I am trialling something new and would love your opinion pretty please. My latest newsletter (link in stories/ bio 🔗) that landed in subscribers’ inboxes yesterday showcases concise restaurant reviews of three new openings, rather than focusing on one dedicated longform review every month. Take ‘concise’ with a pinch of salt, as I am a woman of many words!

Typically each review that you’ve read from me so far encompasses four days work - the advance research on the concept and menu; the dining out itself; writing; fact-checking and editing; photography; publishing; and social media promotion. Yes that’s a helluva lot of time.

So whilst visiting more than one opening each month is even more time-consuming, let alone expensive, the writing element can be consolidated, and you get to read about these newbies promptly.

When you have a moment, I’ve included a poll for your feedback in the newsletter. It’s getting bundles of traction - and looks like we already have a consensus. This first ‘trial’ run with restaurant reviews of @yubidubai @threebros_kitchen and @piehaus.dubai is free for everyone to read. Enjoy, I hope 😜 And where would you like me to check out next? 😋

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Happy new month! I have some exciting news that I’ve been desperate to share with you, so I’m glad I can finally spill the beans 😋

My sell-out Three Chefs Dinners (sometimes four, and once even ten!) have been running for six years now, so time for a change…before we hit the seven year itch 😜 Whilst this experience will continue for corporate and private clients, I’ve been busy cooking up a new ticketed dinner concept just for you, my foodie tribe.

My new #OneNightOneDinner event will celebrate a different new homegrown restaurant every time, with off-menu dishes exclusively developed for this evening, whilst the chef introduces each course.

Expect a pairing of vintage Champagne and fine wines from @mmidubai - presented by @stephen_towler_ms_dubai - MMI Wine Academy Manager who holds a WSET Level 4 Diploma, as well as the prestigious title of Master Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, one of only 300 people worldwide and the first person in the Middle East to achieve this distinction 👏🏼

The first launch dinner that I am hosting is on Thursday 20th November with a Latin American culinary theme. I have moved the date from a Tuesday to a Thursday as I know this works better for many of you. Please consider this post a save the date 🗓️

If you’re not on the FooDiva dinners database, sign up with your email, and an alert will land in your inbox when the experience is ready to book: www.foodiva.net/dinneremail/ Also linked in bio and stories 🔗 Note: an advance notice email will go out first to paid newsletter subscribers later this month.

If you have friends who may be interested, feel free to tag and forward this post.

Fancy guessing the launch host restaurant? One clue - it’s a new homegrown Latin American opening 💃🏻🕺🏼

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🇱🇧48 HOURS OF EATING IN BEIRUT🇱🇧
Earlier this month, I joined a media and industry fam trip to Beirut for a whirlwind two-day food tour. Here’s where and what we ate:

🇱🇧 @beihousebeirut The trip was organised by the chef patron of this new opening @tarek_alameddine 😋 A Le Roche graduate, he recently returned to his home country of Lebanon, having worked his way up to sous chef at Noma for six years, followed by Baky Hospitality in Egypt. In the historic Gemmayzeh district, the owner Said Daher of Azadea fame has beautifully renovated three mansions which overlook a magical courtyard housing a trio of concepts - an a la carte restaurant, a tasting menu experience and a bar. A 13-dish tasting menu is priced at USD120. My favourite dish? A textural twist on kibbeh nayeh with puffed bulgur and raw pistachio slivers.

🇱🇧 Street food tour in the Armenian quarter of Burj Hamoud: Maraach Bakery for the crispest of lahmajun. @bastermamano for sujuk shawarma, the only joint in Beirut to sell this delicacy.

🇱🇧 @alfalamanki Brekkie with a view overlooking Raouche (Pigeon) Rocks.

🇱🇧 @buco.lb Chef Tarek’s burger joint with patties cooked to your preferred temperature. Yes to the Australian grain-fed patty (no cows in Lebanon!) with candied pork bacon, cheddar, mulberry jam & Dijon mustard in a potato bun. Paprika-sprinkled fries that taste like Pringles 👌🏼

🇱🇧 @monet_ahel_alkaram Traditional breakfast at a bijou pickling farm in the Druze community of Aley, a short drive up into the mountains.

