The biggest food festival in Dubai is back promising to be a culinary adventure with Michelin-starred chefs, global cuisines, activities and cooking classes. Thousands of gourmands and the F&B industry in the country are gearing up to attend the mega food festival. Taste of Dubai in Partnership with Philips opens at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre on
Taste of Dubai will be held from February 3 to 5, in Partnership with Philips opens at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre. During the three-day event, more than 15,000 foodies are expected to attend.
Taste Festivals is a global brand that was founded with the London edition in 2004. Since then, it has been hosted across 15 cities, including their editions in Dubai.
One of the main attractions at the food festival, are the pop-up restaurants, selected from the newly released Michelin Guide Dubai. Each restaurant will serve a 3-dish menu exclusively created for Taste of Dubai. The dishes are taster-sized portions – allowing attendees to try a range of the UAE’s best cuisines, all in one place.
The list of restaurants includes eateries featuring different global cuisine. From traditional British dishes to Japanese classics, foodies will find everything they are craving during the event.
Here is a list of confirmed restaurants participating:
1. 11 Woodfire
2. Akira Back
3. Torno Subito
4. Carnival
5. LOWE
6. Shang Palace
7. Sucre
8. Fi’lia
9. Brasserie Boulud
10. INDYA
11. Rhodes W1
12. Bushra by Buddha-bar
13. Goldchix by Goldfish
14. The Nine
15. Reif
From celebrity chefs to chefs who have worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, the Taste of Dubai line-up is bringing well-known names to the event.
Here is a list of the chefs, who are part of the food festival:
Akira Back - Michelin Star award-winning chef who specialises in Japanese cuisine with a Korean touch
Akmal Anuar - Chef-cum-owner of 11 Woodfire in Dubai, which has one Michelin Star
Ali Shiddique Samsi - Head Chef at Michelin Green Star restaurant LOWE
Andrew Dickens – An outdoor cooking and barbecue expert
Big Zuu - British television personality, chef, rapper and DJ
Christos Lymperis - Executive Resident Chef at the Waterfront Market
Daniel Boulud – Michelin-starred chef who specialises in French cooking
Eric Lanlard - French patissier, Instagram star and celebrity chef
Hattem Mattar – UAE-based founder of The Mattar Farm Smokehouse, Dubai’s first and only artisan smokehouse
Himanshu Saini – Chef at Tresind Studio, Michelin-starred restaurant
Jason Atherton - English Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur
Jenny Morris - Celebrity chef and radio personality from South Africa
Joe Barza – Celebrity chef known for his expertise in Lebanese cuisine
John Torode - Australian-British celebrity chef and TV presenter
Massimo Bottura - Italian restaurateur and the chef patron of Osteria Francescana, a three Michelin-star restaurant in Italy
Nicolas Lemoyne – Chef responsible for the kitchen of Dubai’s Brasserie Boulud
Reif Othman - Chef and restaurateur from Singapore, who specialises in Japanese food and owns Michelin-recognised eateries.
Russell Impiazzi – Executive chef at the Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk
Sara Aqel - Palestinian Global Executive Chef of Fi’lia in Dubai
Tom Aviv - Israeli chef known for having won the 2016 edition of Israel's MasterChef competition
For more information on all the chefs featured at Taste of Dubai, visit their website.
Foodies can learn to cook from the top chefs at the Philips Cook School during the festival weekend, along with the Kibsons Mystery Box Challenge and the Waterfront Market BBQ School. Learn from your favourite chefs at Taste’s first ever barbeque school, or try your hand at pasta, coffee and mixology masterclasses. Looking for the perfect Instagram shot? Try out the food styling and photography workshops.
Taking place over three days, this first-come, first-serve basis opportunity could see you brushing shoulders with the likes of patisserie expert Eric Lanlard, renowned French cuisine master Daniel Boulud, Italian chef Massimo Bottura and Jenny Morris from South Africa.
Sign up to these classes is open for one hour before the start of the class. For the full schedule for each masterclass, visit the Taste of Dubai website and click the schedule tab in each section.
Taste of Dubai will aslo feature a wide range of entertainment to keep you dancing into the evening – the music will range from acoustic performances to lively DJs sets.
Visitors can see performances by the live band Truly Medley Deeply, Piano Man – a pianist with over 16 years of experience, international DJS such as Adam J, Natalie Brogan, DJ Sheps, DJ Beth and more.
Attendees can get the best of local food, drinks and lifestyle artisan producers in the Taste Artisan Village to stock up your kitchen.
Tickets:
The standard ticket gives visitors a single day entry at Dh75. The “Taster” ticket gives visitors a single day entry, 2 food and 2 drinks vouchers at Dh165.
The VIP ticket gives attendees a single day entry, 3 food and 3 drinks vouchers, and VIP lounge access at Dh250.
Ultimate Weekend Package includes 3-day entry, 10 food and 10 drinks vouchers, VIP lounge access, valid for 1 person only at Dh650.
The Taste of Dubai team encourages visitors to get their tickets in pairs as they come at a discounted price.
A pair of standard tickets for a single day entry are for Dh140. You can get 2 “Taster” tickets for Dh300 and two VIP tickets come at a price of Dh450.
More information can also be found on the Taste of Dubai website while tickets can be purchased on Platinumlist.net.
Navigation and using the ‘Digital guidebook’
A digital guidebook for the festival was launched to make the visit for the attendees seamless and help them take advantage of all the experiences. Easily accessible on your mobile, guests can find all the latest information and details on the festival, from timetables, classes, location map and more.
The layout of the venue is also going to be a new experience for the attendees.
Must know details:
The event is set to take place in Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, which is located in Al Sufouh, Dubai.
Paid parking by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is available next to the venue, however, the spaces are limited so the organisers recommend getting there early.
Taking public transport to the venue is also encouraged. Visitors can take the Dubai Metro and reach the Al Khail Metro Station and walk to the venue.
Festival visitors can also schedule a ride from Careem to the venue and get a 15 per cent discount by using the promo code mentioned on the bottom of their Taste of Dubai ticket.
