Post Category - EatEat - Post Category - Eating OutEating OutGrab your diaries and phones mamas, as after reading through the foodie suggestions below you’re definitely going to want to make a booking or two. From brunches that challenge Dad to win prizes for his brood, to getting health kicks over breakfast, to rocking out to tunes from Pulp Fiction and Dirty Dancing over lunch with the girls – we’ve rounded up the best foodie launches and openings in Dubai and combined them in one post. Happy eating, mamas!
New For Breakfast or Lunch
Comptoir 102
If bowls of fresh berries, gluten-free pancakes, homemade smoothies, and superfood porridge is your idea of breakfast heaven, the new morning menu at Comptoir 102 is worth a whirl. The café is proud of the fact it uses only the freshest ingredients, with traditional cookery techniques to preserve all the goodness. Vegetarians, vegans, and health-conscious mamas should make their way to the Jumeirah-based café and concept store pronto.
Comptoir 102, 102 Jumeirah Beach Road (+971) (0)4 385 4555, www.comptoir102.com
Eat Greek Kouzina
Fans of the mouthwatering, fresh food at Eat Greek Kouzina, located at The Beach, will be happy to hear that the eatery has just launched a new breakfast menu serving authentic, Greek-inspired breakfast dishes. Take your pick from dishes including Greek Style Scrambled Eggs, the Greek Omelette, Open Spinach Pie, and for heartier appetites, ‘The Big Fat Greek Breakfast’. Sweet choices are available too, with Fresh Fruit with Greek Yoghurt, Greek Toast, and Homemade Mosaiko Pancakes whisking you straight to the sun-kissed shores of the Aegean!
Served daily from 8.30am to 11.30am.
Eat Greek Kouzina, The Beach at JBR (+971) (0)4 430 5249, www.eatgreekkouzina.com
La Cantine Du Faubourg
We love a good brunch – but waiting for lunchtime is sometimes challenging when tummies are rumbling, which is why we love the sound of the new Brunch 105 at La Cantine Du Faubourg every Friday, which starts at the tummy-pleasing time of 11am. Get ready for a French breakfast-style feast, with dishes including Viennoiseries, croissants and pains au chocolat, specialty breads, waffles, crêpes, homemade jams, eggs, and hearty dishes like croque-monsieur, burrata, and asparagus risotto. Délicieuse!
Every Friday, 11am-4pm, priced at AED 300.
La Cantine Du Faubourg, 1/F, Emirates Towers (+971) (0)4 352 7105, www.lacantine.ae
Appetite The Shop
Rushing round all day and no time to cook dinner? We know the feeling mamas, which is why we are happy to hear that Appetite The Shop has opened its doors in Business Bay’s Avenue, giving us the chance to swing by and pick up honest, healthy, pre-packaged food to go. Catering for all three-meals times throughout the day (including some great coffee when we need a caffeine refuel), it’s one of those places we’ll soon be asking ‘how did I ever manage without it?’
Open seven days a week from 7am to 10pm.
Appetite The Shop, Bay Avenue, Business Bay, (+971) (0)4 341 9779, www.appetite.ae
BikesnBites
If Daddy likes nothing more than pulling on his leathers and hitting the open road (or at least the idea of it) and mama considers herself a full-fledged biker babe, new eatery BikesnBites at Boxpark will be right up your street. With classic and modern bikes parked out front, an industrial, bike garage-style interior, the smell of flame-grilled meats filling the air, and whopping portions of meat, sides, and over 40 sauces to customise the dishes, it’s the perfect destination for revving up your appetite.
BikesnBites, Boxpark, Al Wasl Road, www.boxpark.ae
Blue Orange
Fancy yourself a foodie? Grab your diary, as The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi is hosting an Artisan Market every Wednesday evening from 6pm. Fill your basket with the finest produce from Secrets Fine Foods, whilst picking up cookery tips from the Westin team. And if you don’t fancy cooking (we’re with you, mama), choose to have your food prepared and cooked by the hotel’s Blue Orange chefs for just AED 195, with AED 50 back to spend in the market! Well, as you’ve twisted our arms…
Every Wednesday from 6pm.
