Make November a month to remember by treating yourself to dinner at one of these popular restaurants
LOWE
This Scandi-style restaurant may be tucked a bit out of the way at KOA Canvas, next door to Al Barari, but it’s always worth the drive. We love LOWE for its laid-back ambience, smart service and consistently superb food, which showcases seasonal produce cooked naturally by fire that’s presented in a rustic yet sophisticated manner. Look out for their Stay Home Grown series starting in November where local brands and chefs will take over the eatery for a few nights to share their respective concepts. Modern Thai food masters Yellow Monkey were up first (9&10 Nov) and later in the month Hattem Mattar from The Mattar Farm will take over the grill with a menu produced wholly from local produce. A menu change which complements a much-awaited new beverage offering is also on the cards.
BOCA
Forward-thinking, friendly and a favourite spot of ours in Dubai International Financial Centre, BOCA is where to go for clever and conceptual takes on Mediterranean cuisine. We recently tried a five-course sharing menu as part of their Discover Galicia Week, which celebrated dishes from the most north-western part of Spain. A 5-day Andalucia showcase also proved popular earlier in the month, as did a night hosted by celebrity chef and cookbook author, Bethany Kehdy. Still to come is Rioja Week (22-28 November) where oven-roasted lamb will feature as part of a four-course line-up – and if you’re looking for festive or New Year’s packages, check out BOCA’s offering online.
The Lighthouse
Set in Dubai Design District, this cosy spot is not only a restaurant (with a great terrace for sundowners we must add) but it’s also a library and well-curated concept store. Its current daily dinner deal offers a three-course meal featuring Mediterranean-inspired soul food made with a few Middle-Eastern ingredients – alongside a competitive beverage list. Starters include crispy fried calamari topped with chilli, paprika and lime, and goat cheese with cherry tomatoes and a hazelnut crust. Order the kofta in a tomato emulsion with basmati rice for mains and the passionfruit and yuzu cheesecake for dessert. There’s also an Umm Ali malt ice cream which sounds intriguing.
Reif Kushiyaki & Kushi By Reif
Singaporean chef and restaurateur Reif Othman is well known for his creative twists on Far Eastern cuisine – if you haven’t been to either of his two restaurants, please do! Othman's eaterie, Reif Kushiyaki in Dar Wasl Mall, dishes up unconventional Japanese street food such as kushiyaki (grilled meat, chicken, fish and vegetables) that has complex flavours. And his latest venture, Kushi by Reif at Depachika Food Hall, offers affordable Japanese soul food. The menu is concise, only including the best of Japanese basics such as ramen, donburi and gyoza. Meat lovers shouldn’t miss the signature Wagyu katsu. And we’ve said this before, and we’ll say it again, don’t leave without trying the yuzu éclair.
The Pangolin
This double-storey dining complex is located at The Els Club in Dubai Sports City and comes from Sergio Lopez, co-founder of Tom&Serg, alongside Australian chef Troy Payne. It will eventually comprise two casual restaurants (one of which has opened on the ground floor), two bars, a private dining room, a members’ room and a terrace. Go here for honest, real food that promotes an abundance of home-grown produce.
Lana Lusa
We may be spoiled for choice in terms of restaurants in Dubai, but Portuguese cuisine has somehow been underrepresented. Exciting news then, that new restaurant Lana Lusa at Dubai’s Wasl 51 mall promises proper home-style Portuguese dishes. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don’t leave without stocking up on their flaky custard tarts.
1484 by Puro
Named according to its height above sea level in metres and located at the Jais Adventure Center at the top of Jebel Jais in Ras Al-Khaimah, this sky-high restaurant offers sweeping views of the peaks and valleys of the Hajar Mountains. As for its menu, expect dishes inspired by the Arabian Gulf, made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
