Dubai gets a ‘gourmet’ bus

Get on board the “Gourmet Bus”

Starting in June, the new bus by Alpha Destination Management will tour Dubai’s tourist highlights — Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, Shaikh Zayed Road and Burj Al Arab. So far, so normal. The difference? Customers on this bus will be served a “five-star international dinner”. Dubai is apparently the first place in the world to launch such a tour, says Samir Hamadeh, general manager, Alpha Destination Management (formerly Alpha Tours). A spokesperson told us it will be priced “around $100”, and will be available through a soon-to-be-launched website and participating hotels.

Art with your dinner

Is going to a gallery and dinner too much of a schlep? Then check out Boca, the Mediterranean restaurant in DIFC (see our review here), which will be hosting works by artists of the Fann-À-Porter gallery at Kempinski Mall of Emirates. The featured artist will change on a monthly basis, starting this month with Spanish artist Merce Luis. Over at the main gallery, see works by Palestinian artist Omar Najjar.

Palestinian pop-up

Head to Lafayette Gourmet for a taste of modern Arabic dishes and Palestinian culinary heritage by Dima Al Sharif. Her set menu includes the likes of brown lentil soup with fresh lime and herbs, freekeh-stuffed quail, halwyoo and caramelised onions in tahini sauce, and madlooqa (a semolina and cream dessert). “I am bringing these old and some forgotten foods back to life in a fashion fit for today’s dining experience” says Dima. It’s available from May 7-17th, 12.30-10pm, starting at Dh45.

A food truck with plenty of gas

We may have reached peak hipster. Someone has bought an Airstream trailer and set up a 1950s-style soda fountain down at The Beach opposite JBR.

Soda Font serves homemade sodas, floats (a soda topped with ice-cream), iced teas, frappe coffees and house-pressed juices. It’s open daily, 10am-midnight.

Ripe moves inside

The weekly markets around the country are going indoors as it heats up. Dubai’s will be at Times Square Centre every Saturday from May 9, 9am-2pm; in Abu Dhabi, it’s at the St Regis Saadiyat Island, 10am-2pm, every Saturday from May 16. They will also be running during Ramadan.