< Previous60 October 2022 timeoutabudhabi.com Green spaces to explore and relax in. TAKE A STROLL DESPITE BEING SLAP bang in the middle of a desert (although it’s easy to forget that sometimes) Abu Dhabi has some of the most beautiful parks and green spaces. If you’re someone who loves meandering, strolling, meeting with friends or even having a picnic, October is the perfect time of year to pack up the year and head along for a chilled afternoon in the park. Not only do some of these parks have perfect spots for sunbathing, getting stuck into a good book, or simply enjoying an afternoon nap under a tree (we’re not the only ones who do that, right?), it’s also a great place to take the kids thanks to its vast open space. You don’t really have to do very much, either. Let the kids occupy themselves while you tuck in to your delicious lunch and let them tire themselves out, or take them exploring to discover some of the wildlife that roam free. Ready to explore this month? You’re in luck because there are so many options to add to your list, from playgrounds in the Corniche to parks with water features for you and the kids. Family & Kids timeoutabudhabi.com/kids Al Fay Park Located on Reem Island, the 27,500 square- metre space is the Àrst urban park in the city that focuses on bio-diversity, and it’s home to 2,000 types of local Áora including the UAE’s national tree, the ghaf. Plus the park is home to basketball, badminton and football courts as well as climbing walls and more to keep you and the kiddos busy all afternoon. Add this one to your list, pronto. O Free. Reem Island. www.facebook.com/alfaypark. Al Khaleej Al Arabi Park If you’ve ever driven along Khaleej Al Arabi Street of a weekend you’ll doubtless have seen the cars parked up along the road and droves of people heading here for barbecues. The waterfront space has got to be one of the most popular places in the capital for a Friday or Saturday trip out, thanks to its vast amount of space, as well as beautiful views. Just make sure you Ànd a parking space in advance. O Free. Khaleej Al Arabi Street.timeoutabudhabi.com October 2022 61 Baniyas Park If you don’t live in downtown Abu Dhabi or enjoy a quieter life outside the main city then this is one of the great parks in the capital. Ideal for walking, jogging and picnics, families can unwind here and with a children’s play area the little ones will love it too. O Al Ain Road, Baniyas, near Al Mafraq. Capital Garden Also known as Al Asema Park, Capital Garden is in the middle of the city (it’s the one with the ornamental coffee pots at the entrance in Al Markaziyah). It was built in 1976 and enjoys the distinction of being one of the oldest parks in Abu Dhabi. Despite its downtown location, it’s actually quite peaceful once you’re inside the 5.6 hectare space. The hustle and bustle of the streets are drowned out by the sound of sheer tranquillity and the spouting fountains in the central pond. Like most parks in Abu Dhabi, this one also caters to young families and has plenty for the kids with the usual play areas, “Always popular with curious little minds” including a mini climbing wall. It’s split into smaller separate gardens, some of which have vending machines for refreshments, plus there’s a café for when you get peckish. O Sultan Bin Zayed the First Street. Corniche Parks If you’re heading to the Corniche, chances are you’re thinking of a beach day, but those sands are outlined by some lovely parks in Abu Dhabi, ideal for a shaded stroll, and on the other side of the road are a bunch more green spaces. Starting from the east side, near SoÀtel Abu Dhabi, is Recreation Park. The biggest attraction is a large sun dial – always popular with curious little minds. Next along the road is Formal Park, which is actually a lot more fun than its name suggests. It has barbecue pits, badminton courts, a concrete maze (for the kids?) and plenty of room to relax on the grass. At the end of the Àrst stretch is Lake Park – with a 15m fountain and wooden bridges and walkways, it is a favourite with Instagrammers. Further along towards A’l Bahar you’ll Ànd more, each with plenty to offer, including skate parks, splash facilities and more. So, the next time you’re looking for a weekend outing, skip the beach and head here. O Free. Off Corniche Road. Heritage Park This place is great for families who want to picnic in peace. The pretty spot is tucked away opposite Mina Port and is somewhat overlooked. There are barbecue pits and kiosks that make it convenient for groups. There’s also a climbing frame to keep the kids entertained as you relax. O Free. Off Al Firdous Street, Corniche East. Khalidiyah Garden Drop by this downtown green spot in the morning or late evening and you will bump into gangs of determined walkers and joggers circling the paved pathways, getting in their daily dose of exercise. Scattered date palms provide visitors with plenty of shade, and the terrain here is mostly Áat, making it an ideal spot for picnics or for a little nap under a tree. O Between 30th and 16th streets, Al Khalidiyah. Khalifa Park Khalifa Park covers a massive area – 500,000 sq m in total. But it’s not all green grass and palm trees, there’s also a museum that takes you down a time tunnel and explains the history of the development of the capital, an aquarium, a library and a miniature train that takes you around the circumference. O Next to Ministries Complex, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street. Mangrove National Park Okay, this isn’t your typical park, but our list of parks in Abu Dhabi wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to