The Best Chinese Restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Chinese food in Abu Dhabi runs from a Michelin-starred room at the Emirates Palace to a hot pot counter in Al Zahiyah where you pick your ingredients by weight. The best value sits in the old Tourist Club area, and the best cooking is not always where the money is.
Checked August 2026. Ratings and hours drift. Each entry links to Google Maps for live figures.
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels
How we rate Chinese restaurants
Every place is scored out of 100 on five things, so the order is repeatable rather than a matter of taste.
Google rating
Public rating, with 3.5 treated as the floor.
Review volume
A 4.8 from 250 people is weaker than a 4.8 from 5,000.
Chinese specialist
A Chinese kitchen outranks a pan-Asian menu with a noodle section.
Community word
Local forums and independent write-ups, which surface neighbourhood places.
Price
Value counts, and this category runs from cheap counters to fine dining.
No restaurant pays for placement and none is a GulfOnline advertiser. Figures were read in August 2026 and will drift.
GulfOnline Recommends
Six picks for six different reasons, chosen on the criteria above and not for payment.
New Shanghai
A 4.8 across 4,992 reviews, which nothing else in this category comes close to. Dumplings, Szechuan beef and shrimp dishes all land, service gets named repeatedly, and it is priced for a normal weeknight.
Dragon Bao Bao
Hand-pulled noodles, fresh bao and crispy dumplings at prices reviewers repeatedly call surprising. Chinese diners rate it the most authentic in the city. Parking around it is the one real problem.
Hakkasan
Michelin-starred Cantonese inside the Emirates Palace, and the way to see the hotel without staying in it. Supreme dim sum, soft shell crab, crispy duck salad, and a terrace looking at the Etihad Towers.
Din Tai Fung
The Taiwanese chain, and the xiao long bao is the reason to go. Two floors, well-drilled service, and a chocolate xiao long bao that sounds wrong and is not. Portions are small and prices high.
Ma La Tang
Pick your ingredients from the chiller, pay by weight, and get a giant bowl of broth built exactly how you want it. A 4.8 from a tiny room near the Navy Gate. Medium spice is already properly hot.
Mongolian Chinese
Regulars of ten years and more call it the best Indo-Chinese in the country. Six or seven tables only, so expect a wait at weekends. The taro bubble tea is the sleeper order.
The 8 best Chinese restaurants in Abu Dhabi, ranked
Ordered by score. Ratings and review counts are what Google showed in August 2026.
1. New Shanghai
The strongest combination of rating and volume in the category by a distance. Dumplings and shrimp dishes get the most consistent praise, the Szechuan beef is the order for anything with heat, and staff are named in review after review. It gets loud with families at weekends.
- Level 2, Reem Mall, Al Reem Island
- 11am to 11pm, to midnight at weekends
- Dumplings, Szechuan beef, shrimp dishes
- Noisy at weekends
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels
2. Din Tai Fung
The xiao long bao is the whole point and it is done properly, with a chocolate version that has become its own attraction. Spread over two floors with service that explains dishes rather than just delivering them. Portions run small and prices high, which regulars accept.
- The Galleria, Al Maryah Island
- 11am to 10pm, to midnight at weekends
- Xiao long bao, mapo tofu, wonton soup
- Small portions, premium prices
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Change C.C / Pexels
3. Dragon Bao Bao
The value pick and the one Chinese diners send you to. Hand-pulled noodles, fresh bao, crispy dumplings and seafood Yang Chow fried rice, all in generous portions at prices that surprise people. Recently moved to a mezzanine next to the old room. Parking is genuinely difficult.
- Electra Street, behind ADCB Bank
- 10am to 11.30pm daily
- Bao, hand-pulled noodles, fried dumplings
- Parking is the main drawback
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography / Pexels
4. Ma La Tang
Hot pot done the proper way: choose your ingredients from a chiller, pay by weight, and it comes back as a giant bowl of broth. The broth is the thing, neither thin nor overpowering. The room is tiny, so it fills fast, and nobody explains the system unless you ask.
