Dean Wilkins
Dean Wilkins
Sub-editor


StreetXO's interiors are a mishmash of avant-garde art galleries, Victorian smoking lounges and somewhere people wake up in Saw films. Photo: StreetXO
StreetXO review: Punk rock, tapas and kitchen lawlessness

Mohawked Dabiz Munoz is more like a conductor achieving rock star status with a knife and vegetables

July 06, 2024, 12:06 PM
Paco Morales shows off his Spanish restaurant's three-star pedigree with beautifully plated dishes in Dubai. Photo: Qabu
Restaurant of the week: Andalusian chef puts Arab past on a plate in Dubai

Paco Morales's haute cuisine history lesson is a dinner for the ages

July 05, 2024, 6:02 PM
Dean Wilkins will celebrate his first Father's Day this year as a dad. Dean Wilkins / The National
From toilet cleaner to chip fryer, how life prepared me for my first Father's Day

As a childless bachelor, I feigned interest as parents groaned about the woes of having children. But now I've joined the club

June 21, 2024, 6:02 PM
Dubai's art district Alserkal Avenue is always popular, though visiting in summer is a much quieter affair. Photo: Rana Begum / Alserkal
I found the cheapest way to go on a summer holiday - don't book one

This year, here's why I’ll be choosing pennies in the pocket instead of paying the price of overtourism, soaring demand and staff on strike

June 07, 2024, 6:02 PM
Full English breakfasts traditionally include eggs, sausages, bacon, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast and a hot tea. Getty Images
Are Gen Z right, is the full English breakfast toast?

Classic fry-up has lost its sizzle among younger diners but, as a millennial, I'm with the boomers

May 24, 2024, 7:19 AM
Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi offers adult-only bliss and is perfect for romantic getaways and weekend escapes. Photo: Anantara Santorini
From bed to beach in 17 steps at Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi

Adults-only venue offers ultimate relaxation and excellent cuisine, and turns out to be perfect escape for a blissful babymoon

April 24, 2024, 2:22 PM
Abu Dhabi's Yas Island offers plenty of greenery, quiet roads and excellent restaurants. Alamy
I loved living in Dubai but now I'm sold on Abu Dhabi

Growing neighbourhoods, cheaper rents and less traffic – my first six months in the capital

April 19, 2024, 6:02 PM
In only two years, Temu has become one of the world's most popular e-commerce platforms. Getty Images
Is Temu worth buying from? Yes, says my bank account

While it’s fashionable to cry ‘spyware’, I’m a bona fide bargain hunter and the app lets me shop like a billionaire

April 04, 2024, 5:08 AM
Airbnb listings in Dubai have doubled since 2021. Photo: Airbnb
What it's like to be an Airbnb host – by a six-year veteran

Dubai’s short-term let market is booming, but anyone hoping to join in should be prepared

March 29, 2024, 10:15 AM
Banksy painted Apple founder Steve Jobs at the entrance of the Calais migrant camp in December 2015. AP
Finding a Banksy first is magic – but I fluffed my chance at glory

His latest piece in London is grabbing headlines almost a decade after I unknowingly discovered one with the artist roaming nearby

March 19, 2024, 11:04 AM
Lobster on top of layers of filo pastry, one of the golden dishes at Varq
Fine-dining Indian restaurant Varq serves gold-standard menu

Reinvention is the spice of life, as the chefs at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa The Palm prove

February 20, 2024, 4:40 AM
The Mediterranean beckons: Mika's European-style interiors lead onto a waterside terrace in Yas Marina. Photo: Mika
Restaurant of the week: Live the Mediterranean high life at a ludicrously low cost

Sunset dinners and one of the city's best dishes for Dh40 make this Yas Marina venue a must

February 16, 2024, 6:02 PM
Samegarei fish is one of 17 delicate and dainty dishes on the menu at Row on 45. Photo: Row on 45
TV chef's Dubai restaurant breaks into 50 Best list in four months

This isn't merely fine dining, this is blow-your-mind dining at the British chef's latest Dubai restaurant

February 14, 2024, 7:37 AM
Flamingo Room by tashas is one of three venues at the group's newest addition in the UAE capital. Photo: Flamingo Collection
Restaurant of the week: Grandma chic at the Flamingo Collection

Made-for-Instagram interiors meet retro recipes – and don’t miss the lemon tart

January 19, 2024, 6:02 PM
Drummond Money-Coutts is performing his street magic-style routines at a theatre for the first time. Photo: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
DMC: My Abu Dhabi show puts the magic back into the craft

Netflix star Drummond Money-Coutts sits down with The National as his Abu Dhabi residency takes off with head-scratching card routines, mentalism and prediction, which involve the whole audience

December 15, 2023, 3:45 AM