The capital’s very first Taste of Abu Dhabi event launches on Thursday, November 6 and runs for three days at du Arena on Yas Island. If you love food, this is a festival you don’t want to miss. Here’s how to make the most of it.
Get a ticket
Wednesday, November 5 is your last day to get advance tickets. Standard tickets are Dh65; Dh80 at the door. VIP tickets are Dh170; Dh190 at the door. Food and beverages inside the festival are an additional cost. Dishes range between Dh15 and Dh30 each. Outside food and drink are not allowed. The festival starts on Thursday, November 6, from 4pm to 11pm; Friday from noon to 11pm; and Saturday from noon to 10pm.
Go hungry
Tour the restaurant stalls. There will be 18 restaurants from Abu Dhabi serving up signature dishes throughout the festival. Find out what’s on offer first before buying. You don’t want to fill up before you find the stall that sells banoffee pie. There will also be about 50 vendors on site offering free samples of their goods. Vendors include Love Doughnuts, Hey Sugar, Sushi Central, Go Organic ME, The Green Ecostore and the kitchenware specialists Flint and Flame.
Find a chef
Chefs will put on live cooking demonstrations at the Chefs' Theatre throughout the festival. It's a great opportunity to see the chefs in action as they whip up their favourite fare during entertaining tutorials. There will be a Q and A session at the end of each demonstration. Find the schedule for the Chefs' Theatre online at www.tasteabudhabi.com/whats-on/chefs-theatre
Get some tips
Make a beeline for the festival's Cookery School where you can participate in interactive sessions with your favourite chefs. Check out the schedule and make a list of who you want to cook with before you head to the festival. The cookery school is free and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration starts 30 minutes prior to each session. The schedule for the cookery school is online at www.tasteabudhabi.com/whats-on/cookery-school.
Bring the kids
Taste of Abu Dhabi offers both a Kids’ Zone and a tent where families can relax together. For the kids there are trampolines, a bungee swing, a bouncy slide, electric train, arts and crafts and a soft play area. Activities include pizza-making and cookie-decorating, as well as a princess spa zone. Kids under 12 get in free.
Be entertained
On Thursday night at 8pm, cast members from the Broadway production of Jersey Boys will perform a celebration of the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The entertainment stage will host several performances throughout the festival, including the South African band 4TheMusic, McGettigan's house bands, the Virgin Radio Roadshow, plus various DJs. There will also be a Street Theatre Festival, featuring roaming performers across all three days.
