Winter is coming and with it follows a slew of openings, both grand and small. From a dozen new beach clubs arriving at J1 Beach (formerly La Mer) between now and December to several relaunches of family attractions such as Global Village and Sharjah Safari Park, the UAE is gearing up for a busy season.
Prominent among these are dozens of new dining establishments. Something of a year-round affair, restaurant launches go into overdrive as the cooler months approach, and September is no different.
Here are the five venues already open to sample, and one meant to open by month's end.
9th Cut
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Geared solely at meat lovers, this deli, butchery and steakhouse has teamed up with chefs, butchers and farmers from all over the world, leading to an international selection of steak.
The meats range from tomahawk, rump, ox tail and brisket, to dry-aged meats, plus lamb, chicken, venison and veal. These translate into dishes such as dry-aged venison carpaccio, tamarind lamb ribs, cast-iron ox tail, smoked lamb shank mandi, Italian bistecca Fiorentina and Iranian koobideh.
The grab-and-go deli section, meanwhile, offers sandwiches, mezze, charcuterie, cheeses, marinades, olive oils and spice rubs.
Daily, noon-midnight; Novotel Hotel, Al Barsha, Dubai
Fusion Ceviche x Time Out Market
Cuisine: Peruvian
Chef-founder Penelope Diaz started on her UAE culinary journey by representing Peru at Expo 2020 Dubai, followed by the first Fusion Ceviche restaurant in JLT. The Time Out Market expansion includes dishes created exclusively for this outpost.
On the menu are items such as salmon chilli, scallop Parmesan and sea bass pesto, plus the popular tuna Nikkei and smoked salmon and mango ceviche, with ingredients imported directly from Peru.
Monday to Thursday, noon-midnight; Friday, noon-1am; Saturday, 10am-1am; Sunday, 10am-midnight; Souk Al Bahar, Downtown Dubai
Isabella Cucina Italiana
Cuisine: Italian
The two-storey restaurant in Emirates Hills promises authentic Italian food and hospitality, with its head chef Ruggiero Gissi hailing from Rimini in northern Italy.
On the menu are sharing-style crudi, antipasti and mains, plus freshly made pasta such as tagliolini al tartufo nero, gnocchi gamberi, penne pomodoro and spaghetti bolognese. The 48-hour proofed pizza dough comes with toppings including tartufo and bresaola.
Daily, 11am-1am; Vida Hills Hotel, Emirates Hills, Dubai
Scalini Cucina
Cuisine: Italian
Another Italian newbie, this time in Dubai Mall, the restaurant is the casual dining outpost of the celebrity-favoured, London-born Scalini brand.
A trattoria, pizzeria and pasticceria all in one, it serves Neapolitan and Roman pizzas; veal and chicken escalope, Cacciatora-style chicken and sea bream a la meuniere. All the Italian dessert classics – tiramisu, pistachio cake, cannoli and gelato – are available, too.
Daily, 10am-11.30pm; opposite Dubai Mall Waterfall, Downtown Dubai
Zordaar
Cuisine: Indian
Billing itself as the UAE’s first restaurant to offer 75 dishes from 16 Indian states, Zordaar (which means “impressive”) is led by former MasterChef judge Ajay Chopra, who also opened Indikaya in Dubai earlier this year.
On the menu is everything from Delhi fried chicken, Kanyakumari coastal pulav, Kolkata and Goan-style fish dishes, to Hyderabadi biryani and Mumbai’s famed vada pav. Desserts include Mahabaleshwar strawberry cream and Ajmer kulfi.
Daily, 11am-midnight; Millennium Hotel, Al Barsha, Dubai
