99 Sushi Bar Abu Dhabi: Japanese Precision and European Refinement

A Spanish Route to Japanese Excellence

99 Sushi Bar arrived in Abu Dhabi in 2017 as the brand’s first restaurant outside Spain, introducing a distinctly European sensibility to Japanese haute cuisine at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island. The dining room presents a deliberately refined setting, composed of deep velvet furnishings, metallic accents and a waterfront aspect that commands quiet attention. The menu builds itself around exceptional raw materials and classical Japanese technique rather than theatrical presentation, creating an atmosphere of understated luxury and gastronomic seriousness.

The restaurant’s philosophy remains elegantly straightforward: classical Japanese technique executed with precision, seasonal fish sourced with discernment, sushi prepared before guests in full view of the kitchen’s artistry, and rare seafood selections that reflect the seasons. This is unquestionably luxury dining, yet the strongest compositions are invariably those where the ingredient itself remains the unambiguous protagonist, allowing the chef’s technique to illuminate rather than obscure.

Seasonal Mastery and Composed Excellence

The current menus flow gracefully between sushi, sashimi, tempura, wagyu and more contemporary creations, each executed with meticulous attention. The seasonal tasting menus present 12 courses constructed around premium imports from Japan, where each element has been selected with careful consideration of the moment’s culinary possibilities. For those preferring a more intimate experience, the weekday Omakase Business Lunch offers an elegant opportunity to experience the kitchen’s capabilities without committing to an extended evening service.

Signature creations have included pristine bluefin tuna, exceptional wagyu and Kobe beef preparations, delicate black cod, ethereal tiger prawn tempura and the restaurant’s opulent signature composition that marries tuna with truffle and caviar. The underlying discipline here merits particular appreciation: the kitchen exercises remarkable restraint in controlling rich ingredients, resisting the temptation toward excess and instead allowing each component to achieve its fullest expression.

Recognition and Continued Excellence

99 Sushi Bar held a Michelin Star through the 2025 Abu Dhabi guide and remains in the 2026 guide as a Michelin Selected restaurant, a distinction that reflects the restaurant’s sustained commitment to quality and technique. Such recognition speaks to the consistency and seriousness with which the kitchen approaches its craft, though the true measure of any dining room lies ultimately in the plate before you, the service that surrounds the experience and whether the room itself sustains an atmosphere of genuine culinary purpose.

The restaurant continues to operate as one of the capital’s most serious Japanese establishments, a place where classical discipline and refined European sensibility converge around the eternal appreciation of pristine ingredients, impeccable technique and the patient art of sushi mastery.

Practical details

Address: The Galleria / Four Seasons, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: +971 2 672 3333
Email: restaurante@99sushibar.com
Dining hours: Daily, 12:00–15:30 and 19:00–00:00
Omakase Business Lunch: Weekdays, 12:00–14:15, excluding public holidays
Recognition: MICHELIN Selected 2026