Sunday 31 May 2015

All White On The Night










On Wednesday night I attended the Ahlan White party sponsored by Philips Middle East.
 
There was one strict dress code… ALL WHITE!
The event took place at the Siddharta Lounge, opposite Buddha Bar at the Grosvenor Hotel and the venue matched the theme perfectly as the interiors are mostly white with splashes of gold, making it feel clean, plush and elegant.
 
On one hand it felt like a simple, cool beach bar... but on the other hand  it was an upmarket, James Bond-esque, international venue, and would be the perfect location for the classic 'charming boy meets sophisticated girl' in every romantic Hollywood movie ever made.
 
The white glasses, white chairs and white lighting make it sound like a waiting room at the dentist, but the interior designer has pulled it off beautifully.
 
















Some of the hottest Dubai-based fashionistas were there and I got the chance to catch up two of my favourite editors, Sarah Hedley Hymers of Ahlan magazine and Alison Tay of Grazia Magazine.
 





Also blogger Sarah (Instagram Urban Marshmallows) and friend Zina Hashem.




In the end, Philips let their product do the talking...and I've found myself repeatedly running my tongue across my teeth for the last few days. I'm amazed how much cleaner they feel! I won't be able to go back to a normal toothbrush!
 





Thank you Philips and Ahlan, what a winning combo!!










Sunday 24 May 2015

Zengo Dubai





Last weekend I hit up Zengo Dubai for a bachelorette party with some girlfriends.  I had never been to Zengo before but was overwhelmed by the service we received.  The staff had kindly prepared a cocktail creation session where we sampled eight of their finest cocktails (the bride to be is obsessed with cocktails).
The extremely talented mixologists at Zengo not only entertained while preparing our cocktails but told us amazing stories behind the concept and creation of each one.
For example, one of my favourites was the ‘Sakura’, named after the Japanese Cherry blossom.  It represents the cloud covered mountains during the period when the cherry blossom is in bloom. It was a cherry liquor based cocktail that was served in an awesome little bell jar. The cocktail had been 'smoked' so that on removal of the bell jar the smoke came billowing out representing the changing season of  ‘Sakura’!
Such a fun concept and so beautifully put together! Oh and the cocktail tasted rather good too!! Another one that stuck in my mind was served with a birdcage over it and the glass was sitting in a small birds nest! Such a quirky, cool way to enjoy a cocktail!







Zengo’s staff also entertain with their ‘Fire show’ with bartenders juggling fire to the beat of the drum!
This bar has such a great atmosphere, I cannot recommend it enough!



Thursday 21 May 2015

A Hot Date with Ahlan


Last night myself and my partner in crime attended the Ahlan Hot 100 Restaurants launch party at Qbara.
Hidden behind the somewhat dated Wafi Pyramids is Qbara, a gem of a venue. The restaurant and bar are stunning, as you enter you feel like you have really found the treasure beneath the pyramids with beautiful atmospheric candle lighting and Middle Eastern vibe.

There was such a buzz when we arrived as we got papped on our way in and were incredibly well looked after with bubbles on tap and canapés a plenty all night long.  The venue has a great layout with the Qbara Lounge offering a viewing platform which looks over the bar allowing you to do what I love most, people watch! If you like a more intimate experience the many lounges, booths or majlis will suit! The dress code was ‘Glamorous’ and the party people did not disappoint! A great party to launch the Top 100 Restaurants!
Oh and don’t get me started on the goodie bag! Now to work my way through the Top 100 restaurants… I guess the diet’s postponed again!

















Tuesday 19 May 2015

The Launch of Jumeirah Restaurant Week





On Wednesday I headed out to 360° at Jumeirah Beach Hotel for the launch of ‘Restaurant Week.’ This fantastic event was organised by Dubai Party Queens and I must say those queens had it down!
There were samples of food from each restaurant and bubbly to wash it all down. It was a brilliant evening and 360° was the perfect location to kick off the celebrations, although I have to admit by the end of the evening I was wiping the sweat from my brow praying on a light breeze to help me out!
The view from 360° is incredible seeing the entire skyline of Dubai from the Marina to Downtown. It's a perfect reminder of just how awesome a city this place is!

I was even papped with my partner in crime Layne Redman presenter, model and all round good egg! Check out his awesome blog : http://www.lifeinthefastlayne.com
 
Jumeirah Restaurant Week runs from the 14th – 23rd of May with each participating venue offering a set menu at a discounted rate.


http://www.dpq.ae/


http://www.jumeirahrestaurantweek.com/index.html

Dinner at Seagrill on 25°

On Thursday, a few friends and I went for sundowners at the Fairmont on the Palm.
The temperature was just perfect to watch the sun go down as we sat on the beach. 


We decided to stay for dinner and dined at the beautiful Seagrill on 25°.
I loved the white decor of this place, it had an elegant, high end beach-house feel.
I remember thinking it would be a fantastic venue for a wedding reception with it's spacious interior, grand bar area, with the beach right outside and amazing views of the Dubai skyline.



As it was a Mediterranean restaurant specialising in seafood, I went for the hot smoked salmon.
I often panic when I order fish thinking there is no way it'll fill me up, thinking *I should have got the burger, should have got the burger*! This was a huge concern for me as I suffer from very bad food envy! But alas the fish was perfectly cooked and delicious, I almost couldn't finish it... But don't worry I did :)
There was even a burger at the table and although it looked amazing, I was still satisfied at my choice.


Even better, Seagrill on 25° is in the fine dining entertainer! A perfect impromptu dinner and drinks with a perfect discount too!


Monday 18 May 2015

My Milk-Sheikh brings all the boys to the yard


I’ve been living in Dubai for almost a year and now I am finally settled I feel can sing it from the rooftops, I LOVE THIS CITY!!
It has taken me a long time to settle here and get over the homesickness and general disarray of picking up your life and moving it across the world.  But the sunshine does really help!
Anyway this is a perfect city to pick up this blog where it was left and get writing about my life in the grown-ups sand pit.  There is so much going on in this city, from eating out, events, fashion and general things to do there will be plenty to keep my busy.
I live in Dubai Marina which is really central, allowing me to explore and make the most of this fabulous place! So watch this space for my favorite fashion, best places to eat and what’s going on in Dubai!
Below are some pics taken over the last year of being here….enjoy…I dare you!