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I tried ryba in Mina Zayed, a seafood restaurant that has received several recognitions, including Time Out Abu Dhabi Restaurant Awards 2026 and Dine Awards Abu Dhabi 2024 and 2025. So, naturally, I was quite excited to try it.
We started with the seafood soup followed by the signature sea bass with rice. They also brought some crackers with a dip as a complimentary welcome appetizer.
The service was good, and the restaurant itself is nice and comfortable. The seafood was also fresh, and there was a good variety in the soup. However, I was honestly surprised by the flavors.
For me, the main issue was that the seasoning didn’t complement the seafood. The seafood soup was quite heavily spiced, with strong Arabic spices that, in my opinion, overpowered the natural seafood flavor. I ended up eating the seafood from the soup rather than having the broth itself because the combination of flavors wasn’t really to my taste.
I had a similar experience with the sea bass. The fish itself was fresh and tasted good when eaten on its own, although the portion was a little small. However, the seasoning was again quite strong and, for my palate, didn’t complement the fish. I think using less of the spices would have allowed the natural flavor of the sea bass to come through much better.
The rice was very simple — essentially plain boiled white rice — and could have benefited from a little more flavor, although I appreciated that it wasn’t overly oily.
Overall, I really wanted to love the food because of the restaurant’s reputation and awards. The service was good, the setting was nice, and the seafood itself seemed fresh, but unfortunately the seasoning and flavor combinations didn’t work for me. I think with a lighter hand on the spices, the dishes could be much more enjoyable and allow the seafood to shine.