When your only criteria for food is quick and college-budget friendly, it is easy to get sucked into a blackhole of endless Sama dining hall food and 2 a.m. Burger King. But why limit yourself when Abu Dhabi has a wide range of food to offer? The diverse nature of the city’s population lends itself to a smorgasbord of delicacies available – from wontons to macaroons to masala dosa – all within walking distance. Many of these restaurants we overlook, our eyes flicking past their shabby signs and small storefronts when they might, in fact, be just what we need to recover from that latest Dining Dirham binge.

Squashed next to, and often overshadowed by, the popular restaurant Al Ekram, Sangeetha specializes in vegetarian Indian food. Go in at night and the restaurant will be packed to the brim with different people, colours, scents, and dialects. We recommend the puri — a puffy bread swelling with warm air and the delicious scent of fried dough.

Address: Tawash Building, Zayed 2nd Street and Electra Road. Near Cristal Hotel. Price range: 25 dh per person

Phone number: +971 2 6321618

2. Beijing Restaurant Photo by Zoe Hu/The Gazelle

With a delivery option that lasts until 12 am, Beijing restaurant can satisfy a late night snack with its large selection of Chinese dishes and dumplings. We recommend the Chinese scallion pancake — small slices of savoury fried bread that are extremely addicting.

Address: Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi

Price Range: 30 dh

Telephone: 02 6210708

3. Abu Shakra Photo by Zoe Hu/The Gazelle

If you’ve taken the bus to DTC before, you’ve most likely driven right past it. Directly across the campus parking lot, the restaurant’s name, written in cheery neon orange, is its only identifier. Abu Shakra specializes in Egyptian cuisine. While its falafel sandwich is great, we also recommend the foul, a dish made from crushed fava beans, garlic and lemon juice, and best scooped up with slices of pita.

Address: Al Markaziyah West, Abu Dhabi

Price Range: 25 dh

Telephone: 02 631 3400

Across the street from LuLu’s Hypermarket, this bakery would be completely unrecognizable if it weren’t for its light brown brick storefront. The bakery offers both Western and Arabic pastries — take your pick from little pastel piles of macaroons and slices of fluorescent orange kunafa. We recommend the mushaltet, slabs of buttery bread bigger than your head that go for the meager price of 6 dirhams.

Address: Opposite Madinat Zayed Shopping Center

Price Range: 15 dh

Telephone: 02 583 3315

5. Il Forno Photo via flickr.com

A tiny Italian restaurant in the Tourist Club Area, Il Forno has pizza that comes with the great flavor you get at the popular Olivella but without the same hit to your bank account. You can dine in at their upper level restaurant or order delivery to Sama. We recommend the ridiculously good four cheese pizza.

Address: Airport Road, Markaziyah

Price Range: 30 dh

Telephone: 024437344