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

These are our favourite things in the UAE right now…

Enjoying the food, music and great vibes at… The Nice Guy

You’re probably familiar with The Nice Guy, if not for serving up some of the best pizza in the city, for Hush Hush, its late-night bar that serves as the city’s ultimate after-party spot. But this sleek LA-born hotspot at Emirates Towers has just come up with a new reason to visit – launching a brand new menu for its Saturday brunch. There’s some amazing options to choose from, and you can curate your own menu from an extensive selection that includes breakfast dishes like scrambled eggs and breakfast bruschetta as well as starters such as gnocchi a La Sorrentina and grilled corn salad. Then for mains, order as many as you like from the menu that features those incredible pizzas, plus seabass and cornfed chicken. The service is swift, the drinks flow (bonus points for the fact there’s a brilliant array of cocktails in the house package) and the music builds up from sultry renditions from a live singer, to pumping party tunes that have the entire restaurant on their feet. – Alice Holtham-Pargin, Group Editor

@theniceguydubai

Enjoying a leisurely lunch at… Sirali 

There’s lots to love about Sirali, the Turkish restaurant at Habtoor City. Not least the wonderfully welcoming owner Fadi, who makes every guest feel like they’re stepping into his home, as well as his restaurant. The interiors are bright and colourful, featuring handpainted artworks from a Turkish artist that adorn the walls, the plates and ceramics around the restaurant. The menu is extensive, and rather than focusing on a particular region, they showcase the best bits from across Turkey, so you feel like you’ve dined on the best bits from the Anatolian, Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. One of my favourite starters to order is the denizli castle pepper, but you should also try the cokertme kebap. For mains, the tender and flavourful chopped meat kebap is my go-to. – Alice Holtham-Pargin, Group Editor

@siralibapdubai

Getting my entertainment fix at… the Etihad Arena

It’s that time of the year again, when the Etihad Arena becomes a second home for those that like to get out and about in the capital. Last weekend, Abu Dhabi hosted the IIFA awards, a celebration of Indian cinema. This Sunday, I’m hoping to catch a game between the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics. There’s also only about 25 other events coming to the Etihad Arena in the next few weeks and months, and this 18,000-strong venue is where it’s all about to go down. Stay tuned to whatson.ae and get your tickets now to all the great shows you can’t wait to catch. We’ll see you there. – Dinesh Ramanathan, Deputy Editor, What’s On Abu Dhabi

@etihadarena.ae

Prioritising comfort with… the New Balance Made in USA 993s

Some people dye their hair to deal with the joys of aging. Others start eating healthy. I go buy a pair of dad shoes, and don’t regret it one bit. They’re sturdy, reliable and comfortable as ever. The New Balance Made in USA 993s are designed with all-American craftsmanship, which in itself should tell you enough about their quality. Want to know more? Pick up a pair and get out there, the weather’s so much nicer lately. Happy weekend. – Dinesh Ramanathan, Deputy Editor, What’s On Abu Dhabi

@newbalance

Eating all the popcorn at a pair of amazing… Movies

You’re getting a two-in-one from me on this edition of ‘what What’s On loves’ because there are two very different, but equally wonderful movies in screens now that deserve your attention. Wild Robot is an animated family film about a stranded automaton that finds new purpose in raising a similarly lonely hatchling goose. What follows is essentially a ‘try not to cry’ TikTok challenge. It’s impossible. Give it a go yourself. Movie two is Joker: Folie à Deux, it’s getting mixed reviews from critics and audiences but I’m fairly sure if you visit with the right mindset you’ll find its beauty. You can read our full review: Here, and an interview with the leading man (Joaquin Phoenix) and director (Todd Phillips): Here.

