5 of the best new places to enjoy pizza in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is a little pizza paradise…

Woodfired, stonebaked, slices, circles and strips — we’ve rounded up, and squared off Abu Dhabi’s best new opportunities to have yourself a little pizza party. We’ve got all the iterations of the most covetous of carbs, traditional Italian bakes, deep-pan Detroit muscle that really takes some topping and a gorgeous Roman holiday, just a hop and skip from the beach.

Antonia

Carbs by the ocean? Winner of What’s On Abu Dhabi’s Indie Restaurant of the Year 2022, Antonia is bringing Pizza Al Taglio to the yard — a Roman variety of our favourite flatbread that literally means ‘pizza by the slice’, it traditionally comes in squares and makes for some epic street eats. The ‘by-the-slice’ concept also means you can mix and match your topping choices, allowing you to blend classic pizza experiences such as diavola, burrata, and tartufo e funghi (truffle and mushroom). This pizzeria will be using a base blend born of organic Italian flour and sourdough, Antonia also serves up poetic portions of authentic pasta, calamari, fresh salad options, suppli (a gorgeous species of gooey risotto croquette), sweet pizzas (with Nutella of course). We really, really, dearly loved this place, check out our review for all the ‘knead-to-know’ details.

Soul Beach, Building 9 Mamsha al Saadiyat, open daily from midday to 11pm. antoniarestaurant.com

Akiba Dori

You don’t see too many restaurants serving fusion food built from the from culinary traditions of Italy and Japan. And that’s a shame, because at Akiba Dori, those gastronomic worlds collide in the most spectacular fashion. The result is a shockwave of outrageously tasty Japanese pizza and a collection of Tokyo street bites that have been given a lightly Roman remix. This is the second UAE location for the brand, which this time comes with its own bar, alfresco seating and the return of its soul-binding wagyu gyoza dish. Full review available here.

Yas Bay, Yas Island, open daily midday to midnight. Tel: (04) 770 7949, @akibadori

Emmy Squared

New York-based pizzeria Emmy Squared is now open and serving up epic slices of US-style ‘Za at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Bay. This purveyor of fine carbs, deals in Detroit-style pizza — a destinct, square-shaped pizza with “a crispy bottom, fluffy focaccia-like dough, caramelised cheesy “frico” crust, and signature sauce stripes.” When we visited, we were huge fans of the innovative topping range and the deep buttery flavours of the Detroit base.

Yas Bay, Yas Island, daily midday to midnight. Tel: (02) 235 8763, @EmmySquaredPizzaUAE

Sole

Based at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, Sole ins’t strictly a new addition to the UAE pizzaiola circuit, but have made the cut because they’ve just received and installed a brand new lit bit of pizza-making kit, a wood-burning oven, adding an incredible smokey, authentic Neopolitan profile to their pizzas.

SOLE Ristorante, Podium Level 1 Etihad Towers,  W Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, Tel: (0)2 811 5666, @sole.conradetihadtowers 

Talea

Based in the capital’s home of unabashed elegance, Emirates Palace, and dressed to impress with princely interior design, Talea — now open — looks intent on bringing a fresh and regal energy to the city’s Italian dining scene. The concept comes from the Michelin-honoured Chef Antonio Guido, and proposes a menu built around the theme of “Cucina di Famiglia” which, for those whose Italian is limited to hand gestures and football clubs, translates as ‘family-style cuisine’. Alongside a top-tier collection of artisanal pizzas and expert-curated handmade pasta options, you can expect a glittering assembly of more rare Italian gastronomic gems. The restaurant features a fairy tale terrace, hemmed by the grand columns of the Palace’s facade, and offering romantic views across the Corniche’s dreamy blue yonder.

Emirates Palace, W Corniche Road, Tue to Sun 12.30pm to 10.30pm, closed Monday. Tel: (02) 2 690 7999, mandarinoriental.com

Images: Provided