Best dishes of the year in Abu Dhabi, from ravioli at Toto to manteh at Zali

The capital welcomed a host of new restaurants this year. Here's what to sample and where

Ravioli (Dh95) at Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Nadal's restaurant Toto. Photo: Toto Abu Dhabi

As part of The National’s restaurant review series – which takes you into new eateries that have popped up in Abu Dhabi over the year – we get to sample dozens of new dishes, the good, the bad and the masterful. It is the third category we’re presenting here, to make your dining out experience evermore delicious.

Here are six restaurants that opened in the capital this year – and what we recommend you should sample there.

Onion soup at Bord Eau

French fine dining meets chef Nicolas Isnard's taste for travel in this Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri restaurant. Isnard says he is a “chef of the world” and his dishes are listed on the menu like stamps in a passport. There is pho-style foie gras inspired by Vietnamese cuisine; a chicken dish born in Thailand; and a dessert based on flavours from Cuba.

However, the dish chief sub-editor Chris Tait deems his favourite is onion soup – a classic dish with a deliciously modern twist.

“Forget images of steamy broth, this 'soup' has abandoned its heritage and fully embraced a new age – it comprises fried onions, burnt bread emulsion, shredded Comte cheese and a caramelised onion broth,” he writes in his review. “There is also a component that is likely to make diners do a double take: onion ice cream. As unusual an ingredient as it sounds, the ice cream was a key part of a starter that I did not want to end. It was so remarkably moreish that our server, John, was left standing vigil as I scraped my spoon around to retrieve every last soupcon. I was sorely tempted to throw all etiquette out the window and lick the bowl, but it’s a nice place and I was with company.”

Florinis at Ilios Beach Club

The Greek restaurant is in the newly opened Surf Abu Dhabi on Hudayriat Island. The two-level beach club is made up of Euphoria Lounge with a balcony overlooking the surfing action, a private dining room and the indoor-outdoor Meraki restaurant with a terrace that faces the wave pool and is lined with loungers and cabanas.

Features sub-editor Dean Wilkins says of his favourite dish: “Florinis are a plate of the marinated red pepper that take their name from the region they're grown in, in northern Greece. They're delicious. Sweet, moreish and utterly delightful drizzled in oil. Simple and quality ingredients, handled with care and served under sunshine – that's the Mediterranean way. Chef Denis Placereani adds a creative twist with spheres of aged balsamic and crispy confit garlic lumps, which are crispy, slightly sugary and could easily dethrone Doritos if sold in bags.”

Entrecote St Germain des pres at Le Bistro by Salmontini

From Switzerland to Lebanon, Scotland to the UAE, restaurateur Hussni Ajlani's Salmontini concept has established itself as a success in Dubai since opening nearly 20 years ago, followed by a 90-seat French-style bistro in Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi this year.

Chief features sub-editor Phil Johnson sampled the dish head chef Jon Gaboric says has been “a signature at Salmontini since 2005”. The Australian Wagyu beef tenderloin entrecote is served with pommes frites and a “secret” French sauce. “The boneless rib-eye steak is melt-in-the-mouth tender and the shaved pommes frites are nice and crispy, but let’s get straight to the secret sauce,” he writes in his review. “I detect mustard, while my dining partner thinks there is a hint of wasabi. Perhaps. They have kept it a secret since 2005 and are not giving away anything now. I don’t blame them. We ask for bread to mop it all up. Magnifique.”

Fried feta filo at Mika

The Mediterranean eatery by South African chef-patron Mario Loi replaced Aquarium seafood restaurant on Yas Marina. Features sub-editor Dean Wilkins rates the fried feta filo as his standout dish. “This is ooey, gooey saltiness encased in a crisp filo pastry that’s drizzled with honey – and the price is even sweeter at Dh40. It is a sharing-style nightmare, though. Between the crash of elbows and stampede to grab a forkful of a crunchy corner or a dunk of the honey sauce, it ends with a passive-aggressive dance-off with my dining partner. The easiest way to avoid it? Order one each and tuck in while they're piping hot.”

Ravioli at Toto

Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo brought their retro-style fine-dining Italian restaurant to Saadiayt Island this year. Chief features sub-editor Phil Johnson says Toto's best-selling dish, the ravioli, is spot on. “Freshly made, five pieces come with a spinach and ricotta filling and are served with contrasting tomato and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese sauces, which bring it to life on the plate. Our server reveals the kitchen is already shifting more than 100 portions a day.”

Manteh at Zali

Born in Bali, Lebanese restaurant Zali in Al Bateen offers wholesome, hearty dishes. Social media journalist Fatima Al Mahmoud says the best dish is the manteh. “In a unique twist on the traditional Armenian dish, the restaurant swaps out the usual thick meat dumplings with mini triangular meat sambousek,” she writes in her review. “The pastries are so light and crispy I could gorge on the plate alone, coupled with fresh yoghurt.”