For Drinks and an atmosphere in Dubai Media City: Q43

Restaurant name and location: Q43, Media One Hotel in Dubai Media City

Cuisine: Japanese/European tapas style
Atmosphere: Packed, and happening with a British expat young crowd.
What they say: Dubai’s most un pretentious seating and table arena arrives at Q43. The best seats in the house with the affordable knowledge that its not going to break the bank. With stunning views across the Palm, Dubai marina, and the added comfort of a Chesterfield sofa, the lounge will surely become the place you want to be seated and seen. Arrive early people. You have been warned.
Relaxed after work. Epic at night.

What to order:
-Quinoa salad with Avocado (for a starter)
-Sushi (their hummus and chicken was nice for a change)
-Schezuan chicken and jasmine rice (in between a Chinese and Thai dish)
-Chocolate Foundant (a dessert winner!)

Service: Great – Mafey, our waitress was adorable and made sure we always had what we needed.

What I loved:
-The hip interiors, including the graffiti toilets!
-Pool tables are available for games, if you’re not up to dance or sit down on a table!

What I didn’t love as much:
-Most dishes came out cold, which makes the plates more average than they probably were.

Bill for two: AED350

Contact details: http://www.q43dubai.com

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Dinner & Show experience: Pacha Ibiza

Restaurant name and location: Pacha, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Atmosphere: hip and cool, a classier crowd than you would see out in a club.
What they say: Pacha, the club that has enchanted the world since 1967, confirms the continuation of its story with the opening of Pacha Ibiza Dubai at the Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Set over three floors, Pacha Ibiza Dubai will comprise The Main Room, The Red Room and The Rooftop, representing one of the most anticipated venue openings.

The Main Room, located on the ground floor, will be open seven days a week showcasing a restaurant with spectacular live shows, evolving into a nightlife experience with house music from the world’s best DJ’s. With it’s high quality Pan-Asian inspired cuisine, top shelf beverages, and a dynamic, theatrical show of acrobats, dancers and singers from around the world, The Main Room is set to be a sensory extravaganza. The Red Room is found on the mezzanine level and will be active five days a week: Providing funk and alternative music genres. The Pacha Ibiza Rooftop, offering dynamic views over Dubai’s skyline, is an outdoor lounge concept playing soulful, lounge and deep house sounds with modern Moorish food from a raw bar and robata grill. In true Pacha spirit, the musical direction will host world-class visiting DJ’s, but will also maintain a strong focus on respecting local talent who contribute so much towards the scene enhancing the vision for Dubai as an artistic and cultural hub.
What to order:
-Vegetable dumplings
-Spinach Quinoa salad (light, refreshing and crispy)
-Chicken coconut curry (this was delicious – I loved the coconut sauce paired with steamed jasmine rice)

Service: Our waitress was always around and ready to serve, which is appreciated – especially during a show!

What I loved:
-The franchise of the famed Ibiza hangout in Dubai!
-The show experience, which comes on every 10-30 minutes – it felt similar to the Act with more nightlife, rather than theatrical (make sure to ask for a table around the stage for a good view!)
-Don’t even leave after the show! Have drinks or shish at the rooftop bar, or if you’re in the mood for clubbing, the restaurant turns into a full on club.
-The crowd was very different to your typical Dubai crowd, which was refreshing.
-They do have some of the best cocktails – especially their rosewater martini.

What I didn’t love as much:
-Being a Mochi fan, I was deeply disappointed in Pacha’s Mochi dessert. The outside was not chewy at all, hard and stale with melted ice cream inside.
-The website is very difficult to understand, which I hope is something they’ll be working on.

Bill for two: AED800 without alcohol

Contact details: www.pacha.ae

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For a Garden setting in the middle of the city: Royal China

 

Ideal for… an outdoor city view over drinks and Chinese food

Restaurant name and location: Royal China, DIFC, Dubai
Cuisine: Chinese
Atmosphere: It seems to be a favourite amongst the not-so-typical DIFC crowd, there was an intimate Art dinner happening on that night.
What they say: Royal China has always been famous for its traditional Dim-sum. These delicately handmade little parcels of tasty delights originated from Canton in China. It is now recognized worldwide as a major Chinese Cuisine. Our Dim-sum is prepared on a daily basis by a team of dedicated Dim-sum chefs using always the best available ingredients on offer. These intricate skills are learnt from masters. All Dim-sums are freshly steamed or fried only after the customer places their order.
Under the watchful eyes of award winning executive head chef Man Yuk Cheung, our teams of chefs are instructed to leave nothing to chance. Always work diligently and treating their food with full respect. Using traditional ingredients and skills Royal China has repeatedly created countless seasonal dishes to popular acclaim. Royal China has several branches around the World. All our restaurants are managed to the same high standard. But like all our chefs, each has their own individual characteristic.

What to order: We had cocktails and light bites – I would highly recommend the dumplings (they were on point and perfect), beef with black bean sauce and their vegetable noodles.
Service: Very sweet staff that took care of us throughout the night.

What I loved:
-We sat in their newly launched Garden, which has a very romantic as well as an intimate feel. Feels like a garden with tables and little lights overlooking the modern DIFC buildings.
Bill for two: around AED400

Contact details: http://www.royalchinadubai.com