A MEMORABLE OVER THE WATER SEAFOOD EXPERIENCE IN ABU DHABI

A new lounge vibe and North African culinary influences for this high-end Abu Dhabi favorite

 

If you have been living in the Capital for a while, you have certainly heard and experienced Finz, often referred to as one of the best seafood and romantic places in Abu Dhabi. As Finz in Abu Dhabi recently went through a serious revamping from the decor, to the new Chef and team, we were keen on experiencing it.

A new lounge decor that invites to lay back and unwind

Almost laying on the water, Finz has an incredible location overlooking the beach and with panoramic views of the Al Maryah Island buildings that give it a vibrant vibe, especially at nighttime.

With a DJ now on board, a new central bar preparing bespoke cocktails (that can all be prepared as mocktails too), guests can either opt for indoor sofas, regular indoor tables or go for the terrace that offers amazing views.

 

A new menu with many Moorish influences of North Africa

Browsing the new menu, the seafood lovers will rejoice as you can still order your stand of chilled seafood on ice or have your preferred fresh fish prepared to your liking and served with a collection of homemade sauces.

What surprised us is the unexpected and unusual culinary combinations with Mediterranean and North African influences.

Intrigued we opted for a selection of these audacious culinary associations and some of them (not all, but most of them ) just won us over.

For our starters, we ordered grilled calamari with merguez sausage and harissa yogurt and we promise this starter rocks. Served warm, the soft calamari were perfectly cooked, and the creamy flavored sauce had a welcome kick for the palate and paired well with the merguez.

Served with the lobster tail on the plate, the lobster and scallop ceviche comes marinated and seasoned with tamarind, chili, tomato and coriander that really add a kick to the subtle flavour of the lobster.

Following Finz’s team advice, we also shared a signature salad: the baby spinach and kale salad is perfect for an outdoor lunch or light dinner on the terrace. Prepared with thinly sliced dates, feta cheese, and a refreshing lemon vinaigrette, the originality comes with the crispy chickpeas that add a lovely crunch.

For our mains, we shared one of Finz new signature dishes: the pan seared ‘Glacier 51 toothfish’ – coming from Sub-Antartic and patrolling 2 thousand meters below sea level – it is served with slow cooked chickpeas, chorizo sausage, smoked paprika and olive oil. We just adored the pairing between the chorizo that flavored the sauce and worked well with the ‘meaty’ fish. It was our first time experiencing a toothfish that is often referred as the ‘wagyu’ in fish and were very impressed by it.

We also shared the roasted Mediteranean seabass that was served on top of marinated sweet onions, lentils, duck confit and aragula. This earth and sea combination was again audacious but we still much preferred the other main.

To end on a sweet note opt for a dessert to share such as the Finz dessert tasting allows you to experience different signature bite desserts such a Turkish coffee ice cream, crème catalan that has a subtle orange taste, the almond cake, fig and dark chocolate tart and baklava. The Turkish ice cream was definitely our favorite and wasn’t too sweet.

Finz is still pricey but it’s definitely a spot to pick whenever you have a special occasion to celebrate.

If you wish to browse the Finz menu, click here.

FINZ | Beach Rotana Hotel | Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club Area | +971 2 697 90 11

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