🇱🇧 And lastly, a lunch feast cooked single handedly by Umm Tarek at the family home in Aitat including lamb brain and spine marrow with the glorious texture of pate. Our ‘canapes’? Barbecued fig birds from Tarek’s shooting expeditions. A seasonal September delicacy. I grew up eating these teeny birds in Cyprus which we call ambelopoulia, but hunting has since been banned back home. An excuse to return next September 😜

And if so, where else should I eat? 🙏🏼 We clearly just scratched the surface of Beirut’s blossoming food scene - much changed since my last visit eight years ago with Greg Malouf, who sadly left us a year ago this month. ...

I am always astonished at the vast number of people who don’t realise Cyprus, my home, has been a divided island since 1974 when Turkey invaded - commonly referenced as the ‘Cyprus Problem’, with the ‘Green Line’, a UN buffer zone as our border. We refrain from labelling the Mediterranean island as south and north, given there’s only one legally recognised country - the Republic of Cyprus.

My birthplace of Famagusta on the east coast, a mostly shelled ghost town to this day (scroll for video), has been Turkish occupied ever since. I was one year old at the time, and with my parents (thanks to my British father), we were evacuated on a nine-hour Hercules flight to the UK. My mother’s parents and two sisters managed to escape to Nicosia, now the last officially divided capital city in the world, where they had to rebuild their lives - as did we in the UK and Caribbean for six years before returning to Cyprus for my schooling and the birth of my sister.

Onto happier subjects - food and travel. For the first time since moving to Dubai (from London) 26 years ago, I have my own summer abode in Cyprus making it easier to spend substantial time exploring the island. We’re the third largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sicily and Sardinia) - and about the same size as Lebanon, which means planning is required to decide where to explore.

To fully appreciate and experience Cyprus’ love for food, one has to head off the beaten track, steering well clear of the island’s hugely, and sadly, commercialised resorts (which boast gorgeous beaches by the way). That’s not easy when as a visitor, you want to stroll out of your hotel into a neighbourhood brimming with restaurants. If you do, you will, mostly, be seriously disappointed. A hire car is money well spent.

To ease the research, I have compiled my largest culinary travel guide to date (link in bio 🔗) with headings for restaurants, tavernas, cafés, bars, wineries - alongside trademark dishes and produce, local wine tips, and boutique hotels. All wrapped up in my very own personal Google maps link with 125+ recommendations.

Any more tips, feel free to share here 🙏🏼 ...

A mighty handful of recommendations for Prague, having visited for a birthday and tagged on some restaurant exploring - my kind of sightseeing 😜 All popped into my own Google maps link, along with plenty more gems that Instagram’s limited word count won’t allow. Comment with PRAGUE and I will DM the link 🔗

Prague’s foodie USP? Locally sourced protein rare to find on Dubai menus. Think rabbit; duck hearts & stomach; char; trout. Oh and pork. I am so glad I married a man whose appetite for novel ingredients occasionally surpasses mine 😋 If you’re visiting in the winter (like me 22 years ago!) you’ll also savour game.

🇨🇿 @fieldrestaurant by chef patron @kasparekradek - one of two one-star @michelinguide restaurants in Prague (no two/ three star). Lived up to a classic one star expectation - no more; no less. Two tasting menus (six or ten courses). I opted for the shorter form which also kicks off with three amuse bouches. EUR125 (AED540). Modern European cooking in a minimalist dining room. You can always detect a well-considered menu from the bread course - a baked potato pancake, and intestine bun.

🇨🇿 @alma__prague by chefs @petrzidek @danek_michal_ - the restaurant with the most votes from you when I requested tips. Simple, gratifying farm-to-table fare in a buzzing setting. Worthy of a Bib Gourmand, yet zero mention by Michelin. @gwendalpoullennec please take note. Compact wine selection by the glass including a local sparkling with traditional bottle fermentation.

