Enjoy an amazing meal for less with Pit Stop Menus
There’s no bigger event in the Abu Dhabi calendar than the Grand Prix, held each year at Yas Marina Circuit. During Race Week there are loads more things to do away from the track, including big parties, brunches and shopping deals – and it wouldn’t be an Abu Dhabi event if there wasn’t food involved. With that in mind, we’ve teamed up with some of Abu Dhabi’s very best restaurants and the Department of Tourism and Culture – Abu Dhabi, to bring you Pit Stop Menus.
The idea is simple – each restaurant will offer a special set menu between November 14 and December 2 to showcase its very best dishes. All you need to do is decide which one (or two, or three, or ten…) you want to go to and tuck in. With the likes of Hakkasan, Roberto’s, Tamba and Catch involved, you’re going to be spoiled for choice. Add in more incredible venues such as Alba Terrace, Cho Gao, KOI and Namak by Kunal Kapur and you have the recipe for a very busy (and filling) Race Week indeed. For all the deals and menus available in the city click here
Dance the night away
This weekend, local promoters 4 People are celebrating turning one with an outdoor event at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche. Held in the Beach Garden on Friday (November 22), the night will be headlined by Ukranian DJ Miss Monique (or Alesia Arkusha, to her family). She will be supported by residents Tarek B, Khaddam and Chuky. Miss Monique is known for her YouTube podcasts Mind Games and MiMo Weekly and has released music on labels including Black Hole and Bonzai Progressive, as well as performing around the world.
Free (before 11pm), Dhs50 (after 11pm). 8pm-3am Friday November 22. Beach Garden, Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche (055 228 0404).
Enjoy drinks for Dhs10
Here in Abu Dhabi we love any excuse for a party. So we’re super excited to see that one of our favourite Mexican venues is turning 10 years old and hosting a two-day party to celebrate. Amerigos Mexican Bar & Restaurant is marking the milestone by offering Mexican mixed drinks for Dhs10 each on November 22 and 23. All you need to do is turn up between 6pm and 10pm, and choose which beverage you fancy from a selected menu. While you’re there you may as well try some of the tasty nachos, enchiladas, tacos and other specialties, too. Paired with mixed beverages it’s the perfect combination. We’ll see you at the bar.
Dhs10. Nov 22-23 6pm-10pm. Park Inn by Radisson Abu Dhabi, Yas Island (02 656 2000).
Party at Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Cubist Electro Night is bringing live music to Louvre Au Dhabi in association with Institut Francais. On the night, Brazilian Amon Tobin will perform a DJ Set, alongside Molecule and Boogie Box DJs Hassan Alwan and Tristan Girault, from 10pm to 2am. As the music rings out, a selection of cubism-inspired artwork will be projected onto the museum’s iconic dome to create unique visual and audio experience. We think it sounds amazing, and with the potential of work by cubist artists like Picasso, Dali and Cezanne being shown it sounds like a unique experience, too.
Dhs150. Nov 21. 10pm-2am. Louvre Abu Dhabi, Cultural District, Saadiyat Island www.louvreabudhabi.ae
Check out the Hob Festival
Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE is no doubt one of the coolest places to party. If you love dancing on a beach (who doesn’t?), it’s one of the best places to be at the weekend, but on Friday November 22 it is putting on something extra special. The Hob Festival is set to feature sets from a long list of brilliant DJs including Bahramji & Medusa Odyssey, Frederick Stone, Habibi Funk, Hoolz, Layla Kardan and many more big names. But that’s not all. You can also start your day at the beach bar by joining in with the pop-up brunch, and enjoy making all your Instagram followers very jealous as you relax on a sunbed and feast on tasty bites from 1pm to 4pm. Or, if you want to burn off a few calories before you start partying there will be a yoga class held at 10.30am and a dance class at noon. We’ll see you on the dancefloor.
Dhs84 (entry), Dhs350 (brunch). Fri Nov 22 10.30am onwards. Golden Tulip Al Jazira Hotels and Resort, Ghantoot (056 113 3400).
Soak up the vibe at a luxury music festival
Zaya Nurai Island has announced the first-ever NuraiFest, a two-day music festival at the luxury island retreat, will take place on November 22 and 23. During the event, you'll be able to dance on the beach to the sounds of DJs including Audiofly, M.A.N.D.Y, Satori, Serge Devant, Steve Lawler, Tiga and Waff. You can get tickets for Dhs599 per day, or buy a weekend pass for Dhs999. Want more of the VIP treatment? You can also buy a VIP Backstage pass for Dhs1,199 each day, or Dhs1,999 for the weekend. It sounds like it will be a big weekend.
From Dhs599. Nov 23-24. Zaya Nurai Island www.platinumlist.net
Go vegan at Bareburger
Bareburger has launched a vegan menu packed full of options. The menu features a range of burgers (obviously) including Beyond patties, a sweet potato, wild rice and kale patty and a black bean and corn patty. A selection of sandwiches and hot dogs are also on offer featuring beyond bratwurst and other plant-based variations. You can also chose a range of side options including fries, fries, pickles, green salad and chips and guacamole. Those with a sweet tooth can also order vegan shakes and desserts including carrot cake, chocolate cake and a vegan sundae. Even if you’re not a vegan, there’s still plenty to be enjoyed.