Catch them now at @voxcinemas

Experiencing… the Alaya

There are few enclaves in this world that come anywhere near the culinary consistency of DIFC. It’s practically impossible to get a bad meal even if you use the spinning the bottle method as a restaurant selection technique. I’m committed to finding a rule-proving-exception in this universal constant – but somewhere you won’t find it, is Alaya. Ostensibly a Middle Eastern restaurant – the menu is full of showstoppers from all over the world. Dainty, garlic painted prawns, salads, steaks, chops and beautifully buttery pasta dishes. It might not be the best known name in Gate Avenue gastronomy but it’s doing some very tasty things, in the most elegant of ways.

@alayadubai

An accumulation of 112 Fridays, and quite possibly the same number of… Loves

It is with a very heavy heart that I write that this Friday is my last entry into What’s On Loves. And with that comes, my love for Loves. It’s a special part of working here, where every week we can share with our readers things that we’ve found, experiences we’ve had, and just a great way to give thanks. And so, with this, I part and say thank you:
To Alice, for welcoming me into the world of What’s On with big open arms and showing me the ropes.
To Miles, thank you for entertaining my extremely wild conspiracies and being the big brother in the office to bicker and laugh and discuss the existence of aliens.
To Sheila, the sweetest most kind-hearted, and talented woman I have met for bringing to life my magazine pages for all of the incredible issues I have been a part of.
To Aarti, for biting the bullet and entertaining the hundreds of artist photos from Getty when you have no idea who they are.
To Dinesh, thank you for putting the work in, in the capital, and for being extremely supportive throughout the confusing time of moving on.
To Tamara, I feel weird writing out your whole name but thank you for being my desk bestie and for putting up with my constant noise, random statements out loud, and lunching together.
To Manaal, for being my Gen Z twin flame who just gets me when nobody else does, for being the sneakerhead babe that you are, for understanding my thought processes to some decisions when I don’t think anybody else would.
To the incredible people and friends, I have met and made throughout my two years here – you’ve all helped me learn and grow and have been a blessing in my life (you all know who you are). To my What’s On family, I’ll miss you all, but I’ll still be around and if you want to find me, you should have paid closer attention to my loves. – Shelby Gee, Junior Reporter

@whatsondubai 

Out with glazed doughnuts in with glazed croissants at… Rascals Bakehouse

The legends over at Rascals Deli have opened a bakery across the way from the deli and I have no notes. Read the title. That is all. Get yourself a glazed croissant and thank me later because, who needs a doughnut when you can have a far superior croissant that is glazed just as well, if not better? – Shelby Gee, Junior Reporter

@rascalsbakehouse

Distressing myself with…Go Set a Watchman

I read To Kill a Mockingbird, the American classic, a long, long time ago. It enthralled me with the poetry of it’s prose, warmed my heart and gave me a hero in Atticus Finch, a man whose fictional existence I was so comfortable with. The sequel to that, Go Set a Watchman, was my most latest read, and unlike its predecessor, this was not a sweet, serene bubble of imagination. The tale is set 20 years after the first – Scout returns to Maycomb as Jean Louise and is a brazen, blazing woman carrying ideals of iron, imparted to her by her father – the one person she trusts the most in this world. Set during a time of thick racial tension in America and radical changes in the civil rights movement, Go Set a Watchman broke not only Jean Louise’s heart, but also mine by exposing Atticus as a patronising racist, justified by a blanket of ‘but oh well, he’s only human’. My illusions smashed, I’m unable to coincide the Atticus of my past with the Atticus of my present, but the book got me thinking. It made me uncomfortable, which I loved, and in the end I’m left wondering just how far can one go in justifying a character’s failings to prove a point about human nature. – Manaal Fatimah, Junior Reporter 

Get it on @amazonae

Finally getting my fix of… Chipotle

I’ve been waiting for many a day for this one, and when it finally came, it was amazing. At the core of it, Chipotle is only fast food, but it’s so wholesome, so hearty, so full of lore that you can’t help but love it. The portions are filling, the prices are cheap and it’s the perfect takeout material for a weeknight in. We tried the burrito bowl, which was my personal favourite, the tacos and some guacamole and chips, and everything was a hit – even cold after a trek to the office. I will be ordering shortly. – Manaal Fatimah, Junior Reporter 

@chipotleme