The short answer
Hakkasan, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental: what visitors should know first
Hakkasan suits a dressy, seated dinner when you want Chinese food rather than Gulf or Indian. Expect hotel prices, book ahead, confirm hours, and note that its pages do not say which dishes are vegetarian.
Useful facts
Hakkasan, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental facts at a glance
- Location
- Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Corniche Road
- Dining style
- Cantonese fine dining, dim sum and roast duck
- Price signal
- Upper range; Akbar Travels cites about Rs 12,870 for two
- Signature order
- Try: dim sum or Peking duck with caviar
- Hours
- Per official page: evenings daily, plus Saturday lunch
- Good for
- Celebration dinner for non-vegetarian groups
Why it matters
Why Hakkasan, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental is worth your time
Hakkasan appears in several guides we opened, including Listmag, Akbar Travels and International Traveller, which makes it one of the most frequently recommended tables in the capital. It offers something the city's Indian and Emirati restaurants do not: a formal Cantonese meal in a grand hotel.
For families, it works as a celebration dinner with everyone seated comfortably. The trade-offs are the price, the low light and a menu dominated by seafood, duck and meat. Strict vegetarians and Jain travellers will find little confirmed here and should save it for companions who eat everything, or choose one of the vegetarian restaurants listed elsewhere in this guide for their own meal.
Highlights
What not to miss
- 01
Dim sum
The official page lists gold leaf har gau, shui mai and cheung fun among its dim sum.
- 02
Peking duck
Supreme Peking duck with caviar is on the official page, and Akbar Travels also names Peking duck.
- 03
Setting
Listmag describes carved wooden screens, blue lighting and a long open-air terrace.
Plan your visit
How to experience it
Hakkasan is in the same palace hotel as several other restaurants in this guide, so plan transport to the hotel entrance and allow time for the walk inside. Listmag describes the room as dark and dramatic, with carved wooden screens, deep blue lighting and a long open-air terrace, which is atmospheric but may feel dim for anyone who struggles to read a menu.
The official page names gold leaf har gau, scallop and chicken shui mai, Szechuan-style wonton, Alaskan king crab dumpling, prawn beancurd cheung fun and supreme Peking duck with caviar, while Listmag adds grilled black cod. International Traveller recommends the dim sum. Most of these are fish, shellfish, duck or meat dishes. The page does not say which dishes are vegetarian, so vegetarians and anyone avoiding egg or seafood should phone ahead and ask what can be prepared.
Build in an unhurried evening, and check the day's hours, since the dinner and Saturday lunch sessions differ.
Plan with confidence
Small checks that make a better meal.
- Reserve and confirm hours before travelling
- Phone ahead about vegetarian and egg-free dishes
- Ask the hotel for assistance with the long walk inside
- Dress smartly for a hotel venue
Know before you go
Timing, access and comfort
- Area
- Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Corniche Road
- Time needed
- About 1.5 to 2 hours
- Best time
- Dinner; the official page also lists a Saturday lunch session
- Walking level
- Easy
- Senior comfort
- It is inside a large hotel with level corridors, lifts and table seating, but the walk from the entrance is long. Ask the hotel about assistance, and expect low lighting in the dining room.
- Tickets and access
- Reserve in advance. The official page lists Sunday to Friday 6pm to 12:30am and Saturday 12pm to 3:30pm and 6pm to 12:30am; confirm before you go.
Best for
Plan it with
Plan the practical part
Hotels near Hakkasan, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
Staying close keeps journeys short — useful for early starts and for anyone who tires quickly.
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Travelling with parents?
It is inside a large hotel with level corridors, lifts and table seating, but the walk from the entrance is long. Ask the hotel about assistance, and expect low lighting in the dining room.
Raahzo can arrange an arrival or day companion who handles tickets, queues and pacing, and keeps the family updated.
See concierge supportFAQs
Is Hakkasan suitable for vegetarians?
The official page does not say which dishes are vegetarian. Phone ahead and ask, and expect seafood and meat to dominate.
What are the opening hours?
The official page lists evenings daily and a Saturday lunch session, but hours change. Confirm when booking.
Is it tagged pure vegetarian or Jain?
No. It serves meat and seafood, and no source says it makes Jain food.
Sources and further reading
- Hakkasan Abu Dhabi, official page
- Listmag, best restaurants in Abu Dhabi
- International Traveller, Abu Dhabi restaurants
Timings, fees and access rules change. Recheck with the official source before you travel.