Blue Orange, The Westin Dubai, Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, (+971) (0)4 511 7136, www.blueorangedubai.com
Buffalo Wild Wings
If you’ve ever dined at Buffalo Wild Wings when holidaying in the States, you will already know why so many people are excited about the chain arriving in the UAE. After all, these are no average buffalo wings. Order from a menu of 16 different sauces and 5 different seasonings – or go all out and order a sharing platter and let the whole family dig in. One thing is for sure; you won’t be going home hungry.
Buffalo Wild Wings, Jumeirah Beach Road, (+971) (0)4 288 5853, www.buffalowildwings.com
Carluccios
Carluccios at Dubai Marina Mall has reopened its doors after a summer revamp, with the stylish new interior complimenting a menu of familiar Italian family favourites (we’re big fans of the kids menu at AED 35 per child, which comes with wax crayons and colouring sheets to keep them entertained). And in even better news, the restaurant is running a promotion across all its locations in the UAE every Monday, where kids can eat for free when an adult meal is purchased!
Offer available every Monday.
Carluccios, Level P, Dubai Marina Mall (+971) (0)4 399 7844, www.carluccios.com
Nathalie’s
Hurrah! Home-grown Abu Dhabi coffee and kitchen concept Nathalie’s has opened its first Dubai branch adjacent to FitRepublik in Sport’s City! Founded by nutritionist and dietitian Nathalie Haddad – who also owns Sassy Mama favourite Right Bite – the eatery offers breakfast dishes, hearty salads, and comforting mains for lunch and dinner, as well as smart snacks perfect for nibbling, sandwiches, smoothies, fresh cold pressed juices and a tasty kids menu!
Nathalie’s, Fit Republik, Sports City, (+971) (0)4 556 1888, www.nathalies.ae
P.I.DUBAI
Sometimes only pizza will do – and when you have the taste, there’s a new restaurant on the lower ground floor of The Dubai Mall to try out with your brood. Casual new Italian eatery P.I.DUBAI offers modern dishes that have been inspired by old-world flavours. Our mouths are watering at the thought of the signature Merguez PI Pizza, with house-made merguez sausages, pickled peppers, cracked olives, fior di latte, and goat cheese with fresh mint! And did we mention that the restaurant boasts a 1,000 square foot outdoor terrace overlooking the Dubai Fountains? It’s our new hang-out at the mall.
P.I.DUBAI, Lower Ground Floor, The Dubai Mall, (+971) (0)4 447 1757, www.pidubai.com
New Brunches (leave the kids!)
The Black Lion
Sometimes we like to brunch in style, but sometimes we just want to have fun – and that is where The Guilty Pleasures Brunch at The Black Lion comes in. Described as ‘a fun party brunch’, you can bop away to crowd-pleasing anthems and soundtracks from the likes of Rocky, Pulp Fiction, Dirty Dancing, Footloose and Jailhouse Rock. Not forgetting the grub, where platters of American favourites including hot & sour chicken wings, shrimp cocktail, blueberry pancakes, rump steak frites and tasty apple pie will be served to your table. And if you are celebrating a birthday, staff will recreate the ‘You’ve lost that loving feeling’ scene from ‘Top Gun’ for you. Traditional? No. Fun? Definitely!
Every Friday, 12pm-4pm / 6pm-10pm, soft drinks package AED 250, house drinks, and fizz AED 395. If you are dressed as a movie character, you get AED 50 off your package!
The Black Lion, The H Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, (+971) (0)4 359 2366, www.theblacklion.ae
New Brunches (take the kids!)
‘Dare Your Dad Brunch’ at The Meydan Hotel
Competitive dads should head to The Meydan Hotel every second Friday of the month for their new ‘Dare your Dad Brunch’, which gives the man of the family the chance to take part in challenges in the hope of winning exciting goodies for his brood! Not forgetting the delicious spread of international cuisine to tempt the whole family, the kids’ area (complete with bouncy castle, cartoons on a loop, and live magic show), and of course a stunning vista over the racecourse. We’re sold!
Every second Friday of the month, 12.30-4pm, with prices between AED 125 and 445.
