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Yas Marina Dining Walk — Casual to Mid-Range
Stars 'N' Bars, Ishtar, and Bar Du Port, all a short walk along the marina
Yas Marina's dining strip runs a genuine range within a short walk, from casual sports-bar food to proper sit-down dinners with live entertainment, and all three of the venues here are real, currently operating spots rather than just convenient for their location.
Stars 'N' Bars is the lively, casual anchor — a sports bar and restaurant right on the marina serving burgers, pizzas, and pub-style food, and it carries a real, well-attested rating: 4.4 from over 3,200 Google reviews, an unusually large sample for a casual venue and a genuine sign of consistency rather than a lucky run of good nights. See live rating and reviews on Google Maps
Ishtar is the step up in register: North African and Middle Eastern cuisine reimagined for a modern fine-dining setting, with genuinely strong marina views and a livelier evening programme — live DJ sets and themed nights are a regular part of the experience here, not an occasional add-on. It carries a strong, well-attested rating of its own: 4.7 from 918 Google reviews. This is the pick if you want a proper sit-down dinner with real atmosphere, without needing a splurge-tier reservation elsewhere. See live rating and reviews on Google Maps
Bar Du Port brings a different register again — a French Riviera-inspired restaurant and bar blending Mediterranean and French cuisine with handcrafted cocktails, open into the early hours (Thu/Fri until 3am), rated 4.4 from 125 Google reviews. This is the pick for an evening that's as much about the scene as the food, in the same social-dinner-into-nightlife slot Yas Marina's marina-front venues are known for. See live rating and reviews on Google Maps
All three sit within a genuinely short walk of each other along the marina, making this a realistic option for a group with different preferences on any given night — one person wanting a casual burger, another wanting a proper sit-down dinner, without needing to travel between venues.
Why it's special
Race weekend dining at a circuit this focused on luxury hospitality can make it feel like every option is either an expensive splurge or a generic food-court stall. This marina walk proves there's real, well-reviewed middle ground — three genuinely different, genuinely good venues within a five-minute walk of each other, each independently strong enough to stand on its own rating rather than riding on marina-view novelty alone.
Insider tips
- 1
Stars 'N' Bars' large screens showing live race coverage make it a genuine option for watching a session you don't have circuit tickets for, not just a pre- or post-race meal stop.
- 2
Bar Du Port's atmosphere shifts noticeably later in the evening as the DJ sets ramp up — go early for a calmer meal, later specifically if the social scene is the point.
- 3
Ishtar's live entertainment — including a belly dance show — is central to the venue, not an occasional add-on, but the exact nightly schedule isn't published; confirm the show time when booking if catching the full performance matters to you.
Practical info
- Hours
- Stars 'N' Bars: daily 12pm–2am (weekends until 3am). Ishtar: daily 4pm–2am. Bar Du Port: Mon–Wed 4pm–2am, Thu/Fri 4pm–3am, Sat 1pm–3am.
- Cost
- Casual to mid-range across the three venues — genuinely more affordable than Yas Marina's splurge-tier options like Garage
- Access
- Reserve directly with each venue or via major reservation platforms (OpenTable). Walk-ins possible outside peak race-week hours.
- Getting there
- Walking distance along the Yas Marina waterfront promenade; served by the free Yas Courtesy Shuttle.
- Address
- Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
What to avoid
Don't book any of these three expecting the same relaxed evening you'd get on a normal night — the whole marina promenade shifts into a genuine party atmosphere after dark during race week, with live bands most nights from around 10pm building toward the headline concerts further along. If a quieter conversation over dinner matters more to you than the buzz, eat earlier in the evening before the energy ramps up, rather than assuming any of these three stays low-key just because it isn't the after-party venue itself.
