Dubai Food Festival is an annual citywide culinary fair that represents the Emirate’s emergence as a gastronomy destination through a series of new trends, chefs, cooking classes, and many other exciting activities dedicated to this foodie event. For 18 days, the festival offers such special editions as Dubai Restaurant Week, Etisalat Beach Canteen, Hidden Gems, Foodie Experiences, and Taste of Dubai.
⠀⠀Dubai Restaurant Week: March 5 – 14
Being held annually, Dubai Restaurant Week provides its guests an opportunity to enjoy exclusively curated two- and three-course set menus starting from AED 150 for dinner or AED 75 for lunch. This year, the line-up of most sought-after restaurants will include:
• Al Nafoorah, Emirates Towers⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀• Khaymat Al Bahar⠀⠀⠀⠀• Bull & Bear⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Pierchic
• Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Trattoria Toscana⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Puerto 99⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Kizmet
• The MAINE Street Eatery⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Hotel Cartagena⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀• La Parrilla⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • BOHO
• Kinara by Vikas Khanna⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ • Roberto’s Dubai⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ • Atelier M⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Scalini
• Chicago Meatpackers⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Phoenicia at JBR⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Rockfish⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • LOWE
• Un Dimanche à Paris⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ • Bā – Boldy Asian⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀• Prime68⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Kayto
• Bread Street Kitchen⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ • Hell’s Kitchen⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀• Pai Thai⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • COYA
• Phoenicia at Jebel Ali⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀• Bleu Blanc⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Royale⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • 3BK
• Paru by Akira Back ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀• Alta Badia⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Taikun⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Rue
⠀⠀Etisalat Beach Canteen
Jumeirah Beach will become a culinary hotspot, showcasing the wealth of homegrown concepts from across the UAE. There, guests can participate in free cooking demos, gaming competitions, try some goodies from food trucks, visit pop-up shops, enjoy live music on the beach, see stunning seaside fireworks, and many others. To check all zones, food, programming, and schedule updated info, you can visit the Etisalat Beach Canteen website.
⠀⠀Hidden Gems
Everyone is invited to vote for their favorite venues, shining a well-deserved spotlight on the city’s lesser-known food treasures with numerous culinary Hidden Gems. Each of the 20 winners will receive AED 500 and a Zomato Gold membership to use on dine-ins; also for those who have a special Hidden Gems passport at the first visit and after dining at five on the list and getting stamps at each, there is a chance to win a fabulous five-star staycation. You can vote for your best restaurant here.
⠀⠀Foodie Experiences
This edition will continue to teach how to cook up, including masterclasses from top chefs, themed tours, workshops with nutritionists, exclusive tasting menus, and many other activities.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Masterclasses:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Dining experience:
Vegan dessert cooking course at Culinary Boutique⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tapas at BOCA
Food&photo tour ‘Unseen Trails’ at Naif, Old Dubai⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Dinner at Mirzam Chocolate
Classes from Margarita at MasterChef Restaurant⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Dessert cravings at BRIX dessert
Food styling photo-workshop at Gulf Photo Plus⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Dining at BB Social Dining, DIFC
Charlotte Tilbury Tea at Penrose Lounge, DIFC⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Al Marmoom Bedouin Experience
Healthy highlights at LAO, Waldorf Astoria⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Dinner under the stars at Al Fahidi
Insta-worthy dining at Tresind Studio⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀1920s-style dinner at Paramount Hotel
Chinese cooking class at Zhen Wei⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Tasting tour and dinner at Emirates Bio Farm
Chef series at Culinary Boutique⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Holistic food and wellness at The Retreat Palm
Sushi masterclass at Wakame
Italian classics at Cleo’s Table⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You can book any dining & masterclasses here.
⠀⠀Taste of Dubai
As a part of the Dubai Food Festival, this edition will include exquisite restaurant food, tasting sessions, cookery workshops, discussions, and live entertainment with world-class celebrity chefs showcasing their cooking art and sharing some culinary top tips. Tickets are available here.
⠀⠀Dubai Food Festival Fireworks Nights:
27 February – Etisalat Beach Canteen, 08:30 PM
6 March – Dubai Festival City Mall, 08:30 PM
13 March – The Pointe Palm, 08:30 PM
14 March – Etisalat Beach Canteen, 08:30 PM
Organized by: Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM)
Venue: citywide
Ticket price: free festival entry / from AED 65
Admission: 10:00 AM