Gate A-side in Terminal A, Pana fills the gap for a sit-down café when you’ve got 45–90 minutes to kill. It sits post-security in the main Terminal A concourse, so you’re already through checks and close to most A-gates. Expect a casual café setup with proper tables, light international dishes, and coffee good enough to skip the generic carts in the hall.
Pana runs on a mid-range price tier, roughly $$ compared to other Terminal A options, so think mid-teens USD equivalent for mains and less for snacks or pastries. The menu leans international café: sandwiches, salads, small plates, and desserts that work at 08:00 or 22:00. If you’re used to big portions in US airports, size here trends a bit lighter, which helps before a long-haul out of AUH.
Coffee and tea are the main draw, with espresso drinks that land well above what you’ll get from a quick counter near the gates. Figure on standard specialty coffee pricing, not lounge-level free, but not hotel-lobby expensive either. If you’re leaving on a late-night bank of flights from Terminal A, this is one of the better spots to grab a proper caffeine hit without hiking back toward check-in.
Food skews international rather than strictly Middle Eastern, so you’ll see familiar café plates more than heavy regional dishes. That works if you’re connecting through Terminal A and just want something predictable between flights. Portions and pricing put it firmly in the $$ bracket, so it’s a step up from grab-and-go fridges, but you’re not paying white-tablecloth money before boarding.
Service pace lines up with a normal airport sit-down spot in Terminal A: plan for 30–40 minutes for a relaxed drink and a light meal during busy banks. If your boarding pass shows a gate at the far end of A, ask staff how long dishes are taking before you commit to anything slower than a sandwich. One tip: order and pay as soon as you sit, then keep an eye on your flight in the AUH app instead of waiting for the overhead screens to refresh.