It should come as no surprise that this venue has come highly recommended to me for ages. Almost every person who’s visited Abu Dhabi has asked me, “But have you been to Catch?” Well, now, I am delighted to say I have finally joined the […]
Spoiler alert, I’ve lived in the UAE for ten years, and while I’ve driven through Al Ain a few times, I’ve never actually stayed overnight. As Hubs did quite a bit of work in the city circa 2009 (including the wildlife park), I was happy […]
Emirates Palace has been knocking it out of the park recently! After my last (delicious) trip to meet Chef Hendrik Yde Andersen for lunch, I was more than happy to return and taste some of the dishes from Chef Norbert Niederkofler, the patron of the two […]
As spread out as I feel Abu Dhabi is, I’ve tended to focus my attention on venues located on the main island, near the corniche, Saadiyat Island, or Yas Island. Always wanting to expand my experience, I was happy to accept an invitation to stay […]
Long time readers will know that when I lived in Abu Dhabi, I was an island snob. I was also overworked and a bit of a shut-in, so I limited almost all my dining to Saadiyat (with occasional trips to the main island and Yas). […]
When I’m not reviewing food, I’m often writing — usually novels — but also about hotels (and very rarely, novels about hotels). In this instance, I was out at Zaya Nurai Island for some freelance coverage and was invited to dine at the newly opened Hooked with […]
Butcher & Still has been on my ‘to dine at’ list (the longest list ever, BTW) for the better part of four months, and I was glad to finally make the visit (sorry, Abu Dhabi, you are sometimes wildly difficult to schedule). Coming off a […]
The Middle East is no stranger to a nice hotel room, and ten years in, I have high standards about my expectations when a new property comes along. While I certainly love luxury and well-known brands, more than anything, I like a quiet, modern room […]
Do you have a restaurant somewhere in the world that always provides a memorable night and good food? For me, that place is Cho Gao at the Crowne Plaza in Abu Dhabi. When I recently saw the launch of the Taste of Japan menu, I […]