New in Abu Dhabi: Isabel Mayfair, La Brasserie and a burger counter on Yas Bay

Abu Dhabi's opening pipeline has shifted upmarket and outward at the same time, and the two ends of it are worth separating.

Isabel Mayfair has opened its first international outpost on Al Maryah Island, bringing the London room's particular blend of glamour and French-inspired cooking. It is the clearest signal yet that Al Maryah is now competing with Dubai's DIFC for the same imports rather than waiting for them to trickle down.

La Brasserie at Saadiyat Grove takes the opposite approach: traditional French cooking drawn from the brasseries of Annecy, Lyon and Paris, in a district that is being built around the museums rather than the offices.

On Yas Bay Waterfront, the additions are casual and welcome. Bayside Burger Co brings smash burgers, loaded fries and soft-serve to a strip that had plenty of restaurants and not much you would eat standing up. Barbossa, already open there, does modern Mexican and Latin American — carne asada tacos and ceviche among the highlights.

What the four have in common is that none of them is in a hotel, which until recently was where almost everything in this city happened. Standalone destination dining on Al Maryah, Saadiyat and Yas is a genuine change in how the capital eats.

A note on timing: openings here slip more often than they hold, and an announced date is a plan rather than a promise. Check the venue's own channels before making the drive from Dubai.