Sontaya South East Asian Restaurant

Fantastic romantic date night restaurant. Food was all amazing. We had beef cheung fun, chicken satay to start and for mains beef short rib masaman curry and sweet and sour chicken. Highly recommend. Although it was a bit chilly, a pashmina was provided by the very attentive staff. The outdoor area was well sheltered by glass panels for on a breezy evening. A very relaxed setting created by warm lighting. Thanks to Kishor for being incredibly welcoming and attentive throughout our dinner experience.

The atmosphere is super calming, the music and view make for a very relaxing ambiance. The staff is super kind, helpful and overall great. However, I found the food very average. Got the noodles with chicken and was not impressed - not bad, but not great. Would go back for the vibe maybe, but probably not for a meal.

Special thank you to Kiran, Micaiula, Min, and Gofin, Ayla! The service was amazing. The food was heaven, super good!

The food (and drink) here is excellent and well priced vs the high quality, as well as the cosy atmosphere of the restaurant (based on sitting outside on the terrace which has nice views as well). Service is good as well. One of the best restaurants in Abu Dhabi that we've been to so far. It'd be nice if they had lunch options as well.

We came here for dinner during our staycation in St Regis. The restaurant has outdoor seating area overlooking the beach and pool but unfortunately it was already too hot when we were there so we stayed indoors. There were some hiccups initially but Panda the restaurant manager has gone out of his way to try to make our experience as good as he could. The staff were all very friendly and attentive. There was also live traditional Asian music performing which made the vibe quite relaxing.

The food was quite delicious and the portion was huge! We ended up ordering too much and one main course is definitely big enough for my wife and I as we also ordered the satay and spring rolls. Will certainly visit again next time when we are in St Regis.

Subpar lousy experience, service was extremely slow and inattentive. Server knowledge was poor, simple questions were not answered. We were served incorrect order multiple times. I suggest Buddha Bar instead, better service and knowledgable team. Not recommend for entertaining guests, it was embarrassing. 0️

Previous food experience is good but the staff aren't, especially the booking lady. Was not a welcoming experience, zero interest in requests and felt like she didn't want to work there. As a result, got off the phone asap and decided to go somewhere else to celebrate.

Must go in Abu Dhabi 100%. The restaurant is located in the St. Regis Hotel. They have valet parking. You walk around the hotel’s gardens until you get to the restaurant. The personnel was very kind and attentive. The managing director himself showed us the different areas they had so we could chose where we wanted to sit. The place is beautiful. The waitress was very well trained on service. We ordered: chicken money bags (fried dumplings absolutely delicious), and some fresh vegetable rolls with peanut sauce as starters, and then had chicken pad thai and yellow chicken curry (which was really tasty and even though we were full we ended up drinking the sauce with a spoon) as main courses. They serve alcohol. To drink we had a bottle of VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE red wine, at the correct temperature and correctly opened and served by the waitress. They were so nice they brought a chocolate dessert for my husband’s birthday, which was meltingly super tasty. Our bill was 660aed (around 180€) for 2 people. 100% satisfied and reccomended, and will definitely go back.

Lovely place with amazing ambience staff Ayla and Govin are so courteous and friendly. Great service with lip smacking food. They even surprised my husband with a dessert for his birthday! Worth the visit.

Amazing restaurant. The food was absolutely great and Ayla, Yulia and Panda made our evening really special. Totally recommend it

Delicious food and amazing cocktails! Obviously overpriced like every single place in there. Worth visiting

I visited Sontaya for my husband and mothers birthday, I had a rough day that day but the minute I entered Sontaya, my evening got amazing. Mr Govin was such a great presence, he helped me so much as he understood that I’m pregnant. All the menu assistance, providing a cushion such a sweet person.
The food was delicious, we were recommended by Govin and I can 100% vouch for the food as well as the drinks.
Thank you for making the evening so beautiful and special

We had a large group dinner here, as part of the half-board offering in our stay at St Regis, and we had an absolute fantastic meal.

The food was delicious and the service was attentive, prompt and very professional. I did find the cutlery a little too bulky and hard to manage. They may be pretty but not practical. Also surprised the plates given out for sharing our main courses were not warm/hot as I have experienced in so many other much less high-end restaurants.

Nonetheless, a special thanks to Mr Anit for accommodating all my very specific food requests to make sure everyone in the group was looked after. And of course, thank you Ayla, who served us throughout the evening with a smile and made our dinner so special.

We also loved the surprise cake organized for my parents 40th anniversary. We were truly pampered in this meal.

“Blown Away” is still and underwhelming expression to describe our experience in Sontaya?

Staying at St. Regis, we came in for a dinner and were seated at one of the lovely outdoor tables by the pool, overlooking the ocean. Just THE VIEW itself is worth coming, but there was so much more!

The restaurant serves ASIAN FUSION cuisine, and the menu has tons of appealing options - my fiancé and I opted in for spring rolls with seafood and beef skewers for appetizers and decided to share a duck curry. Highly recommend all of the above! Delicious!

