A Guide To Al-Qana: Unrivaled Waterfront In Abu Dhabi 

Want to spend quality time with your loved ones? We provided you with a guide to a brand-new waterfront destination. In Al-Qana Abu Dhabi you will experience a varied mixture of modern lifestyle, entertainment, dining, and wellness. 

Below we provide a local review of Al-Qana’s most visited dining spots, entertaining activities, essential stores, and the bridge lifestyle hub with its own gym and beauty lounge.  
Buckle your seatbelts for a ride to Al-Qana!

Dining Spots in Al-Qana

If you want to experience a meal with a view, Al-Qana has a wide selection of dining that may accommodate all tastes. We reviewed the top 5 dining spots in Al-Qana.

Get a stunning view of Al-Qana while enjoying a meal at MADO 

One of MADO’s best branches is the Al-Qana branch, where you enjoy a rooftop meal with a perfect panoramic view of the Al-Qana waterfront. MADO is the ideal place to satisfy your craving for Turkish food. It is a perfect place to go there for a family breakfast outing. We went there as a family and ordered the Sini breakfast and the hot breakfast platter, which was perfect for sharing. It really felt as if we were in Turkey. We were surprised that MADO was serving us refillable Turkish tea with our order, as my parents enjoyed the view of Al-Qana while drinking Turkish tea non-stop.

Experience modern Japanese cuisine at Otoro

At Otoro, you will experience upscale casual dining, serving the best of Japanese flavors. I heard about Otoro from a friend of mine, and she really enjoyed their dishes, so I went there with my brother because he adores Japanese cuisine. On our visit, we ordered the crab salad and the Otoro sushi as it is their specialty, which was remarkably delicious.

Enjoy a modern twist on traditional Mediterranean dining at Oii

Oii offers a Mediterranean gourmet dining concept that gives classic dishes a distinctively modern twist. It is a south European-inspired cafe and restaurant, where you will enjoy dishes from Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal. During my visit to Al-Qana with my family, we passed by Oii restaurant and were stopped by its wonderful exterior design. They had plants arranged so amazingly around where I started taking pictures, and the staff there explained that it was designed by an international architect they collaborated with. On your visit, do not miss their Paccheri pasta & black truffle.

Cartel Cafe: Coffee lovers best spot in Al-Qana

If you want to savor a cup of coffee from the top specialty coffee roaster in Abu Dhabi and enjoy a spectacular ground view of the Al-Qana waterfront, Cartel is your best choice. Cartel is also an experienced restaurant that offers a diversity of cuisines around the world. When I walked in, I was drawn in by the smell of coffee from the first step I took in Cartel Cafe at Al-Qana. If you are into strong coffee, we recommend you try their V60 coffee with Ethiopian beans and break the bitter taste with your favorite choice of sweets. I went for their Aseeda cake, which was a perfect combination with the V60.

Space Cafe: More than just a coffee shop

Experience a new concept of a coffee shop with the most pleasant cafe in Al-Qana. In Space cafe, you will be served a wide variety of handcrafted sweets, breakfast dishes, and brunch items created with the finest ingredients, as well as high-quality coffee beans for the ideal cup of joy. I went there for a brunch meal with a friend. Their staff was very welcoming, and the place was extremely cozy. I felt curious when I saw the Shakshuka Croissant on the menu, as it was my first time seeing this combination, so I ordered it, as well as a cup of Cortado, and I was very happy with my order.

Entertainment in Al-Qana

Al-Qana will help you in spending quality time alone and with your family from educational, physical fun activities to peaceful enjoyable movies. Al-Qana offers all these elements in their entertainment locations, which are The National Aquarium, Fun Land, Cruises, and Cinemacity.  

The National Aquarium

Bring your children to experience life underwater and educate them about types of underwater, forest, and arctic animal species and enjoy hands-on activities. The National Aquarium is the first to offer an after-school “junior biologists program” targeting children interested in science and saving animals. The overall goal of the Al-Qana aquarium is to  help adults and children discover different animal species that live in different parts of the world. Our visit benefited me and my sisters  and expanded our knowledge in a fun, creative, and appealing way. It’s almost like we flew around the world. From the eye-catching colorful and detailed interior to the innovative zone division, the National Al-Qana Aquarium caught our attention by offering us an unforgettable experience full of entertainment and knowledge.

Fun land

Fun land Al-Qana desires to be filled with children’s giggles and parents’ laughter. Bring your children to experience the real fun of outdoor activities, and switch those devices to fun land activities. I wanted to know about the fun in fun land, so I called my little cousins to help me decide. They wanted to try every game and listening to their giggles while playing confirmed the fun in Fun land is true. Watching them enjoy outdoor activities reminded me of my childhood. Bring your children to feel the joy of being in the outside world by playing on the bouncy cloud, mini go-karts, torn bikes, and clown trains. To experience the full entertainment, it’s recommended to come at sunset hours. Fun land Al-Qana will help in making your children experience the same childhood joy as yours. 