this stunning landmark. The thriving ecosystem is a sanctuary for a variety of birds and marine life. Its atypical salt-tolerant trees also act as a barricade against erosion. The route is dotted with numerous cabanas under which you can take shelter, or set out a picnic basket. O Free. Eastern Mangroves, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street. ead.ae.62 October 2022 timeoutabudhabi.com Discover works by Monet, Renoir and Cézanne at Louvre Abu Dhabi this month. Make an Impression Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced an upcoming exhibition in partnership with Paris’ Musée d’Orsay and it looks massive. Get ready for Impressionism: Pathways to Modernity coming this month. The Louvre Abu Dhabi Impressionism exhibition will feature 150 important impressionist masterpieces. It will be one of the largest, most signiÀcant Impressionist exhibitions ever held outside of France. Ready to dive into many works of art? Impressionism: Pathways to Modernity arrives at the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Wednesday October 12 and will stick around until Sunday February 5. The Louvre Abu Dhabi impressionism exhibition will feature pioneering works by Manet, Degas, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir and Cézanne. The masterpieces will be accompanied by etchings, costumes, Àlm and photography. The exhibition features more than 100 paintings, 40 drawings and prints, 20 Art & Culture timeoutabudhabi.com/culturetimeoutabudhabi.com October 2022 63 photographs and Àve dresses from the epoch, as well as a contemporary video installation. The exhibition is mainly drawn from Musée d’Orsay impressionist collections. The Louvre Abu Dhabi impressionism exhibition explores why Impressionism was so radical during its time and how it paved the way for future artistic movements. It argues that Impressionism was more than mere artistic rebellion but was about new ways of seeing, making art and even living. Additionally, Louvre Abu Dhabi will unveil for the Àrst time a signiÀcant acquisition, The Cup of Chocolate Cup by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, in the exhibition. Highlights from Musée d’Orsay Collection include: The Balcony by Edouard Manet, The Magpie by Claude Monet, The Floor Scrapers, 1875 by Gustave Caillebotte, The Racecourse. Amateur Jockeys Near a Car by Edgar Degas, and Woman with a Coffee Pot by Paul Cézanne. The new exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi isn’t the only thing that’s making its way to Saadiyat Island. A new art experience, teamLab Phenomena, is coming to Abu Dhabi in 2024. The “home of inÀnite curiosity,” will feature original and constantly changing art and technology created by teamLab. Soon you will also be able to visit Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, which will be the island’s home for modern and contemporary art. You will also be able to visit the Natural History Museum on Saadiyat Island in a few short years. First up, get in front of the Impressionist art at the new exhibition. Sounds like it’s time for a trip to Saadiyat. On yer bike! O Wed Oct 12, 2022 to Sun Feb 5, 2023. Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, louvreabudhabi.ae. “It will be the largest exhibition ever held outside of France”64 October 2022 timeoutabudhabi.com HAVE YOU EVER wanted to escape from the real world and try something completely new? Perhaps you want to experience an entirely new way of life, a career you’ve never considered, or even dabble in a bit of crime. While some are challenging, delivering absolute accuracy and forcing you to learn technical skills, some are playable ASMR, inducing a Áow state that will give you a welcome break from the real world. Whether you want to swap your dull corporate life for a quiet one harvesting Gaming PowerWash Simulator Enjoy a welcome break from IRL with these six games. By Jessica Morgan reality Escape fromOn Screen timeoutabudhabi.com October 2022 65 F1 Manager 2022 lawn chairs, vans and helicopters and your weapons are a water jet and various Áavours of soap. There’s something so insanely satisfying about washing the crud off various items, and the game gives you an instant dopamine hit when you’ve completed the section you’ve been working on. It might seem too simple but there are challenges: You can upgrade your equipment and challenge yourself with hard-to-reach areas, turning a chore into a cherished task. O Dhs93. Out now. Available on PC. store.steampowered.com. COOKING SIMULATOR STREAM Love cooking but too afraid that you’ll burn the house down? There’s a game for that. Hey, your safety is paramount to us so we’ve found just the game for you to practice your culinary skills without the risk. Cooking simulator by Big Cheese Studios puts you in charge of a large, realistic kitchen and makes it your task to dice, simmer, blend and season your way to becoming the greatest chef in the world. You’ll be required to measure your ingredients to the tee, and make sure you’re not keeping your hungry diners waiting long. But if you’re more inclined to scream and shout your way through the kitchen à la Chef Gordon Ramsay, you also have the opportunity to smash plates, blow up the microwave and start Àres. Just don’t do this IRL. You’ve been warned. O Dhs47. Out now. FLIGHT SIMULATOR XBOX SERIES X/S XBOX ONE PC We can’t be the only ones obsessed with travel (welcome to the Time Out family, of course) but after two long years of few opportunities to travel, Flight Simulator has offered us a boarding pass to the beautiful blue skies and new lands of the world. This game