Moksh: Modern Indian Cooking That Refuses to Stay in One Region

India without the regional fence

Moksh describes itself as a modern Indian restaurant, but the interesting part is how broadly it interprets that phrase. The menu travels from Punjabi and Hyderabadi references to Goan seafood and Kerala-style flavours, then deliberately collides them with ingredients and formats from elsewhere. This is not a restaurant trying to recreate one grandmother’s kitchen. It is more restless than that. The official menu can move from SPDP chaat and tandoori chicken to scallop molee, Hyderabadi lasagne, lobster piri piri and a gunpowder rib eye. That range gives Moksh its identity at Etihad Towers: familiar Indian flavour structures pushed into a contemporary, sometimes playful fine-dining frame.

Signatures with enough personality to remember

The restaurant itself highlights Gold Tikka, Dynamite Koyla, Gunpowder Rib Eye and Hyderabadi Lasagne as signatures. Gold Tikka uses 24-carat gold flakes over tikka-spiced boneless chicken; Dynamite Koyla brings charcoal-crusted Amritsari prawns with sriracha and garlic chutney; the rib eye uses mild spice and smoked chipotle; and the lasagne folds minced beef into makhani and mozzarella. Elsewhere, Patrani Black Cod, coastal prawns and several biryanis show the kitchen can be serious without abandoning spectacle. Current 2026 diners continue to rate the restaurant strongly for contemporary Indian cooking and service. The key is to order across styles so the meal reveals the kitchen’s range rather than reducing it to one rich main course.

Michelin-selected, not Michelin-starred

Moksh remains MICHELIN Guide Selected in Abu Dhabi’s 2026 edition. That wording matters because the restaurant’s own website currently uses ‘Michelin Star’ language in page titles and promotional copy, while the official 2026 Guide category is Selected, not one star. The restaurant is on the ground floor of Etihad Towers in Al Bateen and publishes daily hours from noon to 1am, with bookings on +971 50 447 4805. For Simply Abu Dhabi, Moksh is best for diners who already know classic Indian food and want to see how far the kitchen is willing to stretch it. Order one recognisable anchor, then use the rest of the table for the dishes you would not cook at home.

Practical details

Location: Ground Floor, Etihad Towers, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cuisine: Modern Indian
Telephone: +971 50 447 4805
Hours: Daily 12pm-1am
Recognition: MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026 – Selected, not one-star
Editorial status: Open