Shopping in a very busy mall and fighting off hordes of people for a deal is a surefire way to work up an appetite. This Dubai Shopping Festival restaurants across the city are capitalising on the tourists who will dine out while shopping by offering enticing deals to customers. We save you the trouble of finding out what’s good by cherry-picking the best meal deals in malls, hotels and elsewhere. Have a great time shopping all day!
Hello darkness
From a pitch-black dining room to waiters with night vision goggles, Noire at Spectrum on One recreates the international trend of dining in the dark here in Dubai. The exclusive one-and-a-half-hour Dubai dining experience includes a three course gourmet menu with paired beverages, and a reception [in the light] to discuss the featured menu with the chef and restaurant manager.
Days: Every Tuesday and Wednesday at 7.30pm, and every Friday and Saturday at 7pm and 9pm
Where: Fairmont Dubai
Price Dh325
Call +971 4 311 8316 or email dbi.fbconcierge@fairmont.com.
Power lunch
Lunch like an international tycoon this January at Mazina, the culinary powerhouse of The Address Dubai Marina. The restaurant offers a contemporary reflection of global cuisine and its bustling show kitchens serve an eclectic variety of Asian, Arabic and European dishes, from wok hot Cantonese to Rotisserie grill, all cooked live in front of you. Their business buffet is Buffet inclusive of one soft beverage every day except weekends.
Days: Weekdays
Time: 12:00pm to 3:00pm daily
Where: The Address Dubai Marina
Price: DSF special of DH110
Call 04367777 or email dine.dubaimarina@theaddress.com
Robuchon’s seven
Surely anyone can eat seven different kinds of sushi? SushiArt, the sister company of the globally renowned SushiShop, located in the heart of the buzzing DIFC, launches a special menu with seven mouth-watering sushi recipes by celebrated Michelin-starred French chef Joël Robuchon. The move is part of an annual collaboration with different chefs to develop sushi for wider audiences. Robuchon’s delightful sushi creations include a symphony of tastes that embraces authentic Japanese culinary concepts with the best of French influences. On the menu are crispy lobster maki and banana yuzu sauce, spring roll surimi, sushi St Jacques in miso sauce and salmon tartare seasoned with a sauce Robuchon.
Days: 7 days a week from 11.00AM to 11.00PM
Where: SushiArt, Dubai International Financial Centre
Price: A la carte
Call 800 – 220
Tapas reinvented
Dubai restaurant Aquara takes the Spanish tradition of bite-size appetisers and sharing platters global. Savour flavours from the Indian Ocean at Aquara restaurant and lounge this month with dishes from Madagascar, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Mauritius. Complement these tastes with an impressive selection of freshly prepared beverages and pitchers, while grooving to tunes by DJ Scott’s repertoire of deep soul, chill-out house music.
Where: Dubai Marina Yacht Club
Days: Every Friday; from 2pm to 5pm
Price: Dh295 including signature pitchers and house beverages; Dh175 including soft beverages; Dh115 for children between the ages of 6 to 12 years
Call 04 362 7900 or email info@dubaimarinayachtclub.com
Seafood Thursdays
Ocean lovers, this one’s for you. Feast on an exciting array of delectable seafood from crabs, mussels, clams and lobster to sushi and oysters, every Thursday at A.O.C. French Brasserie’s seafood night.
Where: Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach
Days: Every Thursday; 7pm to 11:30pm
Price: Seafood Night is priced at Dh220 per person including soft drinks, Dh320 per person including selected beverages and Dh495 per person including bubbly
Call 04 448 4733
Jazz afternoons
Take a break from Friday shopping by letting the staff at one of the world’s top restaurants pamper you. Brunch at The Ivy allows two options. A signature degustation menu, The Taste of The Ivy, has eight delicious courses on offer - including gazpacho with white balsamic, scallop ceviche with sweet potato crisp and the luxurious Scandinavian iced berries with hot white chocolate sauce. For those who like to choose their preferred dishes, option number two: the Table d’hôte menu is a three course feast where diners can pick between a variety of sensational hors d’oeuvres, entrées and desserts – including duck hash with a double yolk egg, shepherd’s pie and the superb black forest chocolate bombe with sour cherries.
Where: Jumeirah Emirates Towers
Days: Fridays, from noon to 4pm
Price: From Dh195 for either menu inclusive of soft drinks
Call 04 319 8767
Innovative Italian
Thought Italian food was only about pasta and pizza? Think again. Certo has got something special up their sleeves this January, as new Head Chef Alessandro Esposito takes over Certo’s kitchen and has gone wild on creating various meat and seafood delicacies a la brasato and sous-vide style.
Both are popular cooking methods in Italy that vary in style and preparation within the different regions and are great traditions of stewing and braising meat. These methods are part of the popular “Cucina Povera”, a concept that is about making great food with simple, yet high quality, and available ingredients.
Brasato is made with large cuts of meat or seafood that has been marinated with aromatic herbs and spices and lends themselves to slow cooking while it gradually stews over a long period of time.
Sous-vide is a cooking method that uses concentrates on cook food over long periods in hot water, low and slow, resulting in some of the most succulent and tender meat you’ve ever tasted.
Where: Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City
Days: From January 19 to 31, 7pm onwards
Price: A la carte
Call 04-3669111
Rabbit rarities
For something different, try a delicious Belgian feast at Belgian Beer Café with an extensive menu offering various platters along with traditional Belgian mussels, beef Carbonnade, vol-au-vent, rabbit stew, grilled salmon, shrimp croquettes, selection of cheese and desserts. This brunch is available every day for four hours from noon to 4pm.
Where: Belgian Beer Café, Grand Millennium Dubai
Price Dh295 per person including free flow of selected brews and house beverage, grape and bubbly; Dh395 per person including free flow of specialty Belgian brews
Call call 04-4299999 or email fb.reservations@grandmill-dubai.com
A taste of India
Indulge in fabulous north Indian delicacies and enjoy an offering of unlimited a la carte dishes from Amala’s unique lunch menu – featuring creations complimented by a truly regal ambiance. Days: Fridays and Saturdays; 1pm to 4pm
Where: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
Price Dh195
Call 04 453 0444; JZSRestaurants@jumeirah.com
Kebap delights
Bringing you an assortment of delicious recipes that are largely influenced by the heritage of the Turkish Cuisine, Anatolia Turkish Grill invites diners to relish on some authentic specialities. One of the restaurant’s favourites is the Iskender Kebap, packed rich with tempting ingredients and blended with Turkish spices to enthral your taste buds.
Price Dh48.
Call 04 435 6300 (Ibn Batuta Mall at the China Gardens) or 04-2591344 (Mirdif City Centre’s Central Galleria)
Oriental tea
Heading to the airport to pick up friends? Take them to tea at Gazebo, where an all-new promotion launches January 15. The Traditional Afternoon Tea package features freshly brewed Tchaba tea, Illy Coffee or fresh juices along with a selection of scones, pastries and smoked salmon or chicken sandwiches for only Dh105 or choose the Oriental Afternoon Tea, with a selection of maamoul, baklava, kaak and sandwiches with labneh, halloumi or kashkaval for Dh95.
Where: Al Bustan Rotana Hotel
Days: Weekdays, 3pm to 7pm
Price: Dh95 and above
Call 04 2820000
