Team What's On pick their favourite things in the UAE right now

These are our favourite things in the UAE right now…

Enjoying a taste of the Mediterranean at… La Cantine Beach

New beach clubs are popping up all over Dubai at the minute, and it seems like there’s always a new one to check out. But one that’s recently opened and seriously wowed me is La Cantine Beach, which has taken over the Cove Beach space at Bluewaters. It’s got a sporty and chic aesthetic, with a pickleball court and a wooden gym deck on the beach. Not that I’m here to work out. It’s also got two pools – one family-friendly and one adults-only, a lovely bar on the beach where you can have drinks in the sand, and a beautifully breezy restaurant. I headed here for lunch last weekend, and it’s a masterclass of Mediterranean flavour, with citrusy ceviches, cooked-to-oder meats and seafood, and one of the best seabass dishes I’ve tried all year. I loved it so much – find me here again this weekend. – Alice Holtham-Pargin, Group Editor

@lacantinebeach

Snapping up some new pjs during the 11:11 sale on… Sketch

There’s really few things I love more than new pyjamas. Especially when I see them in a flash sale. So when Dubai-born Sketch had their lovely sets of personalised silk pyjamas on 30 per cent off last weekend, I had to get a pair. Having got married earlier this year, my initials recently changed, and so I’m slowly going through replacing all of my personalised pieces. And now that’s pyjamas ticked off. The sale may now be over – but they still have viscose and satin personalised sets in long and short styles in-stock. – Alice Holtham-Pargin, Group Editor

@sketchdubai_

Nervously watching… Gladiator II

There’s a lot a stake. Gladiator is one of my all time favourite movies and this sequel comes with a 25 year age gap, a director who is now 86 and the dreams of a Roman Empire obsessed resting on its toga’d shoulders. But is it any good, you’ll have to check out my review to find out what I thought, but I know you’re going to watch it anyway. On this weekend, or the next… –Miles Buckeridge, Deputy Editor Dubai

See it at @voxcinemas

Realising I’m slowly turning into… My father

My dear old dad passed away a few years ago – and you never fully recover from that. And that’s OK, I don’t think you’re really supposed to. I miss his advice, I miss his humour, I miss the way his story-telling skills could turn the reading of a salary SMS into a gripping drama. One thing I don’t miss however, sorry dad, are the summer maths gulags he subjected me to. “It’s the summer holiday, why do I have to do schoolwork?” Feels like a reasonable line of protest, but it washed away by the churning currents of “well you don’t want your brain to go soft over the holiday do you?” In truth I’d have been quite happy for my brain to go soft if it ment a few more minutes on the Sega Mega Drive or smashing plastic air balls through “jumpers for goal posts”. But now, as a father myself, I get it. I totally get it. I’ve spun on a dime. There has to be balance. I’ve just bought my son a Key Stage 2 maths book for (I’d argue more friendly version of) Maths Gulag 2.0. You were right dad. Once again, you were right. –Miles Buckeridge, Deputy Editor Dubai

Bashing some dunes with…The Nissan Patrol Nismo

While the Nissan Patrol is a long-cherished icon on the roads of the UAE, have you gotten behind the wheel of the Nismo version? The tuned, 5.6 V8 sports-luxury variant of this robust SUV is ideal whether you’re after pure power, setting off on a road trip, or like us, bashing some dunes on a weekday. Stay tuned, there’s more coming on that front…- Dinesh Ramanathan, Deputy Editor, What’s On Abu Dhabi

@nissanmiddleeast

Making headway on my holiday gifting list…with House of Noya

We’re nearly at that time of year when we celebrate the festive vibes by giving to those near and dear to us, but that also means wondering what would make the ideal gift. Someone that understood pointed me towards House of Noya’s Prima Collezione, the brand’s inaugural collection of fragrances. Scents such as Smoky Amber, Ode to Oud and Saffron Dream don’t just smell great, they’re also packaged beautifully. The ideal gift, and they also have a nice selection of scented candles. – Dinesh Ramanathan, Deputy Editor, What’s On Abu Dhabi

@houseofnoyaofficial

Spending time with Team What’s On out in the desert with… Noble Camp

We have quite a few team outings here at What’s On. Usually, we struggle to find an evening when all of us are free, but when it comes to the Christmas pyjama photoshoot, we all *make* time. This time, we ventured out in the desert with Noble Camp where we experienced an elevated Dubai Safari experience an hour (or more) away in the Al Aweer desert. We had fun laughing through the dune bashing with our very experienced driver to the camp, where we could get henna done, ride camels, and savour Arabic delights. We got into our Christmas pyjamas, had our celebrity red-carpet like moments, before we took our seats to tick into dinner and catch some wonderful performances, including an oud player, belly dancers and dabkha dancers. They saved the best for last because we still can’t stop thinking or talking about the fire dancers. As for the pyjama shoot, I won’t share any pictures right now – you can find it in the What’s On December 2024 issue, but they were from ‘By Jessica Lily’ and not only were they cute, but they were oh-so-comfy. –Aarti Saundalkar, Online Reporter  

@noble.adventure.uae @jessicalilydubai

Popping over to Mall of the Emirates to check out the all-new… Wicked pop-up

If you’re excited to catch the new Wicked film starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum, you have to check out the Wicked pop-up. VOX Cinemas Theatre Café has undergone a wicked transformation to get you excited about the movie. You can dine before the show, or head here after its over to extend your movie experience. Immerse yourself in the magical world of Oz through interactive experiences, movie-themed menu items, and exclusive photo opportunities with iconic characters Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. There’s even a Wicked afternoon tea experience you have to try. –Aarti Saundalkar, Online Reporter 

@voxcinemas

Taking a break at…Bab Al Shams

We all know. That’s all we can talk about. The season is insane. Q4 is Q4-ing like never before – we’re just trying to power through all the emails, festive listings, shoots, dinners, events and random phone calls. In the midst of this madness, a break was much-needed and well-deserved, and so my staycation at the all new Bab Al Shams desert pool villas was just what I needed. The resort is like a sanctuary, far away from the noise and crowd of the city and having a stunning private villa certainly helps. These villas have everything you could possibly need for a luxury getaway and with the weather getting better and an-out-this-world massage that put me to sleep immediately, I came back refreshed for a new week of madness. – Manaal Fatimah, Junior Reporter

@babalshamshotel

Having a cheeky night out at… Soul Kitchen

I love Soul Kitchen – it’s got that young and cool vibe I desire to embody in my life, so when we were invited for their jazz night, you best believe I’m going. Not only was the music incredible, with a live band and everything, the food was also amazing, as always, with their inventive Latin-Middle Eastern fare and mixology for days. We dressed up, threw on some heels and had a wonderful time. I would recommend you do the same. It’s good for health. – Manaal Fatimah, Junior Reporter

@soulkitchendubai

Media: Instagram, What’s On Archive