Al Farah Restaurant: From Levantine Breakfast to Charcoal Grills, a Family Favourite with Michelin Recognition

A neighbourhood success story that became part of the city’s food fabric

Al Farah was founded in 1998 as a family-owned Middle Eastern restaurant and has expanded into several Abu Dhabi branches, including Khalidiyah, Hamdan, M44 and Mohammed Bin Zayed City. Its scale should not obscure the reason people return: the menu is built around foods that work at almost any hour. Breakfast can mean foul, fatteh, shakshuka and grilled halloumi; later in the day the table shifts naturally towards mezze, shawarma, manakish, kibbeh and charcoal-grilled meats. It is a broad menu, but the common thread is Levantine comfort rather than international hotel-style variety.

The charcoal section explains the restaurant better than any slogan

The current menu lists shish tawouk, lamb chops, meat tikka, arayes and several styles of kebab, alongside whole chargrilled chicken and mixed grill platters. Those are straightforward dishes that depend on marination, fire and timing, which makes consistency more important than novelty. The same principle applies to the cold mezze and bakery items: hummus, mutabbal, muhammara, labneh and daily fatayer form the foundation of a meal rather than ornamental side orders. Al Farah’s signature mix grill and its foul-and-fatteh breakfast combinations show why the restaurant can serve a family at lunch, a quick shawarma customer in the afternoon and a late dinner table without changing personality.

Michelin’s 2026 selection is recognition, not reinvention

Al Farah appears in the Selected category of the MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026. That distinction is worth stating precisely: it is not a star and not a Bib Gourmand. What makes the recognition interesting is that it lands on a long-established, accessible restaurant rather than a luxury-hotel dining room. The official site continues to list the Abu Dhabi branches and a 600 570000 contact line, with service running from breakfast into late dinner. For Simply Abu Dhabi, Al Farah represents the city’s everyday dining strength: generous Levantine cooking delivered at a scale that still feels familiar.

Practical details

Locations: Khalidiyah, Hamdan, M44 and MBZ branches in Abu Dhabi
Cuisine: Levantine and Middle Eastern
Telephone: +971 600 570000
Recognition: MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026 – Selected