A Little Escape To The Capital: Our Market Restaurant & Couples Spa Experience at The Abu Dhabi EDITION

Sometimes, the best weekend plans involve doing absolutely nothing. Or at least, nothing that requires checking your phone every five minutes.

It's not always easy to know what to do on the weekend. The choices are endless, yet somehow, they can become a little monotonous. We hit the gym, go for brunch, wander around the mall doing some window shopping and inevitably end up grabbing our third coffee of the day.

Sounds familiar? A few weeks ago, we wanted to switch things up a little and decided to head to one of our favourite places: Abu Dhabi. There's something about the capital that instantly puts us at ease. The slower pace, the beautiful waterfront, the feeling that everyone is in slightly less of a hurry. It's a kind of calm we find ourselves craving at least once a month.

But this time, we had something different in mind. We already knew and loved The Abu Dhabi EDITION, having stayed there in the past. But when it came to its Market restaurant and spa, we had somehow never experienced either.

Needless to say, it was about time.

First Stop: Lunch at Market

Blame age, blame stress, blame terrible posture, blame it all, but I was in desperate need of someone to massage my back that day. Before requesting the firmest pressure humanly possible, however, we had a lunch date.

Our first stop was Market at EDITION, and the space immediately set the tone for the afternoon. Elegant yet casual, incredibly bright, with soaring ceilings, an open kitchen and an all-day breakfast menu (our favourite three words, possibly ever). Basically, everything we love.

There's something particularly appealing about a restaurant that feels stylish without making you feel like you need to dress up for it. Market has that easy, relaxed atmosphere that makes you want to settle in, take your time and forget about whatever else you had planned.

Which, on this particular afternoon, was exactly the point. And while we could have happily lingered a little longer, there was a massage waiting for us upstairs.

Not just any massage, either.

The Spa Experience We Desperately Needed

Now, we've had massages before. But for some reason, we'd never thought of booking a couples massage as an actual weekend activity.

Consider that mistake officially corrected. From the moment we arrived at The Spa at The Abu Dhabi EDITION, the experience felt like a proper escape from the outside world. We were welcomed into a private couples suite, complete with our own little living room corner overlooking the pool and marina. And honestly? That little detail changed everything.

Rather than feeling like we were simply showing up for an appointment, we had our own intimate space to enjoy. Somewhere to sit, unwind, take in the views and properly switch off.

We caught ourselves wondering why you don't do this more often.

Then came the massage itself. I'd been dreaming about someone sorting out my back all week, and let's just say my expectations were high.

Thankfully, the treatment delivered. The pressure was exactly what I needed, the atmosphere was wonderfully peaceful and the entire experience felt incredibly relaxing from start to finish.

No rushing or distractions, just the rare pleasure of doing absolutely nothing and enjoying every second of it.

Of course, sharing the experience made it even better. There's something lovely about a couples massage that has nothing to do with grand romantic gestures. It's simply about carving out time together, away from your usual routines, and giving yourselves permission to slow down, which frankly rarely ever happens - sigh. But if you live in Dubai you understand that the city's pace leaves little room to relaxation.

By the time we left, we felt like we'd been away for much longer than an afternoon.

We hadn't booked a flight, planned an elaborate itinerary or tried to squeeze ten different activities into one day. We'd simply driven to Abu Dhabi, enjoyed a lovely lunch and spent some time being thoroughly spoiled, which truly, is sometimes more than enough.

The Abu Dhabi EDITION has always been one of those places we love returning to, but discovering Market and the spa gave us two very good reasons to visit again.

And as for our usual weekend routine? The gym, the mall and that third coffee can wait. We have a feeling couples massages might become a regular thing.