Cinemacity

The long-awaited Cinemacity in Al-Qana Abu Dhabi is now open and eager to meet all movie lovers. Cinemacity is one of a kind, offering many different theaters that suit all ages and occasions. We enjoyed the XXL cinema, when watching a movie it’s essential to have comfortable spacious chairs to have a better experience for me and my family, as well as delicious snacks, popcorn, nachos, and many more. Cinemacity Al-Qana theater options will widen your perspective on movie watching. It made me realize that the type of theater really gives the movie a different vibe and it adds to the quality of the time spent. Cinemacity welcomed my family and me and is waiting to welcome you whether you’re in the mood to watch it with your family, friends, partner, or by yourself. Cinema City is the right cinema for you. 

Grand Cruises

Cruise around Al-Qana Marina to enjoy the waterfront view! Al-Qana offers three types of cruise trips depending on the occasion, the pricing is according to the trip duration. Cruising is entertaining for adults and children, before sailing off the staff provides a life jacket for visitors to ensure safety. Me and my friends tried the private group cruise and it was a great, stress-relieving trip. Viewing Al-Qana at night was magical, seeing the lights and enjoying the marina breeze. I recommend a Al-Qana cruise for a change of scenery.

Shops in Al-Qana

Al-Qana offers unique convenience stores that will satisfy their visitors’ needs. The stores are Grandiose supermarket, Medicina pharmacy, Concept store, and Fonce.  

Grandiose supermarket

Are you in need of any essentials that can be found in your local supermarket? Well, the Grandiose supermarket is a perfect supermarket for the people who live near Al-Qana, as well as people who are in the area and need any essentials. The Grandiose supermarket is just like any other supermarket, a perfect place to buy snacks for your kids while buying your home kitchen essentials. As I was having a walk in Al-Qana with my cousins, we got really tired from walking so much. We stopped at the Grandiose supermarket to take a breather, drink some cold water and grab some snacks to recharge ourselves and get back to exploring Al-Qana. As I was looking around the supermarket, I realized how diverse it was. It had all kinds of stuff, from frozen chicken to delicious ice cream. 

Medicina Pharmacy

The Medicina Pharmacy is a well-known pharmacy that is now available in Al-Qana as well. This is perfect for when you’re on a family outing in Al-Qana and need any medicine to treat a headache. As we all know how kids get hurt easily while playing around. It will keep your mind at ease knowing that a pharmacy is near you when having a walk in Al-Qana. But this is not the only benefit of having a pharmacy in Al-Qana. As I was leaving the Grandiose supermarket, I remembered that I needed to buy some vitamin C supplements. I was grateful to find the pharmacy right next to the supermarket as I was leaving. 

Concept Store

The Concept store sells clothes of really good quality. You can have a look at the store while having a walk in Al-Qana. I was amazed by the interior design of the store from the inside, as it had a woody vibe to it. That made it feel so organic and clean. The fabric of these products was made with such great quality. I couldn’t resist getting at least one shirt from the Concept store. I recommend you stop by anytime you visit Al-Qana to have a look at these good quality clothes. 

Fonce

Fonce in Al-Qana has delicious desserts and coffee that counters the sweetness of the desserts. The interior of this shop has me mesmerized as it is very elegant and yet simple. I visited Fonce with my group of friends. We enjoyed the desserts that were served with coffee while having a comfortable conversation. The location of this shop is a walking distance from the aquarium. So, we recommend that after you have a blast at the aquarium, visit Fonce and have a relaxing time with your family or friends. You can also go in after having a walk in Al-Qana to buy chocolate to snack on later. The staff will package the chocolate in a cute box that you can take home with you and enjoy. I bought some to enjoy later on while watching my favorite show.

The Lifestyle Hub Al-Qana

Get started on a lifestyle-changing journey with The Bridge lifestyle hub. It provides a gym and a beauty lounge to Al-Qana visitors.

The Bridge

The Bridge gym is a lifestyle hub that is one of the biggest gyms in the UAE located in Al-Qana. The bridge provides all kinds of equipment for cardio and bodybuilding. There is also a large indoor track for running and walking that is beneficial for people who don’t want to run outside in the hot weather. There are group classes that are full of motivation and great vibes. It’s perfect for people who want to be a bodybuilder or athletic. The bridge gym is for both genders male and female and there’s also a specific time for females only. It also has a cafe and restaurant that is healthy and appropriate for people that are on a diet. It is very important for people to eat healthy after finishing a workout to reach their body goal. I highly recommend you to try visiting The bridge.

Maison Mallow

Want to pamper yourself? You should try Maison Mallow. Maison Mallow beauty lounge is a salon and spa that is located in Al-Qana that is only for women. It is a very calming and relaxing salon with all kinds of essentials that women need with great services. We all know that most women enjoy spending their time in the salon to get pampered, relaxed, and get their nails done before any occasion. Maison mallow beauty lounge is perfect for women that live close to Al-Qana, so that they can easily get glammed for any upcoming events.  

Now you are ready to visit Al-Qana! From the relaxing cafes to the exciting entertainment, get your essentials at the shops that are two steps away from you while exercising at the gym, or getting your nails done at the spa. After reading our review you are set to sail through Al-Qana and enjoy your time with family and friends. 

Location: Rabdan – Al Maqta’ – Abu Dhabi 

Opening hours: 10 AM to 10 PM from Sunday to Thursday and 10 AM to 12 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Still interested in more waterfront locations? Check out our review of Mamsha Al Saadiyat. Or want to read more about reviewed places in the UAE? Make sure to subscribe to ReviewAE to get notified when we upload any new posts and reviews. Stay updated and relevant! 🙂