11 new and reopening restaurants in Dubai to check out this week

Foodies, assemble…

Dubai’s restaurant scene is heating up with a string of exciting new restaurants, beach clubs and supper clubs opening their doors for the new season. From returning favourites bringing alfresco fun to our shores, to exciting homegrown and international hotspots, here are 11 new and reopening restaurants to check out this week.

New: Gigi Rigolatto

The first venue at J1 Beach is St Tropez hotspot, Gigi Rigolatto, and it’s now welcoming guests.At the beach club’s 5,000 square meter space, guests dine on an Italian menu which can be enjoyed indoors or out on one of two picture-perfect terraces. As for its interiors, a timeless and enchanting atmosphere has been created, complete with lush green foliage. The beach club features plush lougers, as well as four VIP cabanas: Ischia, Ponza, Capri and Elba, perfect for a more exclusive day out. A pretty Mediterranean garden and inviting pool complete the experience. Gigi Rigolatto is also home to a Bellini bar, where you can enjoy this signature tipple in classic and reinterpreted forms; and a charming concept store selling a curated array of pieces.

Gigi Rigolatto, J1 Beach, pool 10am to sunset, restaurant 12pm to 6pm and 8pm to 1am. Tel: (0)4 558 2067 @gigi_beach_dubai

New: The Spaniel

Traditional British brasserie, The Spaniel, is the newest addition to the dining scene at Bluewaters. This quintesentially British gastropub is cosy, two-floor space complete with a roaring fireplace, where you can enjoy the best of British flavours – including a classic Sunday roast. On the culinary front, former Marina Social head chef Will Stanyer has a passion for reinterpreting British classics, so expect fun and flavourful twists on Welsh Rarebit, beef wellington, and sticky toffee pudding. With a licensed bar, a premium beer selection, and live sports, it’s the perfect spot for a laid-back family meal or a fun night out.

The Spaniel, The Wharf, Bluewaters Island, daily 12pm to 11pm. Tel: (0)4 554 3728. @thespanieldxb

New: Adaline

From Fundamental Hospitality, the creators of Gaia, Shanghai Me, and Alaya in DIFC, Adaline is a sultry supper club now open in DIFC, blending traditional Italian cuisine with a roster of live music. Oozing old school glamour, it’s a vibrant social spot to see and be seen in DIFC’s Gate Village. With glamorous marble, velvet and gold elements to the aesthetic, it’s divided between a relaxed and refined lounge, and a more formal restaurant, where tables are neatly arranged around the stage. During dinner service, the music provides a thematic backdrop to the dining experience. But once dinner is over, the music goes up and the lights go down, with Adaline transforming into a glittering spot for dancing the night away. Note, there’s a strict no-cameras policy, so put your phones away.

New: La Serre

La Serre’s story began in Dubai, with the homegrown French restaurant serving as a top choice for Downtown dining for a decade. While that La Serre is no longer, the beloved French restaurant has found a new home at C2 serving its beloved Parisian-style flair, hearty dishes, and organic ingredients from breakfast to business lunch and beyond. In the chic and smart two-floor restaurant, guests can look forward to living out their best Emily In Paris life, sitting at cosy bistro tables, and ordering dishes from the all-day breakfast menu, or classically French fare like escargot, La Serre Bourguignon and cordon bleu.

La Serre, C2, City Walk, 8am to 12am weekdays, 8am to 2am weekends. Tel: (0)4 320 2201. @laserreuae

New: The Lighthouse

Perennially popular The Lighthouse is a firm favourite in D3 and Yas Bay, and now the brand is adding a third licensed location to its UAE portfolio. The Lighthouse has now opened a licensed eatery in Dubai Hills, serving as a more upscale sister restaurant to the original in D3. Promising a self-described ‘elevated dining and social experience’, guests can grab a drink in the bar, where you’ll find a mix of high tables and cosy lounges; or opt for a full restaurant experience, where a selection of Mediterranean-style dishes is paired with an exclusive cocktail menu. As is customary at this community-driven brand, we can look forward to unique experiences, including wine tastings, book readings, and other events.

The Lighthouse, Dubai Hills Business Park, 12pm to 12am Sun to Thurs, 12pm to 1am Fri and Sat. @thelighthouse_ae

New: Chinawhite

Opening this week on the rooftop of the Radisson Resort Palm Jumeirah is Chinawhite Skypool. If the name sounds familiar, it might be because you know the storied nightclub from London, which regularly hosted A-Listers in the late 2000s and early 2010s. While that nightclub may now be closed, the party spot does still exist in Manchester and Birmingham, with Dubai marking its first daytime clubbing experience. Replacing what was Tonino Lamborghini Mare Nostrum, it will bring both a pool club and alfresco restaurant to the city, the modern space is finished in sleek white, with pops of red, yellow and blue adding some welcome colour to the rooftop spot. True to its brand DNA, guests can expect a regular rotation of resident and guest DJs.

