Rahma Khan, author of The Best Digital Nomad Neighborhoods in Abu Dhabi, shares her selections for the city's best places to dine, drink, and get your work done at cozy coffee shops and productivity-inducing coworking spaces.

The Best Restaurants in Abu Dhabi for Digital Nomads

Nusr-Et Steakhouse Abu Dhabi: The quaint fine-dining restaurant by the famous Turkish chef, also popularly known as the ‘salt bae’, Nusr Steakhouse arguably serves the best steak in town. Famed for its ribeye steak, Nusr also sometimes makes surprise appearances to sprinkle salt on the steaks in his signature style.

Villa Toscana: Bringing the Tuscan flavors of Italy to Arabia, Villa Toscana in Abu Dhabi delivers a full Tuscan experience from its villa-like interior to the Italian chefs in the kitchen.

Finz Restaurant: Famous for its waterfront locations facing the Arabian Sea, Finz Restaurants offers Mediterranean cuisine in an open-air patio-style restaurant. 

COYA Abu Dhabi: One of its kind, COYA brings the flavors of Latin America from Peruvian chefs in a stylish restaurant inspired by South American culture.

OLA Brasil Restaurant: This fine-dining Brazilian restaurant in Al Ghazal Golf Club serves up Brazilian-style barbecue feasts.

The Forge: Located in the lavish Ritz Carlton Hotel, the Forge is a restaurant famous for its steaks, seafood, and wine.

Prego’s Restaurant: Marketed as family-friendly and serving homelike warm food, Prego is an Italian restaurant located at the Beach Rotana Hotel. 

Namak: Namak, meaning “salt” in Hindi, is a stylish Indian restaurant that brings together flavors from different regions of India.

Butcher and Still: Situated in the exquisite Four Seasons Resort on Al Maryah Island, Butcher and Still offers a variety of Arabian-style cooked steaks in a lavish setting.

The Grill: Contemporary cuisine with a live kitchen in full view, the neon-lit interiors here makes for a unique dine-in-the-dark experience. 

The Best Bars in Abu Dhabi for Digital Nomads

Ray’s Bar: Located on the 62nd floor of Etihad Towers, Ray’s Bar is where you can sip a drink with a birds-eye view of the city.

‍Relax@12: An open-air rooftop bar to unwind, celebrate, and dance all while enjoying a golden sunset.

Y Bar: A stylish bar on Yas iIsland, the Y Bar gets quite busy when they open their outdoor patio during winter.

Barfly by Buddha Bar: Barfly by Buddha Bar is a multi-dimensional bar and restaurant and the vibe here changes depending on the time of the day, from being a shisha lounge in the afternoon, to a bar in the evening, and a restaurant at dinner time. 

Jazz and Fizz Bar: Overlooking the buzzing Corniche area and the Arabian Sea, Jazz and Fizz sits on the 36th floor of the Sofitel Hotel and gets quite busy at sunset.

La Cava: Abu Dhabi’s only underground cellar, La Cava is a fine dining restaurant on top, and a bar and a wine-tasting cellar below.

Hemingway’s Bar: Located in the heart of the Corniche, Hemingway is one of the oldest bars operating since the mid-1990s in the city.

Cristal Champagne and Cigar Bar: The city’s first Cristal Champagne and Cigar Bar is a traditional English bar in the Corniche Hotel.

Hidden Bar: As the name suggests, the Hidden Bar has a private interior setting with closed lounges and cocoons for small private events or meetups. 

Loca Bar: Loca Bar is a Mexican bar and restaurant that serves tequila and street-style tacos.

The Best Digital Nomad Cafes in Abu Dhabi

% Arabica: A Japanese-style minimalist design cafe, % Arabica serves freshly brewed coffee and snacks to go. The cafe also has a store with customized merchandise. 

Art House Cafe: As the name suggests, the Art House Cafe is decorated with creative art pieces from artists all over the world.

Blacksmith Coffee Company: Blacksmith sources some of the finest coffee beans from the Emirate to brew served with an English or American-style breakfast.

Coffee Architecture: Coffee Architecture is an artisan cafe on Saadiyat Island overlooking Soul Beach.

Fifth Street Cafe: A go-to breakfast and quick coffee spot for the people working at the World Trade Center.

The Best Coworking Spaces in Abu Dhabi for Digital Nomads

WeWork: With multiple locations in prime neighborhoods across the city, WeWork Abu Dhabi is the most popular coworking space in the city.

Haibu Space Coworking: Haibu is the largest local coworking space established in the Middle East region with multiple locations across Abu Dhabi.

GlassQube Coworking: GlassQube coworking space is an affordable coworking option with easy-to-book spaces for locals and foreigners. 

Regus - Al Bateen C6: The Regus Al-Bateen C6 commercial building has one floor dedicated to a coworking space that can be used by the building’s office employees and outsiders too.

Servcorp Etihad Tower: Situated in the beautiful Etihad Towers, Servcorp is a five-star rated coworking space with private working rooms and break-out areas to interact with like-minded people.