Restaurant review: Sand & Koal

Sand & Koal is the ideal beachside dinner spot that offers woodfire cooking, fire dancers and one of the best views in the city

There are dinners you remember for the food, and then there are the ones you remember for how they made you feel. Sand & Koal is both. Set on the sands of Emirates Palace with Qasr Al Watan glowing across the water, this is a restaurant that understands timing. Arrive before sunset, order a drink, and let the evening unfold slowly, with woodfire cooking, flickering flames on the beach and a mood that leans gently into romance.

The Spot

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Sand & Koal sits on the edge of Emirates Palace square, with Qasr Al Watan in front of you and the Arabian Gulf stretching out alongside it. It is the kind of view that makes you pause before you sit down. Sitting in a beachside gazebo here feels quietly extravagant. Come early, order a drink and let the sunset do its thing before the fire and wood smoke signal that dinner is about to begin.

The Vibe

Tables sit directly on the sand, the lighting is warm, and the mood shifts easily from social to romantic as the night rolls on. It works for big brunch groups, but this is really the ideal date night restaurant. The entertainment seals it. Fire performers on the beach are hypnotic, and the music sits at that sweet spot where you can still talk but your foot taps along anyway.

The Food and Drinks

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The menu leans into woodfire cooking and sharing plates, with bold flavours. Start with the roasted heirloom tomatoes with burrata, bright and fresh with a savoury nori sourdough crumb. The local grilled squid is tender and generous with its lemon caper butter.

The cured hammour carpaccio is delicate, lifted with citrus and aji verde, while the coppa and wagyu beef tartare is rich and perfectly balanced with capers, mustard and confit potato. If you are feeling indulgent, the whole king crab leg is the showstopper, drenched in crustacean hollandaise and beurre noisette.

Save space for dessert. The karak tea ice cream is something special. Spiced, comforting and unmistakably local, it tastes like Abu Dhabi on a plate. I would argue it is the taste of the UAE. The dark chocolate smoked with oud is dramatic and intense, while the exotic vacherin is lighter and playful, all fruit and meringue.

The Service

Effortless and friendly. Staff know the menu well and are happy to guide you through it. Still, the real scene stealer is the entertainment. The fire dancers are hard to ignore, and no one seems to mind the distraction.