Making the cut: The best Abu Dhabi barbershops

It’s 2020, and men’s grooming matters…

Whether you’re going for a full reboot or a little off the top, whether it’s your beard, barnet or nose hair that’s for the chop, you want to know your ‘look’ is in good hands.

Stay sharp, with our look at some of the best Abu Dhabi barbershops. 

Chaps & Co

This barbershop has seen astonishing growth since its birth in 2015. As well as this outlet in Abu Dhabi and five in Dubai, there are two new international salons coming soon in Riyadh and New York. It’s an expansion that’s built on delivering quality services from talented stylists. The interior of Chaps & Co Abu Dhabi is immediately impressive — an artistic spread of cut-throat razors adorn the wall, while mood lighting, feature paneling and luxurious retro barbershop chairs create a refined industrial feel. And given the chic surrounds and top-tier talent behind the clippers, the services are reasonably priced. Haircuts start at Dhs125, beard trims from Dhs65, hair colouring from Dhs295 and nose/ear waxing from Dhs30. Looking for a little something extra this weekend sir? They also offer hair tattoo, charcoal mask, eyebrow threading and keratin treatments.

Chaps & Co, 1st floor The Edition Hotel, Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Thur 11am to 10pm, Fri 9am to 7pm. Tel: (02) 2080500

Styles & Smiles  

This popular barber offers a quality no-nonsense range of services. Expect hair snips from Dhs90, shaves from Dhs55 and hair colouring from Dhs140.

Styles & Smiles, Etihad Airways Centre Ground Floor, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Thur, 9am to 8pm, Fri 10am to 7pm. Tel: (02) 5758559 / (050) 7827286

Local

Local isn’t just your local neighbourhood barbershop. It offers fresh fades, fresh kicks and freshly ground coffee. It’s a community. This super-trendy chop shop wears its street style all over the walls – find skate paraphernalia, limited-edition urban fashion pieces and arty little nick-nacks dotted all over the place. Haircuts start at around Dhs110 for a basic back and sides, and beard trims begin at Dhs60. Like the speciality coffee that is served in-house, the products used in the styling are all top-quality brands. The barber team includes Connor, Alex, Chrissy and Fazz, but as true masters of their art, their peak slots get booked up weeks in advance.

Local, Al Zeina Complex, Block C, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Thur 11am to 9pm (closed Mon), Fri to Sat 8am to 10pm. Tel: (02) 5553339. localco.ae

Beards N Shears Barbershop

Decked out with faux botanical walls, clean brickwork and some epic retro seating, Beards N Shears has a loyal following in the capital. The list of services provided is substantial, and in addition to the usual haircuts (Dhs70) and beard snips, they offer facial treatments and  colouring services.

Beards N Shears, Buildings C57, Eastern Rd, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to midnight. Tel: (02) 6658566

1847

This brand has a 10-store-strong presence in Dubai, and its arrival into Abu Dhabi was a welcome one. It’s a sophisticated network of gents’ salons with exclusive retail rights on some international products (1847 is the only UAE stockist of The Grey, for example). The gentleman’s club-style interiors are refined and the comfort of guests is clearly a priority – cuts come with access to a personal TV screen equipped with Apple TV. There’s even a private room for that UAE MVP VVIP experience. Get hair trims at 1847 from Dhs70, shaves from Dhs65, manicures from Dhs100, pedicures from Dhs120, facials from Dhs100, massage from Dhs90 and waxing from Dhs50.

1847, Saadiyat Beach Club, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, daily 9am to 9pm. Tel: (02) 6563530. 1847formen.com

Gentlemen’s Tonic

A truly international grooming brand, Gentlemen’s Tonic has shops across Asia, Mexico, London and the UAE. And that kind of passport flex is always reassuring. For its Abu Dhabi address, this regal barbershop finds itself in the uber-luxurious Emirates Palace spa, an appropriate location given the prestige of the grooming products it applies. Gentlemen’s Tonic haircuts start at Dhs125, beard trims are priced from Dhs95, grey-covering treatments from Dhs250, scalp massage for Dhs125 and eyebrow shaping from Dhs60. They also offer the wholesome-sounding father-and-son cut for Dhs275.

Gentlemen’s Tonic, Emirates Palace Spa, West Wing, West Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, daily 11am to 9pm. Tel: (02) 6907978. gentlemenstonic.com

Urban Male Lounge

This men’s grooming salon has six locations in the UAE, with two in Abu Dhabi (World Trade Centre and The Galleria Mall) alone. It’s an award-winning brand that prides itself on chic design, tailored individual service, and high-tech facilities including plasma screens (pre-loaded with Netflix). Cuts are available from Dhs105, shaves from Dhs79, keratin therapy from Dhs1020, massage from Dhs68, mani pedis from Dhs194 and hot stone therapy from Dhs189.

World Trade Centre Souq, Khalifa Bin Zayed St, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to 10pm. Tel: (800) 865. urbanmalelounge.com

Chelsea Man Spa

Skilled shearsman Mustafa runs this boutique barbers at Aloft Hotel, Capital Centre. In addition to the usual cuts (Dhs120) and beard trims (Dhs70), Chelsea Man Spa offers slick, precision hair tattoos (Dhs150, including hair cut).

Uptown Barbershop

This barbershop specialises in cutting and styling afro hair and offers a full dreading menu (with services from Dhs185). A short scroll through their Instagram page shows these super-skilled hair stylists are masters of the fade. Uptown Barbershop represents excellent value, with a haircut and a shoulder massage from Dhs90 and a fade with mani-pedi for Dhs145.

Uptown Barbershop, Muroor Road, Al Falahi Building, Mezzanine Floor, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Thur 10am to 11pm, Fri 12pm to 11pm. Tel: (02) 4451214. @uptown.barbershop