From new openings and special dishes to updated menus, here's what is new in the UAE's food scene this week.
Trattoria launches limited-time artistic dishes
The Italian restaurant at Souk Madinat Jumeirah will serve two dishes per week, until Saturday, November 28, inspired by the artists showcased at Dubai’s newly opened Theatre of Digital Art.
This week, guests can dig into the Van Gogh (Dh65), a dish of potato millefoglie with veal bacon, onion petals and sour cream, available until Saturday, October 31. The team has created a sunflower design with the potatoes and onions to pay tribute to the artist's famous painting series. Also on offer until Saturday is the Wassily Kandinsky (Dh30) a strawberry panna cotta, inspired by Kandinsky's Squares with Concentric Circles.
Georges Seurat (Dh60) is a vegetable tart with Gorgonzola cheese sauce, inspired by the painting Farm Women at Work. It will be available from Sunday to Saturday, November 1 to November 7.
Also available that week is the Robert Delaunay (Dh70), a beef carpaccio with root vegetables and Parmesan fondue, plated to mimic Delaunay’s strong colours and geometric shapes.
From Sunday to Saturday, November 8 to November 14, feast on the Edvard Munch (Dh95) Italian salted cod with black squid ink and red and yellow bell peppers. The colours of the dish are reminiscent of the sunset in Munch's famous painting The Scream. The Juan Gris (Dh80) risotto, cooked in whey and dry spices, is an ode to Gris's Cubist style.
Between Sunday to Saturday, November 15 to November 21, sample the Paul Klee (Dh80), a dish of tuna tataki with squid ink, tomato coulis and yellow bell pepper, the vibrant colours of which mimic Klee's artworks, which were influenced by Expressionism, Cubism and Surrealism. Also available that week is the Claude Monet (Dh40), a green pea veloute with a soft-boiled egg and herb salad, inspired by The Luncheon, Monet's painting featuring a family lunch scene.
Children eat for free at The Galleria Al Maryah Island
The mall in Abu Dhabi has brought back its Kids Eat Free campaign starting this week, with more than 20 restaurants and dessert parlours offering a complimentary meal for children upon the purchase of every adult meal.
The offer is valid from Sunday to Thursday at outlets including La Brioche, Blaze Pizza, Taqado, Nolu’s, Eat Greek, Bombay Canteen, Royal Orchid, Sushi Art, Tortilla, Biryani Pot, LPM Restaurant & Bar, Raising Cane’s and Charley’s.
To further sweeten the deal, families can also get a free dessert with a regular menu item from Wonderbee, Joga, Loca, Shake Shack, Pinkberry, Coffee Hat and Maison Samira Maatouk.
Jones the Grocer is coming to West Palm Beach
Jones the Grocer will throw open the doors to its first waterfront, pet-friendly cafe on Dubai’s latest beachfront promenade, West Palm Beach, Palm Jumeirah, next month.
The space is strewn with beanbags, and also features a wood-fired oven, beach bar, pastry and sandwich counter, and cheese and charcuterie walls.
Known for its fresh flavours and artisanal ingredients, Jones at the Palm will serve what it calls “sunshine food” – from wood-fired peri peri octopus and Fraser Island spanner crab sliders to delicious surf and turf options. Plus signature dishes such as Wagyu burger, garlic and chilli linguine and chargrilled chicken harissa.
Rosewood Abu Dhabi introduces Wood & Fire menu
Cashing in on the cooler weather, Rosewood Abu Dhabi has launched a Wood & Fire dining experience at its open-air restaurant Glo. Chef Jaka Akbary and his team will use firewood, and American and Komodo pressure grills to cook the a la carte menu that features smoky flavours and dishes such as Jimbaran-style red snapper, lamb rump, short rib, lobster and a 12-hour-smoked beef brisket. The dining space will be connected to the cold preparation bar, where chefs will also shuck oysters, prepare fresh lobster and whip up salads.
Maritime-inspired restaurant opens in Ras Al Khaimah
Nautical-themed venue Anchor Brew & Grill has set up sail at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Ras Al Khaimah.
The upscale sports bar features exposed brick walls, cosy booths, television screens playing sports and a games area with dart boards, and foosball and pool tables.
On the menu is gastropub fare, such as signature ribs prepared in a wood-burning stove and paired with home-made sauces, Buffalo wings, nachos, fish ‘n’ chips and steak. To celebrate its launch, diners will get a 50 per cent discount on the bill until Saturday, October 31.
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Racecard
2pm Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m
2.30pm Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m
3pm Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
3.30pm Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m
4pm Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
4.30pm Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m
5pm Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
5.30pm Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m
The National selections:
2pm Arch Gold
2.30pm Conclusion
3pm Al Battar
3.30pm Golden Jaguar
4pm Al Motayar
4.30pm Tapi Sioux
5pm Leadership
5.30pm Dahawi
Race card:
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; 2,200m
7.40pm: Conditions; Dh240,000; 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 2,000m
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed; Dh265,000; 1,200m
9.25pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; 1,600m
10pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 1,400m
Naga
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How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
