With something to offer all cultures, age groups, interests and palates Abu Dhabi is a city brimming with possibilities when it comes to night time excursions and pleasant distractions. From a quiet stroll along the Corniche to elegant restaurants, thumping nightclub floors, spirited live performances and a host of exhibitions and concerts, this Arabian city leaves little to the imagination when the sun goes down.
With a great number of its malls open till the wee hours of the night, one would assume that shopping was all there is to do in Abu Dhabi once the day comes to a close. But food connoisseurs worldwide highly recommend the city’s gastronomical offerings which range from European, Continental, Latin and Far Eastern to delectable Arabic fare. Those in the mood for a little bit of everything can head down to the buffets located in the Tourist Club area and Sheikh Zayed Street where an array of multi-ethnic treats are available while Corniche Road and the Breakwater region also offer mouth-watering buffets. Supermarket restaurants are also a popular option in the city while guests will also find their favourite international restaurant chains such as steak houses in the town. Coffee culture is also an integral part of the Abu Dhabi night scene as hordes of cosy cafes line the manicured streets of the city. Most coffee shops also offer refreshing Shishas in every conceivable flavour known to man and hotspots include Idioms down Corniche road and the Havana Cafe in Breakwater. Mawaweel and Ninar are also preferred coffee haunts where one is also likely to enjoy a la carte menus with sandwiches, freshly baked snacks and salads.
Home to a plethora of conventional Mexican and British bars expect to find multihued cocktails, snacks, vintage brandy varieties and authentic Arabic mezzes in the city’s pubs. One of the locale’s hottest nightclubs is Tequilana Discotheque located within the Hemingway Complex in West Corniche beach. With charming karaoke lounges and signature salsa nights, this chic venue lined with palm trees and huts offers a unique clubbing experience found nowhere else.
Theatre, concerts and comedy nights are also permanent fixtures in the Abu Dhabi social calendar. The venue of choice for the Abu Dhabi Classical Music Festival and the Carmen opera, concerts are usually organized by the Abu Dhabi Music & Art Foundation. The Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation also regularly plays hosts to cultural events, film festivals, art exhibitions, workshops and concerts by renowned artists all through the year. The city also has nearly 50 film screenings for the prestigious Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) which is graced by a who’s who of the region’s celluloid world. Home to innumerable multiplexes, highlights include the 9 screen CineStar at the Marina Mall and the Abu Dhabi Mall’s Grand Cinema which houses 6 screens. Arabic and Indian films are all the rage at the Grand Cinema at Hamdan Centre which also features westerns in its five-screen multiplex.
When it comes to the best
Abu Dhabi hotel deals no single establishment quite dominates the capital quite like the elegant Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi. Located within close range of the Marina Mall shopping centres and the famed Abu Dhabi Mall this stylish rest just 15km from the ADNEC Exhibition Centre is also one of the most advantageously positioned Abu Dhabi hotels in the region.
