ALMA: Poolside Mexican Flavours at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental

Mexican food with the palace pool as its dining room

ALMA occupies a very different register from the grand indoor restaurants of Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. Set beside the Oriental Wing pool, it is open-air, relaxed and framed by views towards the beach. The current hotel page describes the restaurant as a tranquil poolside haven where Mexican cuisine is adapted to the setting rather than buried beneath palace formality. Crucially, outside diners can reach ALMA through the Oriental Wing without buying a day pass, making it a genuine restaurant destination rather than an amenity reserved for hotel guests.

Ceviche, tacos and barbacoa keep the menu recognisably Mexican

Mandarin Oriental currently highlights fresh ceviches, hand-rolled tacos and sharing plates such as lamb barbacoa. Experience Abu Dhabi adds tostadas to that picture. The kitchen uses modern techniques, but the menu still reads through familiar Mexican forms rather than fusion for its own sake. Drinks follow the same logic, with tamarind, hibiscus and horchata appearing alongside cocktails. Those ingredients bring acidity, spice and freshness to a setting where the heat, pool and sea naturally favour lighter, sharper flavours.

The daytime hours define the experience

ALMA currently operates from 9 am to 7 pm, so this is best understood as a daytime and early-evening restaurant. The timing suits a long lunch, post-pool tacos, or a sunset-adjacent meal more than a late dinner. Both Mandarin Oriental and Experience Abu Dhabi currently list the venue and +971 2 690 7999, correcting the old database’s earlier telephone anomaly and removing any doubt about the address. ALMA earns its place because it gives Emirates Palace a less formal culinary personality: Mexican food, bright drinks and a beach-resort rhythm inside one of Abu Dhabi’s most monumental hotels. The result is unusually relaxed for such a monumental address.

Practical details

Location: Oriental Wing pool, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, West Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cuisine: Mexican
Telephone: +971 2 690 7999
Restaurant email: moauh-restaurants@mohg.com
Hotel email: moauh-reservations@mohg.com
Hours: Daily 9 am-7 pm