15 fun things to do in the UAE this week

From celebrating pizza day to three new exhibits to check out, here’s a to-do list for the week

KICK OFF THE WEEK AT FLAIR 5: Head out to the beautiful terrace at Flair 5 for their new Laid Back Lunch deal. Relax in one of the cabana style areas, or grab a high table with a killer view of the DIFC skyscrapers. For Dh95 per person, guests are invited to enjoy a starter and main from the special menu which includes guacamole and chips, prawn croquettes, beef Cobb salad, or burrata with tomato salsa and pine nuts. Mains on the menu include; a Cuban frita burger with crispy potato, spicy chutney and smoked cheddar, Peri Peri chicken with corn and root chips, or glazed salmon with red miso, mushrooms and fried tempura. The offer can be upgraded to three courses for Dh125 in order to add dessert which consists of either cheesecake with mandarin sorbet, a strawberry and ginger ceviche, or an exotic fruit platter with iced fruit popsicles. The Laid Back Lunch is available weekdays between 12pm and 3pm.

TRY TURNO SUBITOS NEW TARTUFO MENU: The Il Tartufo menu will be available throughout the month of February only, allowing foodies to indulge in a five-course truffle tasting menu. For Dh499, the new Il Tartufo sharing menu features truffle inspired dishes, including Uovo, a poached egg dish with parmigiano foam, asparagus, mushroom chips and truffle, the Chef’s Favourite, featuring a warm focaccia with creamy mozzarella, robiola cheese and truffle, and handmade Tagliolino pasta, with porcini mushroom essence and of course, more truffle. Diners who order two Il Tartufo tasting menus per table will also receive a complimentary bottle of house grape.

COUQLEY’S MOLECULE FRITES MONDAYS: Moules Frites Mondays at Couqley French Bistro & Bar is created to take the edge off your Mondays. At Dh179 per person, the offering includes unlimited Moules Frites with three sauces to choose from (Marinière / Provençale / Roquefort) and two glasses of grape. From 12pm-11.30pm take this opportunity to feast on all-you-can-eat mussels & Fries. Moules Frites Mondays is a nice mid-week treat.

TRY BLA BLA’S NEW BREAKFAST MENU: F&B concept ‘Bla Bla’ at The Beach, opposite JBR, has launched a new breakfast menu. The day to night venue, which offers everything from a beach club to a proper sit down dining experience is hosting a daily breakfast from 8am to 11.30am on weekdays and until 1.30pm on weekends. On the menu you’ll find classics like Eggs Benedict, French Toast, Avocado on Toast and the Classic Omelette. Then they’ve created some speciality dishes, like the BLA BLA Croissant, which includes a layered omelette, crispy smoked veal bacon and truffle sauce. Head down to enjoy a great start to the day. Breakfast is served at Onda Nami and prices range from Dh10 to Dh55.

SEE THREE NEW EXHIBITIONS AT WAREHOUSE421: Warehouse421, the home-grown arts and design center dedicated to showcasing and nurturing creative production across the region, opened three exhibitions including one called Float: Stephanie Comilang, an exhibition that features the works of artist and filmmaker Stephanie Comilang opened. The second exhibition, Mina Zayed: Reflections on Past Futures, an image-based exhibition presented in partnership with Gulf Photo Plus (GPP), that documents Mina Zayed through narrative photography. The Center also saw the opening of the third iteration of the 100/100 Hundred Best Arabic Posters, exhibition which features the winning entries from the Biennial competition that celebrates graphic design in the Arab world. The exhibitions are followed by a series of talks from the artists of each exhibition.

MONDAY MEAT MELT AT 3FILS: 3Fils is collaborating with Meat Melt Mondays for the month of February. The menu will include Meat Melt’s signature salt beef, organic grass-fed brisket, infused with 18 different spices and cured over 10 days and later cooked for over 6 hours. The menu includes a tuna Maki Roll with Meat Melt salt beef and torched ponzu mayo and fried capers (Dh99), a salt beef tempura with shitake, asparagus, Amarillo and panka sauce (Dh71). For the main event, tuck into the Meat Melt Donburi with Hokkaido uni, wasabi and honey mustard sauce (Dh108) and enjoy an Asian fused side of hash browns with cucumber and red onion with infused Meat Melt salt beef (Dh39). Join 3Fils for the first Meat Melt Monday on February 8. Available at 3Fils for dine in or takeout every Monday from 12PM for a limited time only.

