Buddha-Bar Beach Abu Dhabi — Restaurant in Abu Dhabi

I will spare some of my time to share an extremely unprofessional act by staff and manager of Buddha Bar St Regis Abu Dhabi on 23/04/22. Me and my friends spend an evening on the beach st regis and decided to have some drinks at Buddha Bar. It was 5 of us and since it was just about iftar we would like to order some ala carte but we were informed not available due to the company policy of brunch only. So 4 of us decided not to take brunch as we do not wish to have heavy meal and we will head other place for our dinner after the drinks and only one of us decided to take the brunch set. So we were enjoying our evening, and our friend started to have his starter for the brunch, and he gave few sushi maki rolls to other friend who did fasting on the day and there was an edamame that he dont eat so he gave to another friend. Edamame is a green peas ya, just a green peas. and when the waiter clear the plates for the starter, the sushi rolls was not even finished because the person ordered it dont want to eat it and the rest of us not taking it. So, as we were spend an evening chit chat and drinks, suddenly someone claim he is the manager came to us and start to explain about the policy of brunch and says that he has to charge of us of the brunch package because we were sharing the plates. The most ridiculous statement from someone with a manager title of a so called high class restaurant. After that the main course never came, and while waiting my friend keep ordering cocktails and finally when he asked for the main course, he was informed the brunch package for him was cancelled. Alright, now he has to pay for all drinks he ordered as ala carte, and while we were complaining the staff start to explain again about the policy and he said the starter food is not charge to his bills, only the drinks. Unbelievable. I would like to express my disappointment and as well this is a very low class act from the staff of Buddha Bar. Do not treat your customer that come to your restaurant who come for a good evening like we are a person that trying to steal food from other people. Please invest some money in properly train your staff or your manager to do hospitality course so they can have some proper manner in handling a situation. This is a disgrace to your...

If you’re not interested in reading the rest of the review and just want the summed-up version, here it is: very friendly and accommodating staff, big price tags for tiny portions, music far too loud with annoying live drumming, and a tiny lounge area.

For those familiar with the St. Regis on Saadiyat Island, they will have remembered Turquoiz - a chilled out lounge on the beach. Buddha Bar by the Beach has taken over Turquoiz, offering a very different experience.

When you first walk into Buddha Bar by the Beach, you’re greeted by the lovely staff who seem genuinely excited that you have arrived. Despite not having a reservation, the staff were still able to accommodate us.

We were taken to an empty and far-away corner of the restaurant, where we felt as though we were missing the action. This is Buddha Bar after all... we want to be where the commotion is.

We try to get a table in the lounge area (which is tiny in comparison to the rest of the restaurant) and are told that it is full, with the exception of two tables that seat around 8 people each. We ask to sit at those tables and are told we have to spend a minimum of AED 2500 to be able to sit there. No thank you.

We sit in a dining area very near to the lounge and order ceviche, sushi and shrimp. The portions were tiny, and the music was extremely loud. I understand Buddha Bar’s music is very specific and famous, but the guy hitting the drum all night long was not exactly a nice accompaniment to my meal.

I take a gander outside and am shocked by the volume of the music. This restaurant is so close to the beach in an area that is protected by the government due to the wildlife and ecosystem there. Hotels are not allowed to have bright lights for turtle nesting, and the music on this patio is extremely loud.

All in all, I find the whole night to be a little strange. No one was dancing, the prices are way too expensive for the tiniest portions and I left feeling unsatisfied. This Buddha Bar did not strike the right balance between zen-lounge music and dining - it seemed more like a headache waiting to happen.

Hope to come back one day and be able to change this review...

Great ambience, fantastic food and wonderful service. DJ cum sax player was fantastic. As now its cooler we sat outside. Hearing the waves lap the beach nearby is the best experience too! Had brunch of Friday fix menu meal, it was just PERFECT!! cold starters were amazing (special mention to the sushi / sashimi), hot starters were sumptuous (the calamari, miam miam), main courses were gorgeous and let's not even talk about desserts!! Loved the cocktails / drinks / champagne selection. I have to say that the the highlight of the day was our waiter Deepak, he was simply amazing! He was giving us advices from the beginning until the end of the meal. I have to say that it's just so great to have people like him to make the experience in restaurants even better. Everything about this place is just amazing. The food is unreal, no matter how many times I've visited this place, I am still in awe. From the food, to the environment, to the staff, this place never disappoints. Many thanks to the amazing chefs here, the great waiters and waitresses. The entire team is purely wonderful, always making sure that our wishes were met. They always made sure that we have the most amazing time. Not a single flaw in this place. Make sure to visit if you are...