Makani Café

Makani Café sits in the garden of the Radisson Blu (formerly Hilton) Al Ain and functions as the city's most convivial open-air shisha-and-grill address. The setting is its primary asset: a landscaped terrace strung with festoon lights, fire-pits in cooler months, a large screen tuned to live football, and enough space between tables that family groups, couples and friends all find their own pocket. During Ramadan the garden transforms into one of Al Ain's most atmospheric iftar and suhoor tents. The menu is Levantine and Moroccan-leaning, with the mixed grill, seafood grill, manakish and Lahmacun (topped with chef Mohammed's house cheese mix) as the standout orders. Mezze is handled with real care: the baba ghanoush, moutabel and vine leaves are notably above hotel-restaurant standard, and the bread arrives fresh from the oven. Finish with the kunafa, ideally alongside the chef's Moroccan tea, which is something of a house signature. Portions are generous and shareable, though prices reflect the hotel setting rather than the street-level Lebanese places elsewhere in Al Ain. Service is genuinely warm when things are calm - Rabie, Bernard, Cherry, Darif, Habib, Afzal and chef Mohammed are the names regulars return for - and the team goes out of its way for occasions, from anniversary set-ups to surprise birthday cakes. The caveats worth naming honestly: kitchen service can slow considerably on busy weekend nights, shisha smoke carries throughout the garden so it is not the right choice for young children, and the bill climbs quickly once drinks and shisha are added. Come on a weeknight or during the cooler months for the best of the place, and book ahead in Ramadan.