TEAM WHAT’S ON PICK THEIR FAVOURITE THINGS IN THE UAE RIGHT NOW
These are our favourite things in the UAE right now…
Sunday lunching in style at… The Guild
Dubai’s best roast dinner is a hotly contested subject, and while I recognise it’s somewhat subjective, I think The Guild’s is a seriously strong contender. There’s something gloriously glamorous about The Salon – The Guild’s main dining room where crisp white table clothed tables are neatly arranged around an impressive show kitchen, which serves up cooked-to-order meats with fluffy roasties, glazed root vegetables, tasty Yorkshire puds and bowls of seasonal vegetables to share. Just be sure to save room for the gold-sprinkled chocolate mousse. – Alice Holtham-Pargin, Group Editor
Getting ready for a summer holiday with… Chic Le Frique
Linen sets have become my summer wardrobe staple, and one of my favourite places to get them from is homegrown brand, Chic Le Frique. When I moved to Dubai almost a decade ago, there was such limited choice of where to buy clothes from, especially online and if you wanted to avoid the chain stores. But in recent years the homegrown fashion scene has flourished, and Chic Le Frique is really at the forefront of that for trendy but timeless pieces that you’ll wear season after season. While I love their two-piece sets for beach days in Dubai, I’m also excited to pack them for my upcoming Euro trip. – Alice Holtham-Pargin, Group Editor
Smelling lush for dad’s day with… Lush
Smash the system. Normalise dads getting fragrant bath paraphanalia as gifts. This is my protest chant for Father’s Day 2024 after getting sent a dad-centric care package from Lush. I’m usually a shower guy, mainly because it’s quick and allows me to get on with the stuff dads are contractually mandated to do – test snapping barbecue tomgs, ignoring urgent DIY jobs, telliing people ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’, sneezing incredibly loudly, and falling asleep in front of the TV whilst a team of over paid under performing sports professionals throw away yet another golden opportunity in an international tournament. But when I do bath, I go full dadcore bougie. Candles, book – and all the orchestral aromatics of a Lush soup. – Miles Buckeridge, Deputy Editor, What’s On Dubai
Getting to grips with sci-fi literary masterpiece… Hyperion
Hyperion came out in 1989 so by only getting around to reading it now, I’ve waived any right to getting upset with unsolicited spoilers. I’m about a quarter of the way through this, what has been described as a sci-fi reimagining of Chaucer’s Cantebury Tales. Which I appreciate will make the book an immediate double ‘NOPE’ for a lot of people. But evasive maneuvres will be to your own detriment, Hyperion is one of the finest examples of world building and story nesting I’ve ever read. 5 Stars, and several Hegemony planets. – Miles Buckeridge, Deputy Editor, What’s On Dubai
Waiting to celebrate sport with…The Olympic Games
While I’m almost always watching one sport or the other, it isn’t often you get to witness those such as pole vaulting, synchronised swimming, sailing and taekwondo. I wait eagerly for four years to elapse so we’re back at an Olympic summer, and watching some of the world’s elite athletes leave it all out there for national glory is inspiring, to say the least. Less than a month away now, and I can’t wait for it all. Also, make sure to catch the opening and closing ceremonies. – Dinesh Ramanathan, Deputy Editor, What’s On Abu Dhabi
Trying to understand the misunderstood…with Milton Waddams
“Who?” I hear you hoot. Mike Judge, also the mind behind King of the Hill, Silicon Valley, and other iconic productions, wrote and directed an incredibly funny movie called Office Space back in 1999. Milton Waddams, played by Stephen Root, is the office’s misunderstood voice – a shy, introverted employee that is almost never heard and not allowed to keep his favourite stapler, among other things. In between laughs, you get the message. Bonus: if you’re ever in the What’s On offices, come hang out where my colleague Miles and I sit – chances are you’ll hear us impersonate our boy Milton. – Dinesh Ramanathan, Deputy Editor, What’s On Abu Dhabi
Watch it on @disneyplusmena
Catching up with a close friend over breakfast at… Brunch & Cake
I love a good breakfast. There’s plenty to try at the Instagrammable café, but since I was craving an eggs benedict (possibly one of my favourite breakfast meals) I didn’t spend (too) much time pouring over the menu. I ordered my eggs medium and yes, it was just perfect when I cut into it, with turkey bacon and mushrooms on the side. A little unconventional, but the hummus garnish on the side was delicious, too. I will definitely be making another visit soon just for their desserts. – Aarti Saundalkar, Online Reporter
Taking a swing at this paint-and-play art workshop with… FoscART
