Best Burgers in Abu Dhabi: Islands and Corniche

The best burgers in Abu Dhabi cluster on the islands and the waterfront: Yas Island and its Yas Bay promenade, Saadiyat Island, Al Maryah Island, Al Reem Island and the Corniche. In the older downtown grid, Al Khalidiyah and Al Zahiyah, the former Tourist Club Area, keep denser streets of casual restaurants. Halal beef and chicken are the standard patties.

Abu Dhabi is more spread out and calmer than Dubai, and a large share of its casual dining sits inside malls and waterfront developments rather than on the street. Emirati cooking has its own flavour set: saffron, cardamom, loomi, the dried black lime, and bzar, the spice blend used in machboos. Gulf fish such as hammour is sold fresh at the Mina Zayed fish market, so seafood is never far from the menu.

Burgers in Abu Dhabi: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Maryah Island, Al Reem Island, the Corniche and Al Khalidiyah.
• Local flavours: loomi, saffron and bzar, used in Emirati dishes and in some house sauces.
• Currency: the UAE dirham (AED), shared by all seven emirates.
• Getting around: there is no metro; taxis, ride-hailing apps and buses link the islands to downtown.
• When locals eat: late, and outdoors mostly from October to April, when the heat eases.
• What our guides check: the island or district of each address, since Yas Island and downtown are a long drive apart.

Every guide we publish on Abu Dhabi is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify, and all of them sit in our burger restaurant guides.