Mare Mare: Italian Seaside Cooking with Saadiyat Sand Almost at the Table
Italy with sand under the horizon
Mare Mare translates simply as ‘sea sea’, and Jumeirah has wisely allowed the name to remain almost literal. The restaurant sits poolside at Jumeirah Saadiyat Island with sweeping Gulf views, serving home-cooked Italian flavours in an open, resort-style setting. It is polished, but it does not behave like a formal Italian dining room imported into a hotel. Lunch can stretch, swimwear is never psychologically far away and the beach changes the mood of the food. Jumeirah describes careful preparation, fresh ingredients and elegant presentation; the important word is ‘home-cooked’. The menu works because it keeps the comfort and generosity associated with coastal Italian dining even when the plates look refined.
Pasta, seafood and dishes that suit the coast
Current guest feedback repeatedly points to the same strengths: mushroom risotto, pasta vongole, sea bass, beef tartare, carpaccio and lobster pasta, with brunch also drawing strong comments for freshness and variety. Condé Nast Traveller has previously highlighted sea bass ceviche with Calabrian chilli and burrata pizza with yellow tomato sauce, a useful snapshot of the restaurant’s willingness to move beyond predictable resort Italian. Seafood naturally has an advantage here, but the kitchen is broad enough for a table to mix crudo, pasta, pizza and meat without the meal losing focus. The view does not excuse the food; recent 2026 reviews consistently treat the cooking as the reason to return, not simply the backdrop.
One temporary August detail matters
Mare Mare normally opens daily for lunch and dinner, and Jumeirah lists standard service from noon to 10:30pm. However, from 17 to 31 August the restaurant is operating dinner only, from 6pm to 11:30pm. Because today falls inside that window, this seasonal adjustment belongs in the guide rather than being buried. Reservations are on +971 2 811 4342. For Simply Abu Dhabi, Mare Mare is one of Saadiyat’s easiest recommendations when the brief is relaxed luxury rather than ceremony. In normal season, book a late lunch that can drift into afternoon; during the current August schedule, arrive for dinner while there is still enough light left to see why the restaurant chose its name.
Practical details
Location: Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Resort, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean and seafood
Telephone: +971 2 811 4342
Normal hours: Daily 12pm-10:30pm
17-31 August 2026: Dinner only, 6pm-11:30pm
Editorial status: Open
EMAIL: jsirestaurants@jumeirah.com