The Meydan Hotel, Meydan Race Course, Al Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, (+971) (0)4 381 3405, www.meydanhotels.com
New for Date Night (or lunch)
Cocktail Masterclasses at Gaucho
Fancy yourself as a cocktail connoisseur? Get ready to hone your skills at Gaucho Dubai, where you can now join a Cocktail Masterclass hosted by the eatery’s head bartender. You’ll learn how to make three cocktails as you are taken on a journey through the (often surprising) history of each drink, learning why to muddle or shake versus stir. Diaries at the ready, as you are going to want to get the girls round to show off your new prowess at home!
Contact Gaucho to enquire about next workshop, priced at AED 220 per guest.
Gaucho Dubai, Podium Level, Gate Village 05, DIFC (+971) (0)4 422 7898, www.gauchorestaurants.ae
Marina Social
Ah, Jason Atherton, be still my beating heart! The Brit chef has opened Marina Social in the InterContinental. The views are stunning to begin with, making for a relaxed and cool date night vibe. We love the sound of Goats cheese churros with truffle honey and the sourdough flat breads look divine. This is definitely one for a special occasion!
Marina Social, Bay Central Dubai Marina, Al Sufouh Road, Dubai, + 971 (0) 4446 6664, www.marinasocialdubai.com
Palm Grill at Ritz Carlton
We live by the sea, so we need to make the most of it, right mamas? Newly opened Palm Grill at Ritz Carlton Dubai allows us to do just that, with 180-degree views of the Arabian Gulf, a cool sea breeze, and a relaxed, casual vibe (so casual that the eatery encourages a ‘no shoes’ dining experience!) And on the menu? Generous buckets of freshly caught seafood, from tiger prawns to Omani lobsters to freshly shucked oysters, complemented by island-inspired cocktails. We’ll meet you on the sand!
Palm Grill, Ritz Carlton Dubai, JBR, (+971) (0)4 399 4000, www.ritzcarlton.com
Texas de Brazil
Tummy rumbling, mama? It won’t be after a trip to Texas De Brazil, which is located in the new Level 2 expansion of Mall of the Emirates, and offers an all-you-can-eat concept. The biggest Brazilian steakhouse in the States has a fun concept too, with staff visiting tables with grilled beef, lamb, chicken, prawns, and beef sausage – providing you have displayed the green disc, of course. When you change the disc to red, the service will pause until you are ready for more!
Prices between AED 65 and 159.
Texas de Brazil, Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, (+971) (0)4 379 2447, www.texasdebrazil.com
Night Brunch at Toko
If date nights are getting a bit predictable, why not mix it up with a trip to Toko’s new Night Brunch at Vida Downtown on a Tuesday evening? Fill your plates with Japanese street food style cuisine, from Crispy Peking Duck, to Sushi, to Jade Dumplings, to Soft Shell Crab, to Mochi Ice Cream (and plenty more lip-licking dishes in between). And as you’d expect from Vida Downtown, Toko has a modern, hip vibe, with an interior designed by super cool Australian architect Matthew Darwon. We can’t wait to try it!
Every Tuesday, 7pm to 10pm, priced at AED195.
Toko, Vida Downtown, Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard (+971) (0)4 442 8383 www.toko-dubai.com
Vesna Dubai
If the thought of Slavic food tickles your tastebuds (or you’re intrigued to find out whether it does), we have a treat for you – as Vesna Dubai, the new contemporary eatery in Conrad Hotel Sheikh Zayed Road, has just opened its doors. Settle down to a feast of traditional dishes created by prize winning Head Chef Maksim Tvorogov, as you listen to the soundtrack of live jazz and sip signature cocktails. Expect dishes like Ukrainian Borsch with a dash of Indian spices, Chicken Kiev in Japanese breadcrumbs and Homemade Noodles on Italian Flour with fresh Porcini mushrooms. Our mouths are watering at the thought!
Vesna Dubai, Mezzanine, Conrad Hotel Sheikh Zayed Road, (+971) (0)4 444 7444 www.conraddubai.com
And new for Veggie Lovers…
Veggie Buzz
Vegetarian mamas and their cubs will be excited to hear about the launch of www.VeggieBuzz.com; the country’s first website tailored solely to vegetarian cuisine. Log on to discover hundreds of restaurant reviews, delicious recipes and in-depth features, covering topics such as juicing, affordable eats and where to find Dubai’s tastiest falafel. Meal times will never be the same again!
Visit www.veggiebuzz.com
Featured image via Pinterest
