a plant-based diet or not.

Breakfast served until: 2PM

Price: Around AED100 for 2

Contact: 02 610 6688

BRUNCH & CAKE

MARSA AL BATEEN

We love breakfast at Brunch & Cake, but will give you fair warning: go hungry! While the items are on the pricier side, these will keep you going all day - and even then, you probably won't finish them

The menu offers a lot of different items, plated in such a way as to create a feast for the eyes and the palate. We love the massive breakfast calzone, the avocado toast and the amaaazing New York pancakes.

Also, they do the best iced Spanish latte in Abu Dhabi!

Open: 9AM - 11PM

Price: Around AED300 for 2, including coffee

Contact: 02 575 4880

JONES THE GROCER

ALL OUTLETS

Jones the Grocer has been a go-to for Abu Dhabi breakfasters forever! The menu has something for everyone and in our case, that means the gorgeous eggs Bene and the coconut pancakes, with a blueberry drizzle and a superb crumb. These are the kind of pancakes you can eat and not feel a world of guilt about afterwards - the kind we love!

Pricing is reasonable, with coffees coming in under AED20, which is considered an Abu Dhabi miracle!