From landmark libraries to quiet bookshops and calm cafés, here’s where to pause, read and reset in Abu Dhabi
There’s a particular hush to a good reading spot – the turn of a page, the world softening around it. Across Abu Dhabi, families are increasingly seeking out these quieter spaces to pause and reset.
From the Children’s Library at the Cultural Foundation to Saadiyat’s growing cultural district, the capital offers a strong mix of landmark libraries, independent bookshops and art-led cafés designed for lingering.
Think light-filled libraries, gallery cafés and tucked-away second-hand shelves, places where children can settle into a story, teens can read undisturbed, and parents can reclaim an hour.
Welcoming, unhurried and easy to fold into a weekend, these are Abu Dhabi’s best spots to slow down and get lost in a book.
Libraries for focus and quiet
Abu Dhabi Children’s Library
Cultural Foundation, Al Hosn
This is one of the most impressive spaces of its kind in the region.
Spread across three floors and 5,250 square metres next to Qasr Al Hosn, it is designed for children aged 0 to 14. A ‘Book Mountain’ sits at the heart of the library, and there are soft sand-dune reading areas, a falaj flowing with books, and tree-house nooks to climb into.
Beyond the shelves, there are spaces for art, coding, podcasting and storytelling, and a regular programme of workshops, reading sessions and family events runs throughout the week.
It’s bright, genuinely child-led and easy to spend a whole morning in.
Best for: weekend outings, children and tweens, immersive reading
For more information, visit culturalfoundation.ae
Qasr Al Watan Library
Qasr Al Watan, Al Ras Al Akhdar
One of the few presidential headquarters in the world to open its doors to the public.
More than 50,000 titles are arranged across twelve themed wings, with a dedicated room for rare manuscripts, as well as e-books, audiobooks and periodicals. Around 80 per cent of the collection is in Arabic, making it a strong choice for bilingual families.
Children old enough to sit quietly will enjoy the scale and architecture, and the neighbouring House of Knowledge, which showcases Arab contributions to science and the arts, rounds out the visit.
It’s less an everyday library and more a cultural outing.
Best for: older children, bilingual readers, cultural visits
For more information, visit qasralwatan.ae or call 02 657 6295
Khalifa Park Library
Khalifa Park
A well-established community library set inside one of the city’s most family-friendly parks.
The adults’ library holds around 50,000 titles, but the real draw here is the dedicated children’s annex, with roughly 10,000 books, a reading hall and a computer corner.
Storytelling sessions, art displays and book signings run throughout the year.
The park setting is the differentiator. You can pair a couple of hours of reading with the splash park, playgrounds and lawns outside.
Easy, practical and the sort of place that fits into a regular weekend routine.
Best for: younger children, weekend park days
For more information, visit abudhabiculture.ae or call 02 657 6182
Al Bahia Library
Al Bahia
A quieter community library set further out towards the Abu Dhabi–Dubai border, best suited to families living on the northern outskirts of the emirate or to those willing to make a dedicated trip.
The collection runs to around 18,385 titles across Arabic and English, with a children’s section considered one of the strongest outside the Cultural Foundation, plus an e-book catalogue to borrow from.
Events include children’s storytelling, book signings, art displays, National Day, and back-to-school events.
It’s simple, unfussy and genuinely built around regular use, the kind of place to build a reading habit rather than tick off a landmark.
Best for: younger children, regular visits, families in outer Abu Dhabi
For more information, visit abudhabiculture.ae or call 02 657 6074
Bookstores for browsing and discovery
Kinokuniya
The Galleria Al Maryah Island
Like the Dubai Mall flagship shop, Kinokuniya on Al Maryah Island is a destination in itself.
Sitting across levels three and four of The Galleria extension, it carries more than 150,000 titles in English, Arabic, Japanese, French and Russian, plus a significant manga and graphic novel section, art and design books, children’s literature and stationery.
The space is calm, well-laid-out, and easy to spend an hour in without feeling hurried. Escalators between the two floors make it an easy browse with a pushchair.
