A restaurant in a shopping mall is usually a convenience, not a destination. Ana Restaurant at Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi's Musaffah district is trying to change that, with a menu that treats Emirati food as a conversation between cultures rather than a museum piece.
The name sets the tone. 'Ana' means 'me' or 'I' in Arabic — often one of the first words newcomers pick up in the UAE — and the restaurant runs with that idea, folding flavours from the many communities that call the country home into familiar regional dishes. Judging by the tables of local diners at dinner service, it's an approach that lands with Emiratis too.
The menu reads like a series of small experiments. Kibbeh roub comes topped with crunchy potato wafers that nod to Chips Oman, while the Arabian Nights salad piles up fried chickpeas, roasted eggplant, lentils and raisins under a yoghurt dressing with pomegranate molasses — sweet, sour, creamy and crunchy all at once. For mains there's the Machbous Hessa, a Gulf classic of tender lamb with baharat-spiced rice, alongside a Dakkus Risotto that swaps Italian tradition for rose water and regional spice. Dessert is the one to plan around: Ana Oum Ali, the creamy bread pudding, arrives here with generous shavings of toasted coconut. A Vimto mint cooler handles drinks duty.
Prices sit firmly in casual territory — starters run Dhs35 to Dhs49, mains Dhs89 to Dhs97, dessert Dhs59 and mocktails Dhs39 — so a full spread for two with extras comes to around Dhs300. The room itself does a decent job of making you forget the mall setting, with arched entranceways and interiors that echo the food's blend of heritage and modernity.
For travellers, Ana fills a real gap. Abu Dhabi has plenty of luxury Emirati dining and plenty of old-school cafeterias, but few mid-range spots where traditional flavours get a genuinely creative treatment. It's open Saturday to Wednesday from 10am to 10.30pm, and until midnight on Thursdays and Fridays — handy for a late dinner after shopping or an evening in Musaffah. Bookings or questions go through 02 565 1329. Bring an appetite and don't skip the pudding. Story via What's On Dubai.
