TIMEOUTDUBAI.COM | MARCH 31 – APRIL 6 2021 | VOL 21 | ISSUE 07 | DHS12 | PRICE INCLUDES VAT | AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION IT’S ON. Time Out Market opens its doors to bring the best of the city to the heart of Downtown Dubai Pastrami Reuben from Local Fire by The Mattar Farm Kitchen 01_TOD_2107_Cover_11621127.indd 128/03/2021 17:46:35Untitled-2 129/03/2021 10:57:32timeoutdubai.com March 31 – April 6 2021 3 PAGE 16 PAGE 28 PAGE 35PAGE 40 Inside This week’s Time Out in no time at all Best of the city Seventeen eateries. Three bars. Top views. Unique art. Time Out Market Dubai represents the best of the city under one roof... Dig in Expo 2020 Dubai’s opening curtain is just six months away. Find out what’s happening at the site of the greatest show on earth The drum roll picks up Dubai Food Festival is hyping up the electric local restaurant scene, and we’re paying tribute to the most important course of all Sweet dreams guaranteed Need to recharge the batteries? Grab a towel, your togs and the tanning oil, we’ve got a pool day deal with your name on it Time to get neck deep FEATURES AND REGULARS 6 City Life 10 Your World 12 Things to do 16 Time Out Market 28 Expo 2020 34 Emirati Desserts 40 Pool days 44 Eating out 50 Nightlife 56 Art and culture 58 Love Local 60 Sport 62 On screen 66 #TheBackPage 03_CONTENTS_11610112.indd 329/03/2021 11:42:124 March 31 – April 6 2021 timeoutdubai.com It’s happening. Time Out Market Dubai is opening its doors – and not a moment too soon, because if we had to wait even another half-hour we might very well spontaneously combust and leave the remnants of this morning’s shakshouka all over the walls. A huge amount of work has gone into this moment – and we’re not just talking about the months of intensely considered curation. In just a few days’ time, 17 fabulous home-grown restaurant brands will get to show off exactly why they were invited to join “the best of the city under one roof”, at a meeting of brilliant food and cultural experiences in Downtown Dubai. But don’t just take my word for it – Time Out’s impossibly excited editor, Amy Mathieson, has the full lowdown from page 16. She’ll be the first one through the doors after we’ve scraped her off the ceiling. Hello, Dubai Holly Sands Editorial Director JOIN THE CONVERSATION facebook.com/ timeoutdubai timeoutdubai timeoutdubai_food @timeoutdubaiyoutube.com/ timeoutgcc linkedin.com/company/ timeout-gcc Published by ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC © 2021 Time Out Group Ltd, London, UK. MEDIA Time Out Dubai PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel +971 4 444 3000 www.itp.com Offi ces in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Martin Chambers Editorial Director Holly Sands Time Out Dubai Editorial Editor Amy Mathieson Tel: +971 4 444 3469 email: amy.mathieson@itp.com Deputy Editor Tom Oxtoby Tel: +971 4 444 3419 email: tom.oxtoby@itp.com Lifestyle Editor Reema Rahman Tel: +971 4 444 3156 email: reema.rahman@itp.com Features Editor Matt Cassidy Tel: +971 4 444 3000 email: matt.cassidy@itp.com Arabic Editor Aline Alkhoury Tel: +971 4 444 3695 email: aline.alkhoury@itp.com Group Video Editor Bharat Tahiliani Tel: +971 4 444 3559 email: bharat.tahiliani@itp.com Digital Content Lead Jeffrey Casiño Tel: +971 4 444 3591 email: jeffrey.casino@itp.com Content Executive Rodelito Mamuad Tel: +971 4 444 3657 email: rodelito.mamuad@itp.com Art Art Editor Gerald Du Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Image Editor Jemima Joy Studio Manager Abuzar Samo Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Adel Rashid Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Fritz Asuro, Ajith Narendra Video Editors Amir Saqer, Sydney Stanislas Videographer Krystian Szachno Sound Engineer Alex Polyakov Production & Distribution Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Denny Kollannoor Production Coordinator Kesavan Rasu Tel: +971 4 444 3424 email: kesavan.rasu@itp.com Circulation Distribution & Warehouse Manager Praveen Nair Tel: +971 4 444 3498 email: praveen.nair@itp.com Advertising Commercial Director Sally Whittam Tel: +971 4 444 3348 mobile: +971 56 104 0567 email: sally.whittam@itp.com Sales Manager Farah Boukersi Tel: +971 58 591 5780 email: farah.boukersi@itp.com Sales Executive Brendan Jackson Tel: +971 4 444 3531 mobile: +971 52 641 3552 email: brendan.jackson@itp.com ITP Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Published under the authority of and in collaboration with Time Out Group Limited London UK. Printed for sale in AGCC and Egypt only. The name and logo of Time Out are used under licence of Time Out Group Limited London UK. Time Out Dubai regular news-stand retail price is £3.50/Dhs12.00. EDS LETTER_11610096.indd 428/03/2021 17:57:57SCAN TO GET IN TOUCH Untitled-8 128/03/2021 15:20:016 March 31 – April 6 2021 timeoutdubai.com DO YOU LOVE Dubai? What’s your favourite thing about the city? Ready to spill the beans? Good, because we want to know everything – and we mean everything. In what’s been an incredibly tough year globally, Dubai has pulled out all the