Restaurant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Michelin-recognised Lebanese seafood, book ahead.
Em Sherif Sea Café holds a Michelin Plate for 2025 and a 4.5-star rating across 452 reviews, making it one of Abu Dhabi's most credentialed Lebanese dining options at the $$$ tier. Set inside the Rosewood on Al Maryah Island with water views and hand-painted tile interiors, it is a reliable choice for a special occasion or celebratory meal. Book one to two weeks ahead for weekend slots.
4.5 out of 5 stars across 452 Google reviews is the headline number at Em Sherif Sea Café, and it holds up under scrutiny. This is a Michelin Plate recipient for 2025, which places it in credentialed territory for Abu Dhabi dining. At the $$$ price point — mid-to-upper range without reaching the heights of a $$$$ room , it delivers a Lebanese seafood experience that is genuinely hard to replicate at the same tier in the city. If you are weighing whether to book for a celebration meal, a date, or a business dinner with someone who will notice the surroundings, the answer is yes.
The setting does real work here. Em Sherif Sea Café sits inside the Rosewood hotel on Al Maryah Island, and the interior is a deliberate departure from the standard hotel-restaurant aesthetic. Portuguese Azulejo hand-painted wall tiles line the walls , a reference that connects the room to a Mediterranean coastal sensibility without tipping into theme-restaurant territory. The space is light and contemporary, and the far-reaching water views across the island make it one of the more atmospheric dining rooms in Abu Dhabi for daytime or early evening meals. For a brunch or weekend lunch occasion, the combination of natural light, water outlook, and considered interior detail puts this room ahead of most mid-tier competitors in the city.
The ambient energy leans calm rather than high-energy. This is not a loud, late-night venue. For a special occasion where conversation matters , a proposal dinner, a business meal with a client, or a celebratory lunch , the noise level works in your favour. If you want a buzzing, high-energy room, this is probably not your first choice. For a composed, occasion-worthy experience, it is a strong fit.
Menu is seafood-focused and built for sharing, which is the format Lebanese cuisine is designed for. The Michelin Plate recognition , awarded for good cooking at a consistent standard , signals that the kitchen is executing at a credible level. The name itself, meaning "mother of Sherif" in Arabic, is a direct reference to the original Beirut branch that opened in 2011, so there is an established lineage here rather than a concept built from scratch for a hotel opening. That heritage matters when you are paying $$$ per head: it means the menu has been tested and refined over time, not assembled to fill a hotel F&B; calendar.
Seafood counter at the entrance is worth pausing at when you arrive. It is both a practical preview of what is available and a signal of the kitchen's confidence in its produce. Lebanese cuisine at this level is built on a wide variety of sharing plates , mezze, fish preparations, grilled options , and the menu reflects that breadth. For a brunch or weekend afternoon format, this sharing structure works particularly well, allowing a table to move through multiple dishes without the rigidity of a set tasting sequence.
If you are comparing this to other Lebanese options in Abu Dhabi, venues like Almayass, Grand Beirut, Li Beirut, Beirut Sur Mer, and Byblos Sur Mer each occupy different positions in the Lebanese dining spectrum here. Em Sherif Sea Café holds a distinct position by combining a Michelin credential, a hotel-quality room, and a seafood-led menu , a combination none of those alternatives currently match at the same price tier.
For global context on the Lebanese dining category, Amal in Toronto, Byblos in Miami, and L'Arabesque in Geneva all operate in similar $$$ territory, as do Faraya in Wemmel, Maza'j in Auderghem, Beity in Chicago, and Base Kamp by Aïnata in Courchevel. Em Sherif Sea Café's Michelin recognition gives it a formal credential that most of those international peers do not hold.
Reservations: Booking difficulty is moderate , this is a Michelin-recognised venue inside a Rosewood property, so do not assume walk-in availability on weekends or for the brunch service. Book at least one to two weeks ahead for weekend slots. Budget: $$$ per head, placing it below the $$$$ tier of venues like Talea by Antonio Guida or Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard, but expect to spend meaningfully for a full sharing-format meal. Dress: Smart casual at minimum given the Rosewood setting , the room is designed and the clientele will reflect that. Group size: The sharing format suits tables of two to six well; larger groups should confirm private dining availability when booking. Location: Inside the Rosewood hotel, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi Global Market Square.