- Al Firdous Street, Al Zahiyah
- Noon to 1am daily
- Medium spice is already properly hot
- Very small space, pay by weight
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Đậu Photograph / Pexels
5. Hakkasan
Michelin-starred Cantonese in the Emirates Palace, and the cheapest way to get inside the building. Supreme dim sum, soft shell crab and crispy duck salad are the standouts, the vegetarian and gluten-free range is unusually serious, and the terrace looks at the Etihad Towers. Dinner only except Saturday.
- Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, W Corniche Road
- 6pm to 12.30am, plus Saturday lunch
- Michelin starred, the priciest here
- Strong vegetarian and gluten-free options
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Josh Eleazar / Pexels
6. Dai Pai Dong
A Michelin-recommended room on the lower level of The Galleria, with a hidden bar called Dragon Tooth attached. Char siu, chilli chicken, pork neck buns and duck rice all land. Around AED 500 for two, and the squid is the one dish reviewers warn off.
- Level B3, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island
- Noon to 11pm, later at weekends
- Dragon Tooth bar attached
- Around AED 500 for two
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Caleb Oquendo / Pexels
7. Mongolian Chinese
Indo-Chinese rather than mainland Chinese, and regulars of ten years and more rate it the best in the country at that. Six or seven tables only, so weekends mean waiting. Portions are average and prices are not low, but the main dishes are genuinely different from the competition. Delivery gets poor notices.
- 10th Street, Al Zahiyah, opposite Abu Dhabi Mall
- 11.30am to 3.30pm, 6pm to midnight
- Indo-Chinese, taro bubble tea
- Takeaway orders get mixed reviews
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Alexey Demidov / Pexels
8. Kawloon
One of the longest-running Chinese restaurants in the city, with regulars of eleven years. The sizzling dishes are what it does best, and the duck and lobster get good notices. But quality is inconsistent, dumpling dough gets criticised, and some visits report heavily over-fried food.
- Sector E15, opposite Dana Hotel, Al Zahiyah
- Noon to 3.30pm, 6pm to midnight
- Sizzling dishes, Shanghai noodles, duck
- Quality varies considerably
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Yang Hao / Pexels
Where the Chinese food is
Al Zahiyah, the old Tourist Club area. The densest cluster and the cheapest. Ma La Tang, Mongolian Chinese and Kawloon are within a few minutes of each other, alongside the Filipino and Vietnamese places.
Electra Street. Dragon Bao Bao, and the best value in the category.
Al Maryah Island. The polished end. Din Tai Fung and Dai Pai Dong in The Galleria, both with proper kitchens behind the mall setting.
Reem Island. New Shanghai at Reem Mall, and the highest-scoring Chinese restaurant in the emirate.
The Corniche hotels. Hakkasan at the Emirates Palace, and where to go when someone else is paying.
One note worth knowing: several of the best rooms here are small. Ma La Tang and Mongolian Chinese both have under ten tables, so go early or expect to wait.
Illustrative image, not the venue. Photo: Lan Yao / Pexels
Common questions
What is the best Chinese restaurant in Abu Dhabi?
New Shanghai at Reem Mall scores highest on our criteria, with a 4.8 across 4,992 reviews. Dragon Bao Bao on Electra Street is the pick for authentic cooking at low prices, and Din Tai Fung at The Galleria is the best for dim sum.
Where can I get authentic Chinese food in Abu Dhabi?
Dragon Bao Bao on Electra Street is the one Chinese diners recommend most often, and Ma La Tang in Al Zahiyah does proper pick-your-own hot pot. The old Tourist Club area has the densest concentration.
Is there a Michelin starred Chinese restaurant in Abu Dhabi?
Yes. Hakkasan at the Emirates Palace holds a Michelin star, and Dai Pai Dong at The Galleria is Michelin recommended.
Where is the best dim sum in Abu Dhabi?
Din Tai Fung at The Galleria for xiao long bao, and Hakkasan at the Emirates Palace for the fine dining version.
Is there hot pot in Abu Dhabi?
Ma La Tang in Al Zahiyah is the dedicated hot pot spot. You choose ingredients from a chiller and pay by weight.
How much does Chinese food cost in Abu Dhabi?
A very wide range. Dragon Bao Bao and the Al Zahiyah restaurants are cheap, Din Tai Fung is mid to upper, Dai Pai Dong runs around AED 500 for two, and Hakkasan is the most expensive.
Try another cuisine
Other cuisines in Abu Dhabi, ranked and scored the same way.