Brick Rooftop Kitchen & Bar

Brick is the rooftop kitchen and bar at Aloft Abu Dhabi, the hotel connected to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. It opens every evening and is one of the most relaxed places in this part of the city to watch the sun go down over the skyline with a drink, and the hotel describes it as one of Abu Dhabi's hottest rooftop dining spots.

The format is part bar, part restaurant. The kitchen focuses on rustic, oven-baked dishes, and there are vegan specialities on the menu, which makes it easy for mixed groups to find something they like. Many people come for a drink at sunset and stay for dinner, sharing dishes from the oven as the city lights come on. The hotel describes the food as award-winning.

It suits groups of friends, couples, colleagues after a day at an exhibition and visitors staying near ADNEC who want a casual evening without heading downtown. The atmosphere is informal and social, and prices are moderate compared with the bars in the city's five-star resorts. The dress code is smart casual, and the minimum legal drinking age in the UAE applies.

Brick opens daily from 17:00 until 23:30, so it works for an early-evening drink or a full dinner. Book a table if you are coming for sunset or during a big event at ADNEC, when the hotel and its bars are busiest. The hotel has other venues if you want to continue the evening: Relax@12 serves sushi and small plates with skyline views and stays open late, WXYZ is the lobby bar, and Glow is the poolside sports bar.

Aloft Abu Dhabi is on Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street with direct access to ADNEC, and Capital Gate, the leaning tower, is next door. The hotel offers complimentary self-parking and valet parking, and taxis are easy to find. Zayed International Airport is about 25 kilometres away, so Brick can also be a good first or last evening stop if you are flying in or out. In the cooler months from late October to April, the rooftop is at its most comfortable.