Dining

Something for All Tastes

NYU Abu Dhabi offers a wide variety of food options to keep the community energized and nourished morning, noon and night.

Undergraduate students have a meal plan that is accepted at NYUAD-operated restaurants that offer a wide variety of made-from-scratch offerings including global fare, rotating menus, and made-to-order grilled items. In addition, to use at the campus convenience store for essentials like toiletries, basic grocery items, and something to snack on between classes. We also know that a healthy mind needs a healthy body. A large self-serve salad bar, hot and cold vegetarian and vegan options are also available. Many food products at NYUAD have nutrition labels and we have a campus dietitian to help students plan a balanced diet and talk about special dietary needs.

Graduate students enrolled in one of our masters programs have the option of signing up for a meal plan that can be used at any one of our dining outlets on campus that accept the meal plan.

People queuing for food at the Marketplace on campus.

Places to Eat

Marketplace
Dining Halls
Library Cafe
Outlets
The Torch Club

This urban eatery includes Middle Eastern-themed, made to order grilled meats, shawarmas; El Fuego serves enchiladas, tacos, and burrito bowls. Escape to New York for pizza, salads & garlic rolls or sink your teeth into our hand-crafted sandwiches, sushi, and wraps from the Deli, or build your own bowl of noodles from our Far East menu. The Marketplace also offers a variety of smoothies, acai bowls, and frozen treats.
Campus East and Campus West restaurants are the community favorite dining halls with rotating menus and multiple counter themes serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is the place to sample global favorites, including Arabic cuisines, stone-baked pizzas, grilled fish & meats, hot Asian inspired dishes, dedicated vegan and vegetarian counter, and a large self-serve salad bar with over 30 items to choose from.

Accepts meal plan.
The Library Cafe is the go-to place for a calm study atmosphere while enjoying specialty tea, fresh coffee, and handmade pastries. It's also a popular spot to catch up with friends.

Accepts meal plan.
There are a number of restaurants on campus that are not operated by NYUAD but accept meal plan dirhams, cash and credit cards. Options include a Blacksmith, Escape from NY Pizza, and Sushi Counter. Students are also free to venture off campus and into Abu Dhabi for many more dining options. Taxis are easily available on campus, and NYUAD offers shuttle bus services to nearby attractions and central locations.
The Torch Club serves as an alternative table service restaurant that is open only to NYUAD faculty and staff. The spacious outdoor terrace is great for escaping the office for a relaxed meal during the cooler months. The Torch Club is also an excellent location for work functions and events.

Note: NYUAD faculty and staff are also welcome to buy meals at any other campus dining location.

Cooking at Home

All suites in residence have a small kitchenette with a sink, counter space, microwave, and fridge. Residential colleges also have a lounge that includes a community kitchen where students can prepare food. Students are responsible for purchasing utensils, pots, and pans. There's a store on campus that sells essentials.

Graduate students can learn more on cooking at home and graduate apartment furnishing here.

Seniors Yuliya Frolova and Dmitry Dobrovolskiy make smoothies in the dorm suite's common area.

Lounge kitchen equipment includes:

stove
counter space
oven with convection, standard, or combination heating, broiling, rotisserie, and bread rising functions
microwave
sink
mini-refrigerator
dining table
sofa seats

Students dining in the Campus East Restaurant (D2).

We Like to Mix Things Up

Rotating Menus

Variety is the spice of life! We change menus often to keep things fresh and interesting.

Taste of Home

Being away from home doesn't mean missing your favorite food. Our chefs team up with students from all over the world to host cultural food festivals.

Special Occasions

We have themed menus during holidays such as Eid al-Fitr, UAE National Day, and Thanksgiving, so you don't miss out on your traditions.

Responsible Dining

We encourage the usage of water bottles instead of non-reusable plastic water bottles on campus. Water stations are placed across campus to increase access to drinking water and reduce our plastic footprint.

Our reusable container program is a sustainable way for you to take food from dining venues back to your room or work area. Purchase a token to gain access to these reusable containers. After each meal, wash your container and return it back to a cashier counter to have your token returned. The next time you get food to go, hand over your token to have your food packed into a new reusable container.