Abu Dhabi
You're flying out of Abu Dhabi Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at Abu Dhabi Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at Abu Dhabi's airports.
Corniche · $$$$
62nd-floor skybar inside the Etihad Towers.
Corniche · $$$$
Revolving rooftop bar inside Le Royal Meridien.
Yas Island · $$$$
Cocktail bar attached to the Hakkasan restaurant inside the Emirates Palace.
Saadiyat Island · $$$
Beach-club bar inside the Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island.
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in Abu Dhabi proper at the end.
Plays for Abu Dhabi Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 176 cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Abu Dhabi? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.