Paint your pup, beach day: Best things to do in Dubai this week (Oct 14-18)

Dubai has plenty going on this week, whether you’re in the mood to make something, eat something or do absolutely nothing by the sea. You can learn to whisk your own matcha, paint a portrait of your dog over breakfast, spend the day at Nuska Beach or swap your desk lunch for a proper Mexican one. There’s also a Friday barbecue by the water, a quick lunchtime massage and a big Saturday night out at SIRENE by GAIA. In short, the city is offering a mix of low-effort treats and plans worth getting dressed up for this October.

Make your own matcha — then dress up the cup

If your matcha game hasn't progressed beyond simply ordering one, HuQQabaz Garden is here for you. This Saturday workshop gets into what makes good matcha good, how different grades compare and, most importantly, how to whisk a cup without ending up with green lumps floating around. You’ll make two matcha drinks yourself before moving onto the unexpectedly crafty bit: decorating your own cup with gemstones. Take that home along with a mini matcha box and congratulations, your kitchen is now one step closer to becoming a café.

Price: Dh220

When: October 17, 2pm

Where: HuQQabaz Garden, Ground Floor, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

Do very little at Nuska Beach

There are weeks when a productive day means answering 37 emails. There are others when it means finding a sunbed and refusing to move. Nuska Beach is back for the season with 'Sunbed day passes' from 10am until sunset, giving you plenty of time by the water plus credit to spend once hunger eventually interrupts the lounging. Go for a sunbed or make a bigger commitment to doing nothing with a private cabana for two. Either way, a decent chunk of what you pay comes back as food and beverages.

Price: Dh600 per person with Dh400 dining credit (Mon-Fri); Dh800 with Dh400 dining credit (weekends). Dh400 with Dh200 redeemable for those aged 12-18 (weekdays) and Dh600 with Dh300 redeemable (weekends).

When: Daily, 10am-sunset, from October 15

Where: Nuska Beach, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai

Stay out late with Carlita at SIRENE by GAIA

Making an early night of it probably isn’t the plan here. SIRENE by GAIA is kicking off its new season with Turkish-Italian DJ Carlita, whose sets pull together electronic music, global sounds and the occasional unexpected influence. She takes over the beachside spot on Saturday before the night carries on at Little Mykonos Club, SIRENE’s more intimate open-roof late-night space. Come for sunset, stay while the music gets louder and accept that Sunday morning may require a slower start.

Price: A la carte

When: October 17, 7pm-2am

Where: SIRENE by GAIA, J1 Beach, Dubai

Paint your pup over breakfast

Your camera roll may already contain 4,000 photos of your dog, but how many hand-painted portraits? The Duck Hook’s Halloween workshop gives you a professionally pre-sketched canvas based on a photo of your pup, then leaves you to do the colouring-in — with considerably more artistic guidance than that description suggests. Your ticket includes the painting kit, breakfast and a bevvie, while dogs have their own menu and treats (woof!). Send the artist a clear photo beforehand for the ultimate keepsake.

Price: Dh175 per person, excluding VAT; advance booking and payment required

When: October 17, 9am-11am

Where: The Duck Hook, Dubai Hills Golf Club, Dubai

Disappear for a 30-minute lunchtime massage

If your neck currently feels like it’s carrying the weight of your entire inbox, Pure – Essence of Life has a lunchtime alternative to staring at another screen. Its Midday Moment of Bliss is a focused 30-minute massage targeting the back, neck and shoulders — precisely the places office chairs tend to take their revenge. It runs between noon and 3pm, so you can squeeze it into the working day without inventing an elaborate excuse for disappearing until sunset. Emails will still be there afterwards. You may actually find the email finds you well.

Price: Dh250 per person for 30 minutes

When: Daily, noon-3pm

Where: Pure – Essence of Life, Th8 Palm Dubai Beach Resort, Vignette Collection by IHG, Dubai

Eat your way around a beachfront barbecue

Riva’s Friday barbecue is refreshingly straightforward: fire up the grill, put plenty of food on it and let everyone settle in by the beach. There’s striploin, lamb kebab, shish tawook, jerk chicken, chilli-garlic prawns and banana-leaf fish, with corn bread, salads, wedges and sauces filling the gaps. Kids get pizza, fries, corn dog pops and mac and cheese, plus popcorn and candy stations — and under-eights eat free. Dogs are welcome too, making this one of the rare dinners where genuinely nobody needs a babysitter.

Price: Dh99 children aged 8-12 (Dh89 and food and beverage credit on Mon-Thurs); Dh175 (Dh150 dining credit on weekends)

When: Fridays, 6.30pm-8.30pm; Happy Hour until 9pm

Where: Riva Beach Club, Shoreline East 7 & 8, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Upgrade your work lunch with a burrito

A burrito is generally more exciting than whatever is lurking in the office fridge, and Chalco’s has priced its new business lunch accordingly. Dh50 gets you a chicken or beef burrito and a traditional Mexican drink — choose from Jamaica, Horchata or Tamarind. For Dh60, there’s a bowl loaded with your choice of shrimp, chicken, fish or steak alongside avocado, corn, lettuce and black beans. It’s filling without requiring a two-hour business lunch, which means you can technically return to work afterwards. Whether you want to is another question.

Price: Dh50 for a burrito and drink; Dh60 for a Mexican Bowl and drink

When: Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm

Where: Chalco’s Cantina, Dubai Marina, Dubai