Chinawhite Skypool, Radisson Resort Palm Jumeirah, opening October. @chinawhiteskypooldubai 

New: Gatsby

Dust off your feathers and get ready to don your sequins, a roaring twenties party restaurant is coming to Dubai. Known and loved in Barcelona for its incredible dinner shows inspired by the Great Gatsby, Gatsby is set to open on Palm Jumeirah this October. Reservations for the new hotspot, located on the West Rooftop of Nakheel Mall are now open from Friday October 18, with seatings for the restaurant from 8.30pm and reservations for the club from 12am. Gatsby Dubai will open from Wednesday to Sunday. When it does open, diners can look forward to dining on dishes such as seared duck foie gras, wagyu ravioli, dry aged Porterhouse steak, and an Instagrammable cherry sphere dessert.

Gatsby Dubai, Rooftop West, Nakheel Mall, 8.30pm to late, Weds to Sun. @gatsby_dxb

New: Rose Bar

An icon of the original Delano hotel in Miami, it made sense for the new Delano Dubai to house its own iteration of this glittering bar. Now welcoming guests on the ground floor of the BLuewaters hotel, Rose Bar is an intimate, rose-hued space with crimson velvet curtains, a sparkling chandelier, and a quartz-topped bar. A cocktail menu and glamorous yet unpretentious character awaits, with mixology signatures including the Hanky Panky, a mix of gin, Fernet Branca and Rose Bar’s signature vermouth; and Miami Vice(s), which pays homage to the bar’s origins. To pair, bar snacks are playful, salty and sweet, with options including lobster and crab brioche and the Rose bar club sandwich.

Rose Bar, Delano Dubai, Bluewaters, daily 6pm to 2am. @rosebardubai

New: Ren

An elevated Nikkei dining experience from the Sushi Library team, Ren is the newest addition to the culinary landscape at Grand Plaza Movenpick Media City. Promising a fusion of Japanese and Latin American flavours, the menu pairs sharing plates of Izakaya bites, gyozas, signature rolls and robata grills, with a colourful array of cocktails and a sultry, vibrant atmosphere. The decor is sleek and sophisticated – and there’s even a private karaoke room, so when you’ve dined your way through the menu, you can sing your heart out in the exclusive surrounds of a private karaoke pod.

Ren by Sushi Library, Grand Plaza Movenpick Media City, 12pm to 12am Sun to Thurs, 12pm to 1am Fri and Sat. Tel: (0)50 670 4922. @ren_dubai

New: Casa Amor

From the ultra chic shores of St Tropez, glitzy beach club and restaurant, Casa Amor, is now open at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai. Renowned for being one of the most exclusive beach clubs in the French Riviera, the dreamy beach club is bringing its lively music rituals, free-spirited ambience, and delicious Southern French cuisine to Dubai. By day, beachgoers will be able enjoy Casa Amor’s signature alchemy of music, art, food, and wellbeing. As the sun sets, the tempo goes up, as Casa Amor welcomes guests to for sundowners with signature cocktails at the world-class bar. Pure bliss. The menu features sharing-style dishes blending South of France flavors with subtle Latin influences, served in an inviting, warm, and unpretentious atmosphere, surrounded by palm trees, earthy textures, and summery light wood.

Casa Amor, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, daily 9.30am to 11pm. Tel: (0)4 777 2223. @casaamordubai

Reopening: Shimmers

On the beachfront of Jumeirah Mina Al Salam, perennially popular alfresco restaurant and lounge Shimmers reopens on Tuesday October 15. During the summer closure, the restaurant has undergone a detailed transformation, adding a new bar and upgrading the aesthetic so that it’s got the same Mediterranean feel you know and love, but with a more refined vibe. Whether you come for sundowners with your toes in the sand, or a meal of great Greek eats, it always promises great service and those picture-perfect Burj Al Arab views.

Shimmers, Jumeirah Mina Al Salam, daily 12.30pm to 11pm. Tel: (800) 323232. @shimmersdubai

Reopening: February 30

On Palm West Beach, one of the most popular spots for chilled days by the beach and lively nights out with epic DJ sets is February 30. During the summer, the outdoor space was completely reimagined, and it’s now back in action with the same vibrant, high-energy experience that you know and love February 30 for, but with refreshed decor. The circular boho-luxe bar remains, as does the colour palette of red and white, but with new design elements, one of the hottest spots on Palm Jumeirah just got even more luxe.

February 30, Palm West Beach, Palm Jumeirah, 12pm to 2am Mon to Thurs, 10am to 2am Fri to Sun. Tel: (0)4 244 7200. @february30dubai