is visually stunning and offers a photorealistic view of the planet from the cockpit where you’re tasked with piloting an aircraft and safely landing it at your destination. After years of dying to know what all the buttons mean on an aircraft, you can also learn all the technicalities of piloting at Áight school to teach you all the basics and, you know, learn how to avoid a fatal crash. O Dhs196. Out now. FARMING SIMULATOR PS4 GOOGLE STADIA XBOX ONE PC The Farming Simulator series has been growing its crops for quite a while, and now its latest game is more realistic than ever. Ever wondered what it’s like to own your own farm? It’s hard labour but it’s worth escaping the chaos of city life to the rolling green hills of the country. In this game, you can choose from three different careers set at different difÀculty settings, depending on how dedicated to farming you are. “New Farmer” is the easiest and starts you on land with your own equipment ready to go. “Farm Manager” is the medium option that starts you with money but no land in a stable economy. And “Starting from Scratch” is the brutal option, offering a break-back economy and hefty credit loan from the bank to give you a painfully realistic experience. You’ll be able to buy Àelds, upgrade your equipment from more than 400 machines, ride horses, tend to farm animals, and get your wellies dirty. What are you waiting for? O Dhs110. Out now. Mario Kart 8 turnips, want to try your hand at managing the most talented F1 drivers in the world, or even start a new career as a producer behind the scenes of a Hollywood Àlm studio, there are plenty of weird and wonderful simulators that will keep boredom at bay and your creative juices Áowing. The Sims and Football Manager might be one of the two biggest simulator games out there, but there are plenty of others to keep you entertained and inspired. After all, these simulator games might even encourage you to try something new or pick up a new skill, and what’s better than that? F1 MANAGER 2022 PS4 PS5 XBOX SERIES X/S XBOX ONE PC We can’t be the only ones excited about the fact that Qatar will host F1 races for the next ten years. Who doesn’t want to watch Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen tear through 55 laps in some of the best car engineering the world’s ever seen? But for those who really want to dive into the world of F1 can now, after a 22-year- wait (yes, you read that right), oversee entire Formula 1 squads, create race strategies, allocate car development resources, appease the directors through sponsorship objectives, and even scouting drivers. Just like Football Manager, you’ll get behind-the-scenes access to all your favourite drivers and engineers, and be treated to analysis by Karun Chandhok and over 25,000 real-world commentary clips. O Dhs222. Out now. THE SIMS 4 HIGH SCHOOL YEARS PS4 PS5 XBOX ONE WINDOWS MACOS Have you ever been so sick of paying rent, bills and having to be an “adult” that you wish you could go back to school and enjoy freedom again? Well, now you can. Kind of. EA’s The Sims franchise has been a popular game for over 20 years and this year it released a new expansion pack where you can be a student again. Yes, in this game you’ll be able to join a club, start a trend and make the most out of being a teenager again. Get dressed up for prom, pull pranks on your friends, experiment with your signature look and try out extracurricular activities you’ve never done before. Plus, in true Gen Z fashion, you can try your hand at becoming a style inÁuencer or streamer before graduation. O Dhs142. Out now. POWERWASH SIMULATOR PC We know what you’re thinking. Why would you want to play a game that simulates a power wash? Actually, it proves that you only need water and a bit of muck to have fun. Essentially the game is a shooter, but your targets are Àlth that has built up on The Sims 4 High School YearsHot off the pass 66 October 2022 timeoutabudhabi.com IF YOU’VE EVER wanted to feel like Bruce Bogtrotter for a day, head over to Butcher & Still to take on its huge chocolate tower. As the brainchild of executive pastry chef Rasika Weerasinge, The Tribune Tower is yet another dish that has as much intense Áavour as it does fascinating history. HY PE DISH DIS S E C T I ON “Tribune Tower”chocolate cake at Butcher & Still What goes into the Abu Dhabi plates that everyone bangs on about The 34-layer cake takes its name from the iconic Chicago skyscraper, the tallest building built during the city’s Prohibition era in the 1920s. Made from alternate layers of gluten-free Áourless sponge, its tart and bitter Áavours are worth waxing lyrical about. It’s no wonder then that the tower has become the restaurant’s most Instagrammable dish. We spoke to Weerasinghe to Ànd out more about what goes into the cake. Bring your appetite, and your bib. O Dhs80. Open daily, 4pm-1am. Al Maryah Island, fourseasons.com (02 333 2222). Dhs80 The technique “We simply coat 17 layers of chocolate sponges and 17 layers of chocolate mousse on top of each other on a huge baking tray where we cut out 28 individual chocolate cake pieces.” The flavours “We only use premium Valrhona Kalingo 65 percent chocolate, along with pure cocoa powder. It gives the cake an unexpectedly intense freshness.” The garnish The orange peel is branded with the Butcher & Still logo. Cool and classy. Just like the restaurant itself. The inspiration “The Tribune Tower takes its name from one of Chicago’s most iconic buildings which opened in 1925. It has 34 layers, representing each of the building’s Áoors.”CINQUEDUBAIDINE IN & EXPLORE A WORLD OF FLAVOUR!Next >