So what can you eat at Riverland? Two words: Irish Village.
That’s right — after many years, one of Dubai’s favourite dining and party spots opens its second location, at this theme-park entrance zone, which is aimed at not only those visiting Legoland, Motiongate and Bollywood Parks, when they open over the next couple of months.
It also hopes to draw in the UAE’s resident foodies (so that’s all of us then) with a range of restaurants, some of them more obviously located than others (McDonalds, for example, is in French Village — because of the fries, perhaps?).
A highlight for fans of celebrity chefs with Michelin stars is Tom’s Kitchen Deli, the first international outlet of Tom Aiken’s deli concept. (The British chef, a TV favourite in the US, has four of Kitchen Delis in London, as well as an Istanbul outpost). What’s on the menu? Classic fast food taken “to the next level” in a family environment. The menu will change daily and includes sandwiches: The cod dog with cod fish fingers in a brioche roll; savoury tacos with sour cream, chilli relish, cheese sauce and jalapenos; doughnuts filled with peanut butter and jelly or salted caramel; and sweet crepes served with ice creams and toppings. It will be located on the Boardwalk section of Riverland.
Aikens — the youngest British chef to be awarded two Michelin stars — last year opened Pots, Pans and Boards at Dubai’s The Beach restaurants strip.
“Dubai is a foodie haven and has seen a recent trend of casual, informal dining taking off. Tom’s Kitchen Deli is all about offering a relaxing, informal environment for families and friends to enjoy fresh, delicious and exciting food,” he said in a statement.
Also in the Boardwalk is Famous Dave’s, an American BBQ joint that until now was only available to those eating in Abu Dhabi. This is the place to head for smoked and marinated meats and hefty portions. There’s also Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory, where you can see chocolate, candy and fudge being made; buy a range of imported sweets; or have a FuzziSundae. Continuing the American theme is Ella’s Creamery, a 1950s-style parlour; the US wood-fired pizza chain 800 Degrees Neapolitan; and, of course, Shake Shack. A variation on the burger is Nusr-et Burger, an off-shoot of the popular Turkish steakhouse that’s at the Four Seasons Resort on Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Road. Tortilla (also open at Dubai Festival City) serves Californian-style Mexican food.
And pretty amazingly, we are getting a Super Chix, a Texas-based fried chicken restaurant that says it serves “The Last True Chicken Sandwich”. We’ll (gladly) be the judge of that, thank you very much.
Over in French Village, it’s not quite as French as you’d expect — the aforementioned McDonalds included. There’s an Olive Garden, Bagel Bar Coffee House and a Starbucks. That’s not quite the Paris we remember. Le Pain Quotidien (actually Belgian) and Leopolds of London round out the offering.
India Gate should offer a taste of Mumbai with Indian fusion restaurant Bol Gappa. Else here’s where you’ll find east Asian flavours (Haru, a teppanyaki spot; and Wokchi, a stir-fry restaurant), a Jamba Juice and Shrimpy.
Finally there’s Peninsula, where the licensed restaurants are clustered. In case you were wondering what happened to Katsuya By Starck (previously at The Dubai Mall), it makes a reappearance here, alongside Parle, a French brasserie-style restaurant. This is also where you’ll find Irish Village, with the food and drinks you know well. As for the duck pond? We’ll keep you posted.