stops to keep the city running, and we’ve been lucky to be able to make the most of the amazing restaurants, bars and hotels over the past few months. And with the UAE’s vaccination tally passing the 50 percent of the population mark, things are looking up further still. For the past few years, we’ve been asking city-dwellers around the world searching questions about their lives. What are they feeling, thinking, eating and doing for fun? And Tell us how you really feel about Dubai which are the best cities for living life to the full? We’ve found the answers in the Time Out Index: our huge, anonymous survey of urbanites from all over this great planet. This year, we’re doing it all again – and we need the kind of info that we can only get from you. So, fish that phone out of your back pocket, or minimise those tabs cluttering your desktop, and take our fun quiz to tell us exactly how things are right now in Dubai. And we want to know what you really think. What do you love the most? Which area is the best to live it? Which street is the coolest in town? Don’t hold back – tell us how you really feel, and at the end of it we’ll tell you how much you love your city. You’ll be helping us pinpoint what makes city life so great. Plus, it’s all totally anonymous, so you can be completely honest about what you can’t get enough of, and what gets your goat. It will take less than ten minutes to rattle through our quick Qs – so scan the QR code above and pop the kettle on, it’s time for a cuppa. “We need the kind of info we can only get from you” City life 6-8_TOD_CITY LIFE_11610115.indd 629/03/2021 15:55:31timeoutdubai.com March 31 – April 6 2021 7 Leading the way FAN OF FOCACCIA? You’ll love this. La Fabbrica Italiana, the UAE’s very first focacceria, has now opened in Dubai’s trendy Wasl 51. The minimalist space is decked out in warm woods with a fresh focaccia counter taking centre stage and there’s also a petite market-style area selling high-quality Italian ingredients. There are more than 15 variations to choose from including Italian favourites like Barese and Ligurian focaccia. And the menu at the homegrown, family-run restaurant features just three main items: artisan focaccia, burrata, and tiramisu. O Open daily 11am-11pm. Wasl 51, Al Wasl Road, Dubai, www.lafabbricaitaliana.com (04 547 0719). Meet the cast Foundry, Downtown Dubai’s newest (and coolest) art space, has launched an all-new exhibition featuring one-of-a- kind masterpieces. The eclectic exhibition is made up of four sections featuring talented artists from across the globe. The free- to-enter show will be running daily and art enthusiasts can explore the works of Harif Guzman, RexChouk, Adil Aubekerov and Kapil Bhimekar. O Free. Daily 10am-10pm. Ongoing. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, foundry.downtowndubai.ae (04 367 3696). Vaccination milestone More than half the UAE population has now received the COVID-19 vaccine, in a major milestone for the Emirates. The UAE has distributed approximately seven million vaccinations, with jabs being administered at more than 205 medical centres around the country. Paws for thought Ready to treat your dog? Catering to pooches, new luxury resort and spa My Second Home will be spread over a 30,000 sq ft space boasting a gated indoor and outdoor dog park with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a daycare centre for doggies of all sizes, luxe grooming services, plus pick up and drop off services. O Opening April, 2021. Al Quoz 4, www.mysecondhomedubai.com (04 881 8002). TAKE THE SURVEY 6-8_TOD_CITY LIFE_11610115.indd 729/03/2021 15:55:38City life 8 March 31 – April 6 2021 timeoutdubai.com ...And a side of art Art to complement your seafood ceviche? COYA Dubai isn’t just one of the best Latin American restaurants in the city, it’s also an advocate for promoting creative talent from within the region. And the cool Peruvian spot has just announced the latest artist to exhibit at its Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach outpost: the supremely talented Maha Almazrouei. O Open daily 12.30pm-midnight. Until Sat May 22. Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach (04 316 9600). THE UAE IS celebrating its 50th anniversary, and everyone is invited to help mark the occasion. President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has declared that ‘Year of the 50th’ will get underway on Tuesday April 6, starting the countdown to historic celebrations. UAE National Day rolls around on December 2, and 2021 will represent 50 years since the unification of the seven emirates. Stick close to Time Out for more details as they are released. The countdown to 50 King of the mountain If you’re looking for an excuse to pay Dubai’s mountainous region a visit, a brand-new luxe mountain retreat has opened its doors. The utterly gorgeous Hatta Terrace has modern three-bedroom villas, each which sleep up to eight people, so get ready for a dreamy getaway. O Hatta, Dubai, instagram.com/ hattaterrace (056 859 2952). 6-8_TOD_CITY LIFE_11610115.indd 828/03/2021 17:51:08Untitled-2 128/03/2021 10:15:19Next >