The Matinee: A Dive-In Mediterranean Pool Restaurant Made for The WB Abu Dhabi
A pool restaurant that actually uses the pool as part of the concept
The Matinee is not simply a cafe beside a hotel swimming pool. The WB Abu Dhabi has designed the water, the screen and the restaurant to work as one family space. There is a ‘dive-in’ outdoor theatre showing Warner Bros. classics, a splash pad, sun loungers and a swim-up bar, so lunch can happen without breaking the momentum of a resort day. On Yas Island, where families often move between theme parks and hotel facilities at speed, that practical integration is the point. Parents can sit down, children can remain engaged and the restaurant still feels like part of the holiday rather than a compulsory pause from it.
Mediterranean food keeps the menu suitable for heat and daylight
Hilton describes the menu as a Mediterranean blend with grill specialities, while Yas Island’s current destination page emphasises light Mediterranean classics and grilled dishes. That is exactly the right register for the setting. The Matinee does not need a heavy concept menu; it needs food that works beside water, in the sun, between activities. Salads, grilled items, lighter plates and cold drinks make more sense here than a formal three-course structure. The visual identity also matters: palms, outdoor seating and the big screen create a recognisably WB environment without turning every plate into a branded prop. It is themed hospitality with restraint.
The useful correction is the current contact and service window
The dedicated Hilton page currently lists The Matinee daily from 11am to 9pm, while the hotel’s broader dining overview has also displayed an 8pm finish. Rather than pretending those first-party pages agree, a late visit should be reconfirmed on the day. Experience Abu Dhabi lists +971 2 692 7742 for the venue. The restaurant’s appeal is strongest for hotel guests and families spending a full day around Yas Island, but it belongs in the wider guide because it solves a specific hospitality problem well: how to feed people at a pool without making them feel they have left the pool experience behind. For Simply Abu Dhabi, that is enough of an identity to merit its own entry rather than being buried under a generic hotel-dining heading.
Practical details
Location: The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cuisine: Light Mediterranean classics and grilled specialities
Telephone: +971 2 692 7742
Hours: Dedicated Hilton page lists daily 11:00am-9:00pm; reconfirm late closing time
Editorial status: Open – current first-party pages differ on late closing time; telephone and daytime service verified