VISIT THE NEW ONE CENTRAL FOOD TRUCK POP-UP: The month-long foodie event is being held at the Outdoor Plaza next to DWTC One Central Building, from January 17 to February 25. The venue shines the spotlight on the diverse cuisines and culinary creativity of eight Dubai-born outlets, including: 25’55’; Coppasta; Semisweet; Tres Marias Coffee Company; The Mattar Farm Kitchen; Simple; Lost Bread; and Karak Inc. Visitors can savour a range of food and beverages at the venue set against the backdrop of Dubai’s skyscrapers. Taking place until February 25, the food truck event is open on weekdays from 8am to 8pm.

HOTEL CARTAGENA’S TACO NIGHT: Bringing a little Mexican flair to the Middle East, Hotel Cartagena is shaking up Mondays with a tacos and margarita night. For Dh175 per person Dubai residents can enjoy an unlimited two-hour supply of margaritas and pillow soft tacos stuffed with Annato Chicken, Lamb Confitado and Crispy Avocado Pica, Or Cured Black Cod avocado. This Monday night event takes place from 5.30pm to 12am.

EXPERIENCE MEAT ME MONDAY AT WESLODGE: Taking place every Monday from 5.30pm to 12am, experience Weslodge Saloon’s North American spin on the timeless tradition of a steak dinner at Meat Me Mondays celebrating steak cuts- all paired with grape. Set in Weslodge’s dining space and lounge boasting some of the best views of Dubai’s skyline and the Burj Khalifa, this experience gives carnivore connoisseurs the chance to choose from USDA tenderloin, ribeye or tomahawk. Adding a memorable soundtrack to an evening of meat an array of guest singer-songwriters, bands and talented musicians across Dubai will perform weekly. Weslodge Saloons Meat Me Monday includes a choice of USDA Tenderloin (250g) with chips or salad and two glasses of house grape at Dh220 per person, USDA Ribeye (350g) chips or salad and two glasses of house grape at Dh259 per person or Tomahawk (1kg) including one bottle of house grape at Dh699 for two people.

WATCH THE SIX NATIONS WITH A CRACKING DEAL: All the Six Nations Rugby games will be shown at the Irish stalwart – The Dubliners, located at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre. To celebrate this sporting event, The Dubliner’s has introduced a ‘Scrummy’ offer with a portion of chicken wings or calamari rings, plus a pint of Irish stout for Dh66. This will be available daily until March 20.

CELEBRATE PIZZA DAY AT CASA MIA: One of Dubai’s longest standing Italian restaurants, Casa Mia, an iconic institution that has been at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre for over 27 years is offering a special one-off Pizza Menu on Tuesday February 9 with pizza creations including Parma and Burrata Cheese, Prawns, Mozzarella and Zucchini and Focaccia with bresaola, rocket salad, shave parmesan and truffle oil.

CELEBRATE PIZZA DAY AT CERTO: At Certo Italian Restaurant, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City you can feast on wood-fired pizzas all evening – buy 2 but pay only for 1. If you want to add something extra to our evening you can for Dh149 enjoy unlimited grape and cicchetti bites (Italian tapas) for three hours.

PIZZA DAY WITH 800PIZZA: Fight mid-week blues with a deal from 800PIZZA serving hand-crafted Italian pizzas. On February 9, buy any pizza from 800PIZZA online and get a Margarita or Pepperoni Pizza at Dh9. The 800PIZZA wood-fired ovens are flown in from Italy, churn out Roman-style pizzas that are thin, crispy and light. The offer is valid on February 9 all day for delivery from the website in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

CELEBRATE PIZZA DAY WITH LDC KITCHEN + COFFEE’S VESUVIO PIZZA: Save the regular baked disc of dough for the rest of the year and celebrate Pizza Day with a slice of LDC Kitchen + Coffee’s unique vesuvio pizza. Using a home-made lightly fried base topped with fresh tomato sauce, mixed cherry tomatoes, provolone, garlic oil and dried peporoncino, pizza-lovers need to add this as a must-try to their list. Don’t worry about feeling overwhelmed, the fry makes the dough crispy, crunchy, airy and light, and has the perfect cheese-to-dough ratio with very bite.

TRY THE CURRY NIGHT AT THE TAP HOUSE: There’s nothing better than a steaming hot bowl of fragrant curry; teeming with turmeric, crammed with flavour, and just the right spice, it doesn’t get much better – unless there’s a deal thrown in! The Tap House is delivering on all fronts with their curry night offering which includes a steaming curry and a glass of house grape to help wash the spices down for Dh99 per person every Wednesday from 6pm to 11pm.