Best for: all ages, long browsing sessions, bilingual readers
For more information, visit uae.kinokuniya.com
Magrudy’s
Al Wahda Mall, Boutik Mall (Reem Island), NYU Abu Dhabi
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Founded in 1975, it’s a UAE institution and still one of the easiest bookshops in the capital to bring children into.
The Al Wahda branch remains the most comprehensive, but the smaller Boutik Mall and NYUAD locations are useful neighbourhood outposts, particularly for families on Reem and Saadiyat.
Across all three, you’ll find a strong mix of fiction, early years and educational titles, plus stationery and school essentials.
Reliable, accessible and consistently well-stocked, it remains a regular stop for many families.
Best for: all children, after-school visits, school supplies
For more information, visit magrudy.com
Borders
Abu Dhabi Mall & Dalma Mall
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A dependable one-stop shop for families, blending books with games, toys, entertainment and stationery to make shopping easy and practical.
Current branches are at Abu Dhabi Mall, Dalma Mall and Al Raha Mall, with Abu Dhabi Mall generally offering the broadest range of books and the most space to browse.
It’s well-suited to picking up a casual read, but also useful for birthday gifts, school supplies and last-minute extras. Maybe not a destination bookstore, but consistently reliable.
Best for: tweens, teens, birthday gifts, easy mall visits
For more information, visit bordersstore.com
The Bookshop Library Est.
Madinat Zayed
A long-standing independent shop in Madinat Zayed Office Tower, open late and easy to combine with errands in the area.
It stocks a mix of books, stationery, gifts and office supplies, making it one of the few genuinely independent bookshops left in the downtown core.
Worth a visit if you like supporting local businesses and don’t mind a slightly less polished setting.
Best for: downtown residents, independent-shop supporters, late opening
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Affordable and pre-loved bookshops
Thrift Bookstore
Electra Street, Al Danah
Tucked in among the shops and restaurants of Electra Street, this is the capital’s best-known second-hand bookshop.
Opened in 2008 and still run by its founder, the shelves hold tens of thousands of pre-loved titles across genres; complete encyclopaedia sets sit alongside children’s books, paperback fiction, poetry and travel guides. Most paperbacks are priced at AED 10-15.
The layout is packed and informal, closer to a treasure hunt than a tidy bookshop, and the trade-in system is useful if you’re trying to keep costs (and shelves) under control.
Best for: frequent readers, budget-friendly hauls, older children and teens
For more information, call 02 671 1903
Books R Us
Mohammed Bin Zayed City
A smaller, lesser-known pre-loved shop out in Mohammed Bin Zayed City, with a solid reputation among local bookworms.
It leans towards non-fiction, with a good run of business and academic titles, but there’s also a decent mix of fiction, children’s books and the occasional rare find. Prices are low, and the shop runs regular discounts via its social pages.
Worth a trip if you’re already nearby, or if you’re building a home library on a budget.
Best for: non-fiction readers, students, budget book-hunters
For more information visit facebook.com/ourownbooksrus
Reading cafés and slower spaces
The Third Place
Al Khalidiya, Corniche Road
One of Abu Dhabi’s original slow-down cafés.
The ground floor is the communal, chatty end of the space; head upstairs, and it shifts into something else entirely, with quieter rooms, a small study and a full wall of books to browse.
It’s designed around the idea of a ‘third place’ between home and work, and it suits a parent with a paperback, teens doing homework, or older children reading alongside. Steady Wi-Fi, plenty of plug sockets, and a homely feel throughout.\
Best for: teens, parents wanting a pause, longer afternoons
For more information, visit thethirdplaceuae.com
Beans & Pages
Marina Rise Tower, Al Reem Island
The most literal fit on this list, a café-library hybrid developed by Eshraq on Al Reem.
The 144-square-metre space pairs a working café with a lending library, a dedicated kids’ corner and a small gallery, plus a self-service smart kiosk if you’d rather keep your nose in a book.
The menu is light, with speciality coffee, teas, breakfast plates and healthy bites, and the room is designed for lingering rather than quick turnover.
It’s one of the few places in the capital where borrowing a book is an integral part of the café visit, making it an easy weekend or after-school stop.
Best for: families on Reem, children of all ages, proper reading afternoons
For more information, call 02 632 6360 or 054 573 3192.
