Bikers Cafe opens in Fujairah
It’s got a royal following (the Emirati breakfast is reportedly popular with Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai) and now it’s spreading its wings. The latest branch of the motorbike-themed cafe (the original is on Jumeirah Beach Road) opened last month in the east coast city, with a bike parade to its location at the Fujairah International Marine Club. There are plans for an Abu Dhabi outlet to follow soon. Call 09-2244686.
Rivington Grill celebrates five years in Dubai
The British restaurant is thanking customers for half a decade of loyalty with cake — lots of cake. The Souk al Bahar outlet (there’s a newer one at Madinat Jumeirah) celebrates on December 20, giving diners in parties of two or more a free dessert plate with five samples of its best-loved puds. These include sticky toffee pudding, Eton mess, rhubarb crumble, Banoffee pot and honeycomb ice cream. Call 04-4230903.
Saturdays taste Spanish
Newly opened Spanish restaurant El Sur, at the Westin Dubai, is doing a big lunch on Saturdays, dishing up contemporary Spanish cuisine and cocktails from 12.30-3.30pm on the sea-view terrace (and inside) to a soundtrack of “flamenco chill”. It’s a seafood-focused sharing menu with tapas (squid with garlic, garlic and chilli prawns, an oyster station); seafood paella, red snapper with lemon and capers and meaty options such as roasted lamb shank with potatoes. Sweets include dark chocolate cake with peanut butter ice cream. Dh295 per person including soft drinks (Dh425 with free-flowing house drinks; children under six are free; 6-12, Dh145). Call 04-3997700.
Asian “tapas” at the Oberoi
Fancy some oriental bites on Thursday nights? Head to Umai, the contemporary Asian restaurant at The Oberoi, Dubai, where there’s all you can eat from Dh320 from a live sushi and sashimi station, teppanyaki grill and dim sum freshly made in the open kitchen. There are also main courses served à la carte and tasty finger food brought to the table by the chefs — and it’s not your typical Chinese. Dishes touted include edamame dumplings, foie gras with teriyaki sauce and daikon radish, tiger prawn teppanyaki with shiso genovese sauce and parmesan cheese and fresh oysters with shiso and ponzu vinegar. Desserts include homemade marshmallows, mandarin mousse with vanilla bean cream, pandan eclairs and green tea mousse cake. Served from 7.30pm every Thursday; call 04-4441444.
Are you cravin’ Cajun?
Louisiana cuisine — gumbo, jambalaya and beignets — is now being served at the new Novotel Dubai Al Barsha. The latest spot to join the craze for down-home American cooking, it’s called Cravin’ Cajun and has Louisiana-born chef Jeffrey Whitfield in the kitchen. The licensed restaurant and bar is serving the likes of chicken gumbo, crab cake, jambalaya, Bourbon Street pecan pie, beignets and peanut butter pie. Also on the menu: Jazz — well, it wouldn’t be New Orleans without it. Open daily, 7-11.30pm; call 04-3049000.
