Dubai Food Festival: not-to-be-missed events

Free meals for kids; dining with celebrity chefs; bargain prices at top restaurants; and meeting chefs from Fatafeat TV are just a few of the events happening at Dubai Food Festival.

Kids eat Free promotion at Chez Sushi. Courtesy Dubai Food Festival

Extras: kids eat free and chance to Dine with the Stars

On Saturday, February 27, 50 restaurants in Dubai will give kids a free three-course meal when they’re accompanied by a paying adult. With choices from a wide range of cuisines, it will be easy to find a place that suits both kids and grown-ups. Tortuga in Mina A’Salam, Noodle House, Trattoria Toscana in Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Chez Sushi and California Pizza Kitchen are just a few of the restaurants taking part. For a full list of participating restaurants, visit dubaifoodfestival.com/kids-dine-free-promo.

The festival will offer a unique opportunity for foodies to dine with celebrity chefs. The two-day Dine with the Stars event will be in the Armani Pavilion inside the Armani Hotel. On Thursday, February 25, guests can book an evening with chef Manal Al Alem, also known as the Queen of the Arabian Kitchen. She will serve a three-course menu while sharing personal stories about her life and love of food. Dh549 per person. On Friday, February 26 foodies will have the chance to dine with five of Australia’s most well-known chefs: Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, Matt Moran, Manu Feildel and Shannon Bennett. Guests will be served five courses with each course prepared by a different chef. The chefs will share personal stories about their life with food throughout the evening. Dh849 per person.

For reservations, call 04 201 7663. or visit dubaifoodfestival.com/event/dine-with-the-stars

Restaurant Week: Dine in Dubai for less

The festival will introduce Dubai’s first restaurant week on Friday, February 26. For 10 days, diners will get to experience a three-course meal in some of Dubai’s best upscale restaurants for just Dh189.

The goal of the discount pricing during the festival is to give foodies the opportunity to dine in several upscale restaurants across the emirate without breaking the bank. Venues on the list include Zheng He’s, Atelier M, Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, The Hide, JW’s Steakhouse, Okku and Social by Heinz Beck.

“Dubai Restaurant Week is an amazing concept,” says Maurizio Bosetti, executive chef of Atelier M. “The week offers pleasure, fun and amazing food. It will give local food aficionados and visitors a great opportunity to discover restaurants in Dubai.”

Executive development chef Nicholas Cuadrado, from The Hide, agrees. He says: “Restaurant week gives people the chance to stay within a budget but try something new at a restaurant they may not have visited before or a cuisine they want to try.” The restaurant week concept started in New York City in the early 1990s and has since enjoyed great success in cities across the United States. This is Dubai’s first restaurant week – but we’re betting it won’t be the last.

For a complete list of participating restaurants and to book a reservation, visit dubaifoodfestival.com/event/dubai-restaurant-week

Meet 10 chefs from the food channel Fatafeat

The popular Fatafeat kitchen event returns to this year’s festival for two days in The Dubai Mall at Galeries Lafayette. The event is an opportunity for food lovers to meet 10 chefs regularly seen on Fatafeat television, including Syrian Mohamed Orfali, Egyptian Tarek Ibrahim, Kuwaiti Waffaa Al Kandari and Lebanese chef Layla Fathalla. There will also be two international chefs at this year’s event – Turkish chef Arda Turkmen and Italian-American chef Lidia Bastianich. They will host live cooking demonstrations where they’ll share their culinary tips and secrets across both days. They will also host tastings, meet and greets, competitions, question and answer sessions, and more. Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27, 2.30pm to 9.30pm. Free.