This was my first time at Boulevard Kitchen, Manzil Downtown Dubai’s chic, Arabesque cafe-style diner. Every Friday, the restaurant does a very elaborate buffet-style brunch which starts at AED 195 per person.

The menu is very Mediterranean, yet apart from the delicious fare, the experience as a whole was uniquely memorable for a number of reasons.

Operation Falafel is on a serious gastronomic mission. This spunky eatery is aiming to reintroduce the flavors of Arabic street food, in the guise of a contemporary dining experience. What’s more, they operate 24/7! Ever faced a serious case of falafel or shawarma cravings at odd hours into the night? Fret not, Operation Falafel is here to the rescue 🙂

Operation Falafel review The Beach JBR Dubai food blogger the tezzy files (10)
“Our mission is to revive the amazing dishes our ancestors perfected, & serve them to each and every one of YOU so say hello to the authentic stuff, and JOIN THE CAUSE!” – Operation Falafel.

Busaba Eathai was conceptualized and created by Alan Yau in 1999 in Soho, London. This contemporary Thai eatery entered the Dubai foodie scene about two years ago, and is the only Thai restaurant on The Beach, JBR.

Busaba Eathai The Beach JBR Dubai Thai restaurant review The Tezzy Files Dubai Food Lifestyle Blogger (17)

The name ‘Busaba‘ was inspired by a flower in Thailand (and is also a very popular girls’ name!), while the word ‘Eathai‘ is a fusion of the words eat and Thai. We went to ‘Eathai‘ at Busaba last week post the unprecedented UAE rains, and had the most memorable lunch.

Hola! What are you doing this Friday? Fancy a tapas-style lunch loaded with Spanish flavors? Add to it an endless flow of beverages, including a very spiked up Sangria, in a very friendly, festive ambiance with live music to boot. Here’s introducing Citimax Bur Dubai’s Huddle Bar Friday Tapas Brunch. If that isn’t enough to grab your attention, surely the pricing will have you floored… It costs a mere AED 99 per person for all you can eat and drink (inclusive of alcoholic beverages) between 12 noon to 4 pm 🙂

Huddle Bar Citimax Bur Dubai Friday Tapas Brunch review AED 99 all you can eat and drink alcohol Spanish bar sports bar live music (17)

Walking into Tribeca is like getting whirled into the maddening genius of the rabbit’s hole from Alice in Wonderland. Located on the first floor of Ocean View Hotel (JBR, Dubai), Tribeca is a “little slice of the big apple”. Conceptualized and created in 2003, Tribeca is the brainchild of a New York-returned chef who found a niche for hearty American grub in Glasgow. Ofcourse, every successfully delicious international chain has to be imported into the Dubai foodie scene, and here we have Tribeca – New York madness created in the suburbia of Glasgow!

tribeca dubai

The opulence of St. Regis Dubai manages to take my breath away every time. The cobbled driveway lined with vintage street lamps transports me to the romantic era of horse-drawn carriages and corsets. The magnificence of the palatial-style facade is further enhanced when stepping into the marbled floors of the lobby. The spiraling stairway, gilded with retro glam, frames a larger than life chandelier, an epitome of luxury that would be so apt for the scenes of The Great Gatsby.

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This time round, I was lunching at Brasserie Quartier, St. Regis’ decadently French all-day cafe, diner and bar.

Located on the 47th floor of Emirates Grand Hotel with panoramic views of the Dubai skyline, Tal Al Amar is a hidden gem for authentic Lebanese cuisine at very reasonable rates.

We had the pleasure of being invited for a tasting in late January, and were very impressed with the variety of dishes on offer.

Dusty’s is DIFC’s ‘newest kid on the block’. Conceptualized and created by the very talented young foodie Dusty Tourani, the self-named gastro-bar is a compilation of his favorite dishes from around the globe.

Dusty's by Dusty Tourani DIFC Dubai food review (27)
Dusty’s Est 1988 actually opened its doors in June 2015. 1988 is Dusty Tourani’s year of birth 🙂

 

Born in Singapore to Indian socialite couple Mahesh and Rekha Tourani, Dusty is an amalgamation of many foodie influences. After completing high-school in Dubai, Dusty moved to the States. He was studying in the East Coast, and his brother was on the West. The two would meet up midway in New York, and this opened up a whole new world of gastronomic experiences to Dusty.

Conceptualized and created by well-known (and rather controversial) Italian restaurateur Paolo Roberto Rella, TRE is an Italian fine-dining restaurant located in Nassima Hotel (Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai).

TRE is ‘three’ in Italian, and the restaurant gets its name from the fact that it is divided into 3 separate levels, and spans from the 49th to the 51st floor. The first (or rather, 49th floor) is the dining area for foodies. It has a more casual restaurant vibe allowing for families and friends to socialize over great food and spectacular views of Dubai. It is the only floor at TRE where children are allowed.

The 50th floor is a lounge bar, complete with a resident DJ and an impressive array of Mediterranean-inspired tapas. The 51st floor is a sound-proofed cigar lounge with live jazz performances and soft rock.

Here I am, back at my office desk after an indulgently good 3-day weekend. The last three days have been brimming with Christmas cheer, delicious treats and over-sleeping.

On Christmas eve, we crawled out of bed just past noon, and had a major craving for a hearty brunch. Being avid foodies, both Hubby and I were game on trying out a completely new place. We’ve heard many good things about Crumble All Day Eatery (aka Crumble Café), and decided to drive down to check them out.

Crumble Cafe All Day Eatery review Dubai food blog blogger zomato (22)