Slice45 opens first Abu Dhabi restaurant after pop-up success

Abu Dhabi favourite Slice45 opens its first restaurant in Khalidiya, bringing its cult pizza slices from pop-ups into a permanent home

There is a new pizza spot in Khalidiya, and it comes with a bit of a backstory.

Slice45, the homegrown name that built a following one slice at a time, has opened its first full restaurant in Abu Dhabi. If you have ever queued at one of its pop-ups or chased down a drop from its cloud kitchen days, you will know this one has been a long time coming.

It started as a simple idea. A pickup-only concept inspired by New York slice culture, shaped by travel, curiosity and a love of a really good base. From there, Slice45 moved through pop-ups across the UAE, quietly building a loyal crowd that kept coming back for more.

Now it has a permanent home in Khalidiya, and the space feels personal. It leans into a relaxed trattoria style, with American-Italian flavours at the centre. The menu offers familiar classics done well, with just enough personality to keep things interesting.

The founder, Mohamed al Mubarak, is still very much in the mix. Every dish pulls from somewhere, whether it is a trip, a memory or a moment that stuck. That hands-on approach shows up on the plate. Khalidiya is not a random choice either. It is where some of those early food memories began, from supermarket runs to late-night shawarma stops and first tastes of pizza in the city.