But THE BEST PART of our experience was connecting with amazing employees of Sontaya. GOVIN, our server, was very caring and personable from the first minute providing us with IMPECCABLE SERVICE. He made sure we were enjoying every dish and cocktail, suggested taking a break before the entree, so we felt very relaxed, unrushed and comfortable throughout our whole meal. We chatted for a little bit and Govin invited us for a special FIVE SENSES COCKTAIL EXPERIENCE the next night. We happily accepted, but little did we know what a treat awaits us!

We also got to meet restaurant manager, ANIT, who was super nice and accommodating. He was the one to greet us the next day and take us to our table overlooking the ocean. We had no idea this experience will be for us only! I thought that will be similar to a group cocktail class; how wrong I was️

The idea of this experience is to connect you with all Five Senses: Touch, See, Hear, Smell and Taste, through the art of cocktail making. To Stay Present. To Fully Enjoy️
PANDA, our host, explained every step of the process. This was SO SPECIAL.
Govin remembered from the previous night that I am not a big drinker, and informed Panda of the same, so Panda put alcohol separately for me so that I can add just a bit or skip it altogether - just how thoughtful!
WORLD CLASS ANTICIPATORY SERVICE.

We are very fortunate to travel all around the world, but I must say this was absolutely unique and we will remember this experience for years to come.
THANK YOU SO MUCH GOVIN, PANDA AND ANIT for making us feel so special. We can’t wait to come back tomorrow to celebrate Valentine’s Day with you.

Dear Reader, thank you for reading all the way through this long review, I hope it was helpful:) if you have questions about the restaurant or hotel, want to see more photos and videos or just want to say Hi to a fellow traveler, feel free to reach out to my Insta @daria.newyork ️
Cheers to magnificent places and unique experiences!

By far the best dining experience I've ever had anywhere. Not only was the food great, but also the service. The ambience and design of the place is mesmerizing, and the best time to visit is during the winters if you want to dine in the outdoor area above/in the middle the pool.

Thank you (Jun) for being friendly and helpful with the menu. The food was amazing, am coming again definitely.

The most mouth watering Thai restaurant in Abu Dhabi. Lucky to have been here so many times and it never fails to live up to expectations. Do try to book a table outside (weather permitting) as it really adds to the enjoyment being sat out by the water.

We visited Sontaya for dinner and had a mediocre experience. Though we had booked an outdoor table yet we were seated indoors. The food was good but not authentic, the pandan panna cotta was below average. I don’t understand the hype about this restaurant…food was very average!

Best Thai restaurant experience ever! Totally recommend this place with great food and staff! The best Thai restaurant in UAE!

A beautiful location and lovely atmosphere. You feel that you are in different part of the world. Nice stuff and fast service. Food overall 8/10 and my favourite dish was the salad its a signature dish and really delicious, I recommend it. I will come back again to try different dishes and I will recommend this place to friends and family

Absolutely amazing! We went twice during our stay in Abu Dhabi. After spending a month or so in Thailand, this brought me back to those days. The massaman curry was divine. The meat just melts in your mouth. The pad thai with prawns was also delicious. You must also get the mango sticky rice for dessert. This was better than the ones I had in Thailand. They bring the mangos in from Thailand and the presentation was so cool. The chef is from Thailand and definitely knows what he is doing. If you are looking for some of the best thai food ever, you must come here! The service was also outstanding and Anit, the manager, was very attentive and helpful.

Great Thai / Asian food with a great view, extraordinary ambiance, peaceful, unique, relaxing and the sound of the sea is exceptional.warm welcoming, great service, attentive staff, polite and helpful.wide variety in their food and beverage menu and they have a great selection for vegetarian, quality is top notch and ingredients as well.best pad thai and tomyum soup in Abu Dhabi.
Highly recommended for couples and special occasions

Spot on.
This hidden gem is definitely worth the price.
I was a little skeptical at first to pay 25$+ a plate for Asian food, but the chefs behind the wok here are truly talented.

For the class of this restaurant and where it's located, the service was very cheap. For example, in my last visit, I ordered Tom Yum soup. The soup smells and taste very bad, I couldn't even put it in my mouth. I informed the waiter about it that I couldn't even eat it, but they've charged it on my bill, and if it was other restaurant, they would apologize and take it off the bill or at least will give you something else back in return as a token of apology. The other thing where I see it's a bad service, the drinks are not refillable, even though they are in small portion filled with ice and cost too much. The outside seating area was good, but they use cheap furniture. The food good and it's mix of east asia cosine but it has limited choices. The staff are ok

Good food, excellent ambience, and very attentive service from our waitress Sumar.
10/10 would go again.

No wonder this place was empty. Low quality food. Ordered nasi goreng and pad thai. The pad thai nuddles were overcooked and the meal had extremely fishy taste, chicken was not fresh (probably reheated in a microwave). We wanted to give this place a second chance, but unfortunately were again disappointed.

