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.
We don't pretend airport bars compete with what you'll find in Abu Dhabi proper. The list below is honest about the trade-offs. We highlight terminals where the rooms actually try, the chains that are reliably better, and the precise terminal location for each pick. Save this before your next flight.
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.
By terminal, ranked
Plays for Abu Dhabi Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Better drinking in Abu Dhabi proper
Skip the airport entirely. These rooms are worth the cab, even with luggage.
The Friday Pour
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 200+ cities. Friday mornings, no filler.