NIRI: Abu Dhabi’s Homegrown Japanese Counter Climbs to No.38 in MENA

A neighbourhood restaurant with serious technique

NIRI’s own language is deliberately modest: a neighbourhood yakitori restaurant, sushi counter and highball bar with room for family, friends and colleagues. That understatement is part of the appeal. Founded by Imad Obeid in 2021, the homegrown concept at Mamsha Al Saadiyat avoids the theatre-heavy tropes of many luxury Japanese restaurants and concentrates on an izakaya spirit that feels social rather than ceremonial. The design follows the same logic – clean lines, a long counter and a beachfront position where the cooks and the sea share attention. At the centre is executive chef and sushi master Yasuyuki Takemoto, whose more than three decades of experience give the apparently simple food its authority. NIRI’s point is not to make Japanese cooking look complicated; it is to make difficult technique look effortless.

Yakitori, sashimi and a menu worth grazing

The 2026 MENA’s 50 Best profile identifies the dishes that explain why NIRI has climbed to No.38 in the regional ranking. Corn tempura, tako yakitori, chef’s moriawase of nigiri and sashimi, nihon soba, shio bream and lamb chops all appear among the highlights. The combination shows the restaurant’s range without losing coherence: raw fish at the counter, skewers from the grill, hot dishes with greater depth, then drinks built around Japan’s highball culture. Seasonal seafood and imported Japanese ingredients add another layer, while current diners continue to praise the sushi and cocktails. The strongest way to order is therefore progressively – something crisp, something raw, something over fire – rather than choosing a single main course and missing the reason NIRI is structured as several Japanese dining ideas under one roof.

Saadiyat without the formality

NIRI currently trades daily from noon, closing at 11pm Sunday to Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday according to current 2026 listings. The contact number is +971 2 546 8886 and the address is Building 9, Mamsha Al Saadiyat. Its rise from No.50 in MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 to No.38 in 2026 is significant because it rewards a restaurant that feels distinctly Abu Dhabi rather than imported. For Simply Abu Dhabi, NIRI is particularly strong at the counter or on the terrace around sunset, when the food can move at the pace of conversation. Let Takemoto’s sushi and the yakitori do the heavy lifting, then use the highball list as intended: not as an afterthought, but as part of the restaurant’s identity.

Practical details

Location: Building 9, Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cuisine: Contemporary Japanese / yakitori / sushi
Telephone: +971 2 546 8886
Hours: Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm; Fri-Sat 12pm-12am
Recognition: No.38, Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026
Editorial status: Open