For more information, visit www.bareburger.com/uae
Check out some urban lifestyle
UrbaNation, taking place at Formal Park from November 12 to 23, will showcase all aspects of urban lifestyle across ten days. The packed programme of events includes live performances, workshops, activities and attractions including an F1 simulator experience and car modification workshops. Street art fans will also get the chance to take part in graffiti workshops, visit the arts and crafts stations and make works of art of your own. Live performances from local bands and artists will see Carl & The Reda Mafia, Echo Vessel and more grace the stage across the event. Plus with a range of food trucks serving up snacks and meals there will be plenty of ways to refuel while checking out what’s going on.
Free. Nov 14-23, 4pm-11pm. Formal Park, Corniche www.abudhabimoments.ae
Try an e-scooter for free
E-scooters are popping up around Abu Dhabi left, right and centre, so if you haven't tried one yet, now is as good a time as any. There's a 15-minute free session for any newly registered accounts on Circ if you use the voucher code ‘wecirc’ when unlocking a scooter. You’ll need to download the free mobile app and set up an account beforehand, but you could be zooming about in minutes. Scooters are also available at other locations including the Corniche, Reem Island, Al Maryah Island and Al Dana. We’re definitely trying this.
Take on an epic food challenge
Hoi An at the Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri is challenging you to take on a massive 1.1 litre bowl filled of Vietnamese speciality beef pho. The challenge is running until the end of December, and with over a litre of broth and a huge dose of noodles and beef, it’s a lot of food (and not for the faint-hearted or small-stomached). Think you can handle it? If you can finish the whole lot, in a single sitting, then the food will be completely free of charge. Fail to clear the lot and the humongous dish will cost you Dhs189. Good luck.
Dhs189 or free if you finish it. Daily 6pm-11pm. Hoi An, Shangri La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri (02 509 8888).
Check out the augmented reality art exhibition
Bringing a new experience to the city, an augmented reality art exhibition has launched in the capital at Nation Towers. Imagine Nation is an immersive collection of interactive artworks that combine audio-visual art, 3D Projections and virtual effects. The free exhibition, open from 4pm to 10pm every day, will be on display at the shopping destination until January 3 2020. By using Artivive, augmented reality technology that can be accessed using smartphones and tablets, you will be able to explore new dimensions of the art on display as it comes to life in different ways. To interact with the artworks you will need to download a free app to your phone, or if you can’t download the app there are iPads at Nation Towers available to borrow.
Free. Daily 4pm-10pm, until January 3 2020. Nation Towers, Corniche West
Check out the RIPE Market
RIPE Market is back at Umm Al Emarat Park and it's a great place to wind down the weekend before the working week starts again. Offering up fresh fruits and vegetables as well as a number of local vendors selling unique and handmade items, the popular market will be on hand to offer some retail therapy. Plus, with live music, entertainment and food trucks, you can also get a bite to eat and entertain the kids while out and about in the city.
Free (Dhs10 entry to the park). From Nov 2. Sat 3pm-9pm. Umm Al Emarat Park, Al Mushrif, www.ripeme.com
Get lost in The Wonder Maze
The world's largest mobile maze is back in the UAE. The Wonder Maze, consisting of a series of paths made out of thousands of metres of rope and tarpaulin, is now at Al Ain Zoo. Think you can conquer it? The configuration of the maze will be changed regularly, so if you figure it the first time you try it the chances are next time you visit you will have to find the right path once again. At the centre of the maze there's a five-metre tall viewing platform, meaning you can see how to get out more easily. Good luck.
Dhs35 (free for children under one metre in height). Zoo entry Dhs9.45 for children and Dhs28.25 for adults. Until April 22 2020. Al Ain Zoo: 9am-8pm. Riverland Dubai: Sun-Thu 9am-8pm; Fri-Sat 10am-10pm.
Enjoy some music in the park
This weekend, on Saturday November 23, a free musical performance will be held at an Abu Dhabi park. Symphony In The Park will take place at Umm Al Emarat Park from 2pm to 10pm. The alfresco musical performance will feature a host of live music for families as well as activities for children to enjoy, such as giant versions of Jenga, Connect 4 and Snakes & Ladders. Blankets will also be offered to families if they’re feeling the chill as the unwind and watch the performances.
For more information visit www.abudhabimoments.com
See French luxury items with Flanerie Colbert
A new collaboration at The Galleria Al Maryah Island is set to promote cross cultural dialogue between France and the UAE. Taking place from December 12 to 14, Flânerie Colbert Abu Dhabi is a joint project between Abu Dhabi and the Comite Colbert, an association of 84 French luxury houses and 16 cultural institutions founded in 1954. At The Galleria Al Maryah Island, 26 Colbert houses will create window displays, in-store scenographies and events at a selection of stores, including Louis Vuitton, Van Cleef Arpels, Celine and more. Everything will be inspired by the themes from the 10,000 Years of Luxury exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi. The displays give you the chance to see some unique pieces and daydream about owning some of the most luxury items in the world.
Free. Galleria Al Maryah Island. For more information visit www.tcaabudhabi.com
Enjoy 50 percent discount at Circo
We love a good deal here in Abu Dhabi, especially when it involves paying less for delicious food. So we’re super excited to see that Italian restaurant Circo has introduced a great daily promotion, which is designed to reward us for stepping out a bit earlier to eat. The early bird offer is on every day between 5pm and 7pm, and it offers 50 percent off food and drink. This means that those crispy pizzas, fresh pastas and authentic mains can be yours for half the usual price, and it would be rude not to wash it all down with a glass of grape really wouldn’t it? So next time you get off work early, you know where to go for a good feed. We never liked going to bed with a full tummy anyway.
Prices vary. Daily 5pm-7pm. Circo, InterContinental Abu Dhabi, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Street (02 666 6888).
