February may already jam-packed with headline-worthy events such as the Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Music Festival, but the return of Dubai Food Festival (DFF) has added an extra zest to the city’s spirit. This two-week food paradise is a magnet for gourmands to munch their way through Dubai’s citywide menu of world-class cuisine. If you’re not sure what to expect, here’s a quick rundown of what's on call this DFF.
Follow the fireworks
Feel the heat this DFF in and out of the kitchen with spectacular fireworks across the city.
Bring the whole family to swyp Beach Canteen, DFF’s seaside food fiesta, for a day of food truck nibbles in a summer-style setting, and make sure to stay for the pyrotechnic display at 8:35pm.
When: 21 & 25 February, 1 & 9 March (8:35pm)
The Beach, JBR is like a year-round culinary carnival with its long strip of local eateries and international chains. Book at a table at any one of the waterfront restaurants or simply find a spot along the shore to catch scintillating fireworks display at 9pm.
When: 21 February, 1 & 8-9 March (9pm)
The 25th of February marks the 58th Kuwait National Day. Celebrating the fraternal bond between the two countries, Dubai Festival City Mall’s two-time world record-breaking show IMAGINE has designed an exclusive laser, light, fire and water show to celebrate the occasion with a side of equally eye-catching fireworks. Grab a table at one of Festival Bay’s waterfront eateries for the perfect vantage point.
When: 25 February (9pm)
Food for thought
There’s no time like now to change all you think you know about good cuisine. Many of the city’s leading restaurants have designed menus, tastings, masterclasses and unique experiences exclusive to DFF that will give you an appetite for the finer flavours in life. Here are a few to look out for, but click here for more of our top recommendations.
INKED, Dubai’s homegrown creative food curators, have created a dining experience that will have you questioning your taste buds all night long. Titled Out of the Blue, this one-of-a-kind Foodie Experience will take the dishes you deem familiar and present them in unimaginable ways.
Venture into unexplored territory onboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, Dubai’s first and only floating hotel, for an afternoon tea on the historic cruise liner’s bow. Take in the extraordinary sights of Dubai’s skyline and glittering waters of the Arabian Gulf while enjoying a spread of quintessential tea-time snacks.
Carnivores assemble for The Meat Co’s Ultimate Meat Masterclass. Sample multiple courses of sumptuous beef-based dishes while learning the fine details of the dishes before you – from cattle ageing know-how to ideal cooking temperatures.
Fun-filled delights
Dubai Food Festival doesn’t only happen in the charming interiors of restaurants. The previously mentioned swyp Beach Canteen is an outdoor extravaganza where the city’s top food concepts park their trucks upon the sandy shores of Jumeirah Beach. The venue is divided into specific zones – the food piazza, fitness zone and family-friendly area to name a popular few. Don't mistake this for an outdoor food court – at swyp Beach Canteen, you can sit in on interactive cooking workshops, hear from celebrity chefs and participate in exciting activities.
Wondering what’s on this year’s menu? Enjoy local bites by 3 Fils, design your own Japanese street waffles, devour chargrilled wings by Frings, scarf down fresh mini-doughnuts by DOH and much more. See you there!
