Tired of eating out in the same old restaurants? Refresh your taste buds and find a change of scenery with our round-up of some of the newly opened restaurants in the country, plus a few notable ones still to come.
Bread Street Kitchen
Officially launched yesterday, this is Gordon Ramsay’s comeback in Dubai after he closed Verre, his first restaurant in the emirate in 2011. Bread Street Kitchen is a casual restaurant that serves up unfussy, unique modern European cuisine. This won’t be the last we hear from Ramsay. He says he has his eye on opening a fine dining restaurant in Dubai in late 2016.
• Open daily from 12.30pm to 4pm and 6pm to 10:30pm; until 11:30pm on Thursday and Friday. Call 04 426 2626
La Tablita
The new Mexican restaurant and taco shop will open at the end of the month in Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights. The menu is filled with Mexican favourites prepared in a contemporary way. A highlight is The Taco Shop, which features 16 different types of tacos. The sharing style dishes were designed by executive chef Carlos Hannon and La Tablita’s chef de cuisine Daniel Hurtado. Artwork reflects contemporary Mexico and is influenced by the country’s street art scene.
• Open nightly from 5pm to midnight. Call 04 553 1234
Nola Eatery & Social House
The New Orleans-inspired restaurant opened over the weekend in Jumeirah Lake Towers. It dishes up cuisine inspired by The Big Easy as well as other Southern American favourites. Packed with vintage décor, Nola seats 300 guests and encourages diners to be ready to laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll). Signature bites include Louisiana crab cakes; Bayou shrimp beignets; seafood jambalaya; and creole meatballs. And no Southern American restaurant would be complete without its own version of fried chicken and waffles. Nola’s comes with a Cajun cornflake crust and courgette and Parmesan waffles.
• At Armada BlueBay hotel, JLT, cluster P. Call 04 399 8155, visit www.nola-social.com
Aubaine
This French brasserie is scheduled to open in The Dubai Mall in the first week of December. The popular brand has locations throughout London and is associated with a luxury lifestyle. Aubaine will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and will serve up classic French cuisine along with freshly baked bread.
• For more on the brand, visit www.aubaine.co.uk
Bistrot Bagatelle
Due to open in the Fairmont on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai this month. The Mediterranean restaurant first opened in New York City’s meatpacking district in 2008. It has since gone on to open locations in Los Angeles, Miami, Sao Paulo, St Tropez and St Barths. This will be the first Bistrot Bagatelle in the Middle East. The celebrity magnet is renowned for its over the top brunches so expect the Friday brunch here to impress.
• Visit www.bistrotbagatelle.com
Aseelah
There has been a long wait for Aseelah, the upscale Emirati restaurant planned for the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai Deira Creek. An official opening has been set for March 15. Aseelah is an Arabic word that means “one belonging to great heritage or family”. The restaurant will dish up authentic Emirati cuisine served in a contemporary style. Uwe Micheel, the hotel’s executive chef and his team, gave foodies a sneak peek of what they can expect during the Taste of Dubai festival last March. Memorable bites included chobab, an Emirati-style pancake filled with dates, coconut and saffron cream; and a camel burger with halloumi, date and lime jam on a bezar-spice infused bun.
Serendipity 3
One of New York City’s most iconic restaurants opens the first of two Dubai locations – this one in City Walk on December 15. The second will launch in Dubai Festival City in mid-January. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Serendipity 3 has an extensive menu with some innovative bites. The New York menu includes dishes such as The Shake, Batter and Bowl (one half chicken, deep-fried, then roasted); a caviar burger with sour cream and cucumber; and a chocolate blackout cake. There’s also the Golden Opulence Sundae made with Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, Madagascar vanilla, 24K gold leaf, Venezuelan chocolate, gold dragees, truffles and dessert caviar – all for Dh3,672. If this sundae is on the menu in Dubai, this will surpass Scoopi Cafe’s Dh2,999 sundae for the most expensive ice cream dessert in the country. The two Dubai locations are Serendipity 3’s first outside the US.
• For more on the brand, visit www.serendipity3.com
Mad for Garlic
This purports to be the country’s first garlic-themed restaurant and will debut early next year. The popular Korean concept will have several locations throughout Dubai and the GCC. Garlic-infused dishes on the menu include names like the dracula killer (soft bread served with garlic cooked in oil and anchovies) and red devil (pasta with shrimp, clams and seafood). Even the desserts contain traces of the pungent bulb, such as garlic berry and ice cream dessert, which comes with sweet garlic jelly. There are 38 branches of Mad for Garlic in Korea; one in Singapore; and one in Indonesia. This will be the first outlet in the Middle East.
• Visit www.madforgarlic.com
Joe’s Crab Shack
It opened in The Dubai Mall last Wednesday as the first location outside the US for the popular American seafood chain. Known for its vibrant, high-energy atmosphere, Joe’s is a family-friendly spot with affordable fare. The menu includes steam pots, crab buckets, an array of shrimp and fish dishes and fried platters. The focus is on seafood, but Joe’s also serves up a small selection of beef and chicken dishes, sandwiches and salads. The restaurant is aptly located next to the aquarium in The Dubai Mall.
• Call 04 705 9999
Wagamama
The fourth location opens in the UAE on Wednesday in the Golden Mile Galleria on the Palm Jumeirah. The Japanese restaurant from London has been churning out food since 1992 with locations in nearly 20 countries. The restaurant dishes up teppanyaki; chilli dishes; curries; donburi (rice bowls with vegetables and/or meat); noodle dishes; salads and more. Other eateries to come in the new Golden Mile Galleria Mall are Taste Kitchen; Amy’s Thai Bistro; Puff Baker Cafe; and O’Doner restaurant.
• Visit www.wagamama.ae
Punjab Grill
Due to open in Venetian Village in the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi complex later this month. The gourmet restaurant specialises in North Indian/Punjabi cuisine and will be the only Indian restaurant in the Village. Signature bites include tandoori guchchi; salmon tikka; chaamp tajdar (slowly braised lamb chops); and tandoori duck. Punjab Grill is a popular upscale restaurant with locations throughout India and one in Singapore. There are plans to open in Bangkok and Washington, DC, as well. This is the first Middle East location.
• Visit www.punjabgrill.in