Paint and grape classes are super fun, but I tend to ignore the sips and bites and focus on painting. Which is why this paint and play workshop is perfect for me. You get to enjoy painting for two hours before you move on to the next activity, which in this case was a game of golf at Topgolf Dubai for one hour. The best news? This three-hour workshop is just Dhs125 per person. The team do other activities including an art breakfast, a sculpt and sip workshop and more. And I can’t wait to try them out. It was a fun day out and one your friends will definitely enjoy. – Aarti Saundalkar, Online Reporter
Heading for some after-school fun to Dubai’s chic new soft play… Ribambelle
As a mum, I feel guilty to admit that I do not enjoy going to soft play areas. At all. It’s completely selfish of course. They’re sweaty, loud, and not at all relaxing for the parents so no matter whether you get your laptop out and attempt to send an email, it’s just not happening. But it’s summer in Dubai and other than stay at home and stare at screens all days, indoor play areas are one of the best ways to keep the little ones entertained. Enter: Ribambelle. Located on Bluewaters, Ribambelle is a brand new (licensed) restaurant with an adorable jungle-inspired play area and daily workshops from baking to arts and crafts. And while the parents enjoy the extensive food menu and a drink or two upstairs, there’s whimsical entertainers to keep the little ones busy with games, hide and seek, and more. If you’re looking for an indoor activity that both the grown-ups and little ones will enjoy this summer, head to Ribambelle and you might just get a minute to yourself. – Tamara Wright, Online Reporter
Trying out Dubai’s new ‘Transformer’ pilates studio… KARVE
London’s renowned ‘Transformer’ Pilates studio, KARVE, has finally opened in Dubai, and I was super excited to be one of the first to try their unique (hardcore) workouts during the soft launch last week. Unlike any Pilates class I’ve done before, the intense low-impact, high-intensity sessions feature dimmed lights, loud music, and focus on strength training and driving the metabolism through slow, resistance-based movements on the custom-designed reformer machines. Not for the faint-hearted, this was a TOUGH workout but well-worth a try if you’re looking to switch up your current routine and reap the results in no time. Oh and don’t forget a post-workout matcha latte, you deserve it. – Tamara Wright, Online Reporter
Celebrating my mum with the wonderful team at… Couqley
The last two weeks have been a whirlwind, and last Sunday – between moving house and everything else adulting – it was my mum’s birthday. Our restaurant pick was one of my favourites, Couqley Brasserie in the Pullman Downtown. Our evening was full of all of my favourite things, the bread and butter (if you know, you know,) steak tartare, steak frites, amazing wine, family time, and of course, the night was rounded out with a big happy birthday sing-along for my mum with pain perdu, skillet cookies and more. – Shelby Gee, Junior Reporter
Making the most of the final weekend at… SKY2.0
It’s no secret that I love to party, I spend far too much of my time out and about, so I’m probably due a weekend at home. But that can wait until next weekend because this weekend is all about going big and not going home. That means, brunch at Miss Lily’s with my gals, a house party and then rounding things out with a night out at SKY2.0 to bid farewell to their season one last time. It’ll be sad to say goodbye to one of my favourite hotspots for a while, but they’ll be back in September. See you there? – Shelby Gee, Junior Reporter
Erupting in absolute unbridled chaos at… Game Over
Team What’s On is a little bundle of energy. I say little – we’re more like an explosion but this endless amount of single-braincell-ness came in handy when we went to play the Game Over escape room as a team. They’ve got 12 awesome themes to choose from, ranging from mystery to horror to fantasy to bank robberies. Unknowingly, we picked the hardest one, and in an act of extreme coolness, we cracked it (okay, we went over time a little bit but that’s not the point). Turns out, our teamworking skills are quite incredible, and I’m convinced that if we were ever stuck in a situation, we’d be able to pull out of it. Anyways, go play Game Over. We had the best time ever, and you will too. – Manaal Fatimah, Junior Reporter
Wearing pajamas outdoors with…striped linen pants
These pair of pants have become an absolute wardrobe staple of mine in the past few weeks. It’a a very Scandi-girl vibe, but I’m all for it, especially in this sweltering summer. It’s the perfect piece to build up from – throw on a t-shirt and some clogs and it’s still casual, pair it with an elevated button down and some statement earrings and it’s a going-out outfit. The versatility is great and the comfort is even better. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to wearing fitted pants or jeans again, and I’m so fine with that. – Manaal Fatimah, Junior Reporter