Prepare to discover flavors your never experienced before! Great place and amazing staff. Beware: when they tell you Thai spicy, that means SPICY with capital letters! Great experience overall.

My husband surprised me with a dinner in Sontaya restaurant and everything was perfect! From the welcoming of the receptionist, to meeting Ms Sumar that took really good care of us all evening, to our very tasty food and all the way to a surprise dessert my husband organized with Sumar’s help. We really enjoyed our time there, especially being the first time and we will definitely come back and recommend this place. All the team is very welcoming and careful to offer you the best experience, to feel comfortable and safe, especially during this pandemic. Thank you Sumar, well done and keep up the amazing customer service!

We booked for a reservation last October 13 to celebrate my partner’s birthday. The ambiance of the restaurant is really cozy. We were greeted as we entered. The location of our table was perfect as we had a fascinating view of the pool and surroundings. We ordered roasted duck and stir-fried seafood and both dishes were incredibly rich and flavoursome. We were given an excellent service by Yuki as she took care of us tremendously the whole time. We were astounded as she (Yuki) gave us a little surprise by giving a plate of delicious chocolate cake with a happy birthday dedication written on it. We really had a great experience. We will definitely come back. Thank you for making my partner’s birthday special and memorable.

High quality food, attentive personnel. The best place for dinner in the magical entourage - aquatic design and lush vegetation would perfectly add high mood.

Really nice Thai/South Asian Food. Their Red & Green curries were good and with a significant portion size. Would definitely recommend it.

We stayed at a nearby hotel and on our last night wanted to eat somewhere close by before going to the airport, our concierge recommended Sontaya in the St Regis Hotel. Pros: - Our waitress Remi was superb.was an amazing outing with my friends and family. Definitely going to come back. Many thanks to Panda and May for looking after us. Best Asian restaurants in the city no doubt about that.

One of the few places to deserve a 5 start review. Great views, inviting ambience and most importantly food that keeps your taste buds guessing! The staff is friendly but most importantly knowledgeable of the menu as well as what to advice you depending on your dietary restrictions! Loved it!

Location is amazing, the restaurant is very beautiful, staff is kind but the food was tasteless (prawn pad thai, seafood rice, mango sticky rice).
We were disappointed.

Positive: Empathy and Kindness of the employees that approached our table.
Negative: Slow, slow food service from the kitchen, extra spicy taste, when not requested, and hair on the food.
Not impressed.

This is one place over the years that has never dropped its standards and we can always count on an amazing experience. The place is beautiful, the service perfect and the food amazing. Their attention to detail goes beyond high service quality in our opinion and the food presentation is the same just outstanding. We had the spring rolls and crab cakes as starters. Tom yum soup, Nasi Gorang, tom Yum Rice and the sweat and sour chicken and they were all amazing. Definitely a high recommendation.

We had a fabulous dinner at Sontaya. Food was excellent. It reminded me of my trip to Thailand. Service was the one that made the difference. We were much pampered by Cherry & Dill. Cherry made us feel at home even though it was our first time. She had excellent recommendations as well. We would love to come back again soon.

If you haven’t tried the Thi food before; it’s sweet and spicy. Myself, I don’t like the smell and sweetness in the food. Place and staff are super.

One of the worst restaurant in the resort! Food was horrible and service was really bad! I can’t believe this an award winning restaurant.such a big lie

Just Excellent!

Both the food and the experience were so good, our server for the night - Thiri - was excellent, and all the other support staff too they were top notch!

We had a fabulous dinner at Sontaya. Food was excellent. It reminded me of my trip to Thailand. Service was the one that made the difference. We were much pampered by Cherry & Dill. Cherry made us feel at home even though it was our first time. She had excellent recommendations as well. As a regular to the Uae Sontaya is one of our favourite eateries. Very authentic Thai food in a fantastic tropical and modern setting. A must if you like Thai food great prawn curry wow! We would love to come back again soon.

Sontaya is a truly fantastic experience - it was included as part of our St Regis stay so we thought we'd try it one night and ended up there for two consecutive nights! Great tasting food and wonderful ambiance, the staff were lovely and they were super accommodating of my allergy which was much appreciated.

Absolutely stunning setting, even at night when you can't even see the ocean. Loving calm, relaxing ambience and setting. The food is fantastic and always looks beautiful, and service is of course stellar. One of my favorite restaurants ever!

The view over the beach, the setting and the attention of the staff make that place a must. Book, sit outside if you can, you have arrived.

We were a group of 7 seated outside. The decor of the restaurant is great and the staff is very attentive and accommodating. We ordered several starters (summer rolls, spring rolls, chicken/shrimp satay, papaya salad) and one type of each main (beef, shrimp, chicken, lobster, pad Thai). Overall the dishes were extremely overpriced and most of the time the taste was just average, given how much we we're paying. We were especially disappointed by the lobster which essentially had no taste and was overpowered by the taste of the sauce. The beef dish was pretty good as the beef was very tender. For such a big hotel with only 4 restaurants to choose from, you'd really expect much more, especially if you're paying AED 300 per person.