Restaurants Archives - Amanda Rushforth

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4 Hotspots to Try in Dubai

Posted on October 25, 2016

I’ve been out and about, wine-ing and dining across town at some of Dubai’s newest openings and I have to say these are some that I think are worthy of a mention 😉

Fish Dubai

This Turkish – [not Greek as we all thought] Mediterranean hotspot just opened on the beach at the Westin/Le Meridien (you can enter through both). The food is delish, the olive oil smells like Santorini and the décor is to die for. My only gripe would be the price… it’s got a sunset view that makes it worthwhile though. It’s a true Aegean beach taverna that has a live fish grill and display, a bar you can sit at for hours and also a beach retreat to watch the sunset from with a nice cold glass of wine.

Il Capo

It may be a tad tricky finding the hotel first time round (take Nad al Sheba exit from SZR and do a u-turn) but the new New York-Italian restaurant at the Westin, Al Habtoor City is the newest oven-baked opening that’s got my mouth watering. I’m a big pizza fan so I judge all who tell me they can whip up a worthy dough. I’d advise starting here for dinner and head to the next hotspot for cocktails!

Blind Dragon

All the way from Los Angeles to Dubai, at The Atrium, Al Habtoor City, this Asian themed lounge is the sister venue to the original celeb hotspot on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Boasting private karaoke suites (new found hobby) and lounge style dining, it’s more nightclub-esque than dinner haunt, but you won’t be starved for choice at this end of town.

Mercury Lounge

Not totally new I know, but it’s relaunched its rooftop with a new menu. The views across the Dubai skyline are worth it alone! It was one of the first places this season to be open outside and It wasn’t even that hot! It’s large enough a space to feel like there’s always a new area to discover each time you visit too. A rooftop bar done well in my opinion!

Life in the Bay for Christmas

Posted on December 29, 2015

I love South Africa. I’m particularly in love with the southern coastline, from Cape Town to Plettenberg, it’s nothing but blue skies, blue seas and beautiful people!

It feels like Christmas every day here, waking up to the most gorgeous bay views and sea air. It’s amazing how tired salty air can make you, but you definitely feel like you’ve had a long, fruitful (if not too eventful) day. The African sun is relentless too, warm yes, but strong, even when it’s overcast. We welcome the odd splashes of rain.

This sleepy bayside town wakes up for 2 weeks a year to a plethora of surfers, VIP’s and people like us, who are just looking for some winter sunshine, all mingling in beautiful café’s with quaint views, and the same long waiting lists.

The days are spent surfing, shopping, eating and napping, whilst the evenings gather everyone around the BBQ’s. The smell I tell you is fantastic. I’m a vegetarian but oh my…

I’ve been so glad for two particular necessities here, one is Neutrogena’s sun cream and the other, is their chap stick… with the winter winds out on the water raging, my normally semi-coiffed hair hasn’t had a look in this holiday, and it’s been great to let go. Apart from getting the odd eyeball whipping from the baby strands around my face, it’s actually been nice to not care.

We had a fantastic day out on the water yesterday, venturing out with the ocean safari team with our sights set on finding some whales, (it’s technically out of season but I was optimistic none the less). What we did see straight away was a large seal feasting on a stingray, happily enjoying his well deserved breakfast with the ever-growing fear of the dreaded ‘Robberg Express’ hanging over him. The Robberg express is not the channel between which all the sharks roam as I later found out; it’s the name of a singularly enormous creature that haunts the bay. (May be why I haven’t gotten into the water to surf yet…)

As he rolled on his back, waved at us and promptly sank beneath the waves, we moved on in search of more aquatic wonders. We headed straight for the coastline where we saw a collective of at least 30 bottlenose dolphins hugging the waves in fear of the Express, and followed their movements in the swells for a good half an hour. Soaking up the sun from the top deck, with these small, beautiful mammals playing next to us was a moment of absolute perfection. Then we spotted (I spotted and alerted the boat rather loudly) a baby hammerhead shark off to the right, swimming with a small family of indo-pacific humpback dolphins! (These are incredibly incredibly rare – hence my exclamation mark).

After what was the perfect way to start the day, we felt it was only right to end it just as memorably. Dinner last night was at a little romantic hotspot called Emily Moon River Lodge… it boasts spectacular views across polo fields and wet lands by day, the ideal place for a sunset aperitif or two!

Anyway, I’m off to enjoy the rest of it now… ☺