Joud Coffee
Forsan Central Mall, Khalifa City
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A cosy neighbourhood café that leans more toward a living room than a coffee shop.
Joud Coffee is known for its deep sofas, relaxed two-floor layout and a large bookshelf that encourages lingering rather than rushing.
The menu covers speciality coffee, pastries and a strong breakfast offering, and there’s also generous outdoor seating. It’s easy, welcoming and particularly good for families who want a slower, low-pressure place to sit with a book.
Best for: Khalifa City families, relaxed mornings, casual reading time
For more information, visit joudcoffee.com
Café des Artistes
Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, Saadiyat Cultural District
An elegant option located within Abu Dhabi’s first private art foundation on Saadiyat.
Entry to the foundation is free, and the café moves at a gentler pace than at most Saadiyat stops.
It is bright and airy, with an outdoor terrace and a menu centred on good coffee, pastries and light meals.
It’s a calmer, more grown-up reading space than the family-led options, but it works well for an older child or teen who can quietly move between the galleries and the café. Pair it with Louvre Abu Dhabi or Manarat Al Saadiyat to make a day of it.
Best for: older children, teens, art-led, slower mornings
For more information, visit cafedesartistes.ae
Let’s Café
Al Qana
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Located on the waterfront promenade at Al Qana, Let’s Café is the calmest spot in an otherwise lively district.
It shares the space with a small concept shop, so you can browse stationery, gifts, and a limited selection of books alongside coffee and light bites. Big windows, plenty of natural light and outdoor seating overlooking the water make it an easy pause on a longer family day out.
Handy if you’re pairing a visit with the National Aquarium, Cinemacity or a Mamsha walk.
Best for: waterfront afternoons, mixed-age families, easy add-ons
For more information, visit @lets.uae on Instagram
Mysk
NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island
It’s not just the smell of fresh pastries when you walk in, but the flowers too – carefully arranged and adding to the café’s calm, welcoming atmosphere.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu centres on well-executed classics and seasonal bakes, from viennoiserie to cardamom buns, alongside carefully brewed coffee. The interiors are open, airy and intentionally unhurried, designed for everything from a quick stop to a long, lingering afternoon.
There’s no formal reading setup, but it works well as a calm, informal place to sit with a book or meet friends.
Best for: older children, teens, Saadiyat outings, casual reading stops
For more information, visit @mysk.ae on Instagram
WHATNOT Concept
Hidd Al Saadiyat Marina Promenade
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Nestled in the quieter, newly developed Hidd Al Saadiyat area, this is one of the capital’s most thoughtfully designed cafés.
WHATNOT blends speciality coffee with a flower boutique and curated concept store, all set against a calm marina backdrop. Interiors are light, airy and intentionally unhurried, with a menu that includes creative coffees and homemade ice cream.
It’s less about reading facilities and more about atmosphere – a genuinely peaceful place to sit, pause and reset by the water.
Best for: older children, teens, aesthetic spaces, slower coastal mornings
For more information, visit @whatnotconcept on Instagram
Art House Café
Al Bateen
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Something of an Abu Dhabi institution, Art House Café is less about reading and more about slowing down creatively.
The space is filled with colourful, hand-painted furniture and offers pottery painting, along with coffee, breakfast, and light meals.
It’s not a traditional quiet reading spot, but it delivers on the same brief: an unhurried place to pause, reset and spend time together, particularly with younger children who prefer making to reading.
Best for: younger children, creative afternoons, relaxed family time
For more information, visit arthousecafead.com
Rain Café
Sea Tower, Corniche Road
A long-standing Corniche-side café that has been part of the Abu Dhabi calm-space map since 2017.
Set across two floors in the Sea Tower, with views over the Corniche fountain, park and sea, it works well for a slower morning with a coffee and a book, or a quieter stop after a walk along the Corniche.
It isn’t a reading venue in the strict sense, but the space is designed for staying put: steady Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, and a menu built around speciality coffee, breakfast, and pastries. Useful on the way to or from Qasr Al Watan or the Cultural Foundation.
Best for: Corniche mornings, parents with a paperback, older children
For more details, visit @rain.ae on Instagram.
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