Em Sherif Sea Café is the right call for a special occasion lunch or dinner where you want a room that does the work visually, a menu format that keeps the table animated, and a Michelin-backed kitchen to justify the spend. It is a stronger choice than most alternatives at this price point if Lebanese cuisine is the category you want. If you are after French fine dining at $$$$ or a more casual Mediterranean option, look elsewhere , Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard handles the former, and Mika handles the latter at a lower price point.
For broader Abu Dhabi planning, see our full Abu Dhabi restaurants guide, our Abu Dhabi hotels guide, our Abu Dhabi bars guide, our Abu Dhabi wineries guide, and our Abu Dhabi experiences guide. For a sense of what high-end regional dining looks like in this part of the world, Trèsind Studio in Dubai is a useful reference point for how hotel-based fine dining can reach serious culinary heights.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Em Sherif Sea Café | Lebanese | $$$ | Michelin Plate (2025); Meaning “mother of Sherif” in Arabic, this restaurant pays homage to the original Beirut branch first opened in 2011. Situated inside the Rosewood hotel, this light, contemporary space offers far reaching views of the water surrounding Al Maryah Island and interiors boasting Portuguese Azulejo hand-painted wall tiles. The authentic menu is seafood focused – make sure you check out the seafood counter as you arrive – and has a wide variety of vibrant, well-balanced Lebanese dishes made for sharing. | Moderate | — |
| Talea by Antonio Guida | $$$$ · Italian | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Al Mrzab | Emirati Cuisine | $ | Unknown | — | |
| Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard | French | $$$$ | Unknown | — | |
| Otoro | Japanese Contemporary | $$ | Unknown | — | |
| Mika | Mediterranean Cuisine | $$ | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Em Sherif Sea Café and alternatives.
At $$$, it sits in the upper tier of Abu Dhabi dining, but the Michelin Plate (2025) and the Rosewood setting justify the spend for a considered meal out. The seafood-focused Lebanese sharing format means you get range across the table, which helps the price feel proportionate. If you want comparable Lebanese quality at a lower price point, Al Mrzab is the alternative worth knowing.
Yes — this is one of the stronger special-occasion calls in Abu Dhabi right now. The Rosewood interior, the hand-painted Portuguese Azulejo tile work, and the water views across Al Maryah Island do the room-setting work without requiring explanation. The shared Lebanese format keeps the table active, which suits celebratory dinners better than tasting-menu restaurants where pacing is tighter.
The menu is seafood-focused, and the Michelin guide specifically flags the seafood counter on arrival — check it before you sit down, as it often shapes what you order. The format is sharing plates, so order wide rather than deep. Specific dish names are not confirmed in the available data, so ask your server what's freshest from the counter that day.
For upscale European fine dining on Al Maryah Island, Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard is the closest structural comparison in terms of setting and price. Otoro is worth considering if the draw is Japanese seafood rather than Lebanese. Al Mrzab brings a more traditional Emirati and Arabic table at a lower price point. Talea by Antonio Guida skews Italian fine dining and suits a different occasion type.
Book at least one week out for a weekday reservation; two weeks minimum for weekend dinners or any occasion date. This is a Michelin Plate venue inside a Rosewood hotel on Al Maryah Island — walk-in availability is not reliable. Phone and online booking details are not confirmed in current records, so contact the Rosewood Abu Dhabi directly to reserve.
Em Sherif is a Lebanese group with roots in Beirut, where the original branch opened in 2011 — the Abu Dhabi outpost carries that lineage into a seafood-forward menu. The interior reads contemporary rather than formal, with Portuguese Azulejo tiles and water views. Go with at least two people; the sharing format loses its logic as a solo diner. Check the seafood counter when you arrive before finalising your order.
A tasting menu format is not confirmed in the available venue data for Em Sherif Sea Café. The menu structure is sharing plates rather than a set sequence, which gives you more control over pacing and spend. If a structured tasting progression is the priority, Bord Eau by Nicolas Isnard offers that format in the same city.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
