99 Sushi Bar Abu Dhabi: Japanese Precision After the Michelin Star

A Spanish route to Japanese haute cuisine

99 Sushi Bar arrived in Abu Dhabi in 2017 as the brand’s first restaurant outside Spain, bringing a distinctly European idea of Japanese haute cuisine to Al Maryah Island. The dining room at The Galleria, beside Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi, remains deliberately polished: deep velvet, metallic details, a waterfront setting and a menu built around expensive raw materials rather than theatrical excess.

The brand’s own philosophy is clear — classic Japanese technique, seasonal fish, sushi prepared in front of guests, rare seafood and a substantial wine and sake programme. It is luxury dining, but the strongest dishes are usually those where the ingredient remains recognisable.

Product, precision and a little indulgence

Current menus continue to move between sushi, sashimi, tempura, wagyu and more contemporary compositions. The Galleria’s 2026 seasonal tasting promotion, for example, describes a 12-course menu built around premium seasonal imports from Japan. The restaurant also runs a weekday Omakase Business Lunch, a useful way of experiencing the kitchen without committing to a long evening tasting.

Previous Abu Dhabi signatures have included bluefin tuna, wagyu and Kobe beef, black cod, tiger-prawn tempura and the restaurant’s opulent “99 Jewel” style of combining tuna with truffle and caviar. The point is not novelty for novelty’s sake; it is the discipline of keeping rich ingredients controlled.

The Michelin story changed in 2026

There is an important current-status correction. 99 Sushi Bar held a MICHELIN Star through the 2025 Abu Dhabi guide, but it did not retain the star for 2026. It remains in the 2026 guide as a MICHELIN Selected restaurant. That distinction should be stated accurately rather than allowing older award language to linger online.

The loss of a star does not erase the restaurant’s identity. It simply places the focus back where it belongs: on the food, the service, and whether this still feels like one of the capital’s serious Japanese rooms.

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