🇨🇿 @ukalendu_ _ - on the river bank a few minutes stroll from Prague’s iconic Dancing House. A monthly specials menu, with a bakery-cum-deli next door. Sprightly, wholesome dishes that I couldn’t get enough of. Should have a Michelin Select ranking, but yet again, no mention.

🇨🇿 A few more:
@salabka_restaurant & Winery - two words CHEESE TROLLEY.
@hemingwaybarprague
@kampapark_restaurant
@ivetafabesova_cafe
@ollies.boutique
@augustineprague by @theluxurycollection - our hotel with St Thomas Brewery pub and Refectory Bar.

Any more tips, please pop in the comments for all to benefit 🙏🏼💙#PragueDiva

[ #Prague Prague restaurants ] ...

On the back of multiple requests to recommend private dining rooms, known as PDRs in our industry lingo, I have scoured Dubai’s homegrown restaurants and compiled a guide. Thank you for all your recommendations too 🙏🏼 Whether you’re looking to book a celebratory social meal, a corporate team function or even a masterclass, these venues should provide some inspiration.

So…I give you 25 private dining rooms across 19 very diverse restaurants in Dubai, with some even boasting two PDRs. I’ve included capacity/ covers, menu pricing, minimum spend if required, differentiating factors, photos, location and links to their websites. All in alphabetical order.

With my event organiser hat, I curate private personal and corporate functions, should you require some support.

🔗 Link in bio and stories to read the guide which landed in inboxes earlier this morning - feel free to subscribe if not already.

If you know of any more PDRs, please do share, so I can regularly update this post 😋

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Where does @gabriela.chamorro505 the executive chef and founder of @girl.and.the.goose dine out? 😋

In this month’s #WhereRestaurateursEat column, this super woman shares her favourite restaurants encompassing:

🔪 Three in the UAE. Plus a supper club, because why not 😜
🔪 One in her home country.
🔪 One located elsewhere internationally.

Click link in bio and stories for her top picks 🔗 This post landed in email inboxes this morning. Feel free to subscribe, if not already.

Nominations for female restaurateur-entrepreneurs are always much appreciated 🙏🏼 Or shall I start interviewing men too? 😉 Yay or nay?

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A decade after opening Marina Social for Jason Atherton, accomplished Scottish chef @tristinfarmer has returned to Dubai following his five-year tenure at three-Michelin Zén in Singapore.

He’s now helming a new Dubai-born concept as culinary director and chef partner for a Singaporean business, Culinary Arts Group.

@maisondali_dubai at The Opus by Omniyat hotel in Business Bay is pitched in the press release and on the website as “a laid-back brasserie with character, where Japanese ingredients and techniques meet Mediterranean flavours. This innovative dining experience immerses guests in culinary artistry. Every element - food, drink, service and decor - is meticulously curated to transport diners into a world of imagination.”

Meanwhile, the name “draws inspiration from Salvador Dalí’s surrealism and mirrors the personality of Tristin Farmer,” - and the ambience “constantly surprises, transforming dining in Dubai into a captivating work of art.”

On the flip side, the dictionary definition of brasserie dictates “an informal, usually French restaurant, serving simple hearty food.”

In today’s review, I am addressing all these differing messages; how they translate into the dining experience; and determining whether they serve to complement or conflict.

I am utterly relieved to have reviewed incognito from start to finish.

Link in bio and stories to have a read 🔗 This review landed in inboxes earlier this morning - feel free to subscribe if not already.

Have you dined at Maison Dali? Does this interior give you brasserie feels? Would welcome your thoughts 🙏🏼

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Where does @ray.yafi dine out? 😋 The co-founder and partner behind @anormalday.ae and a host of F&B brands including @yellowblock.co the prettiest cheese and charcuterie boards, which is how I first stumbled upon her a few years ago, spills the beans.

In this month’s #WhereRestaurateursEat column, I asked this super woman to share her favourite restaurants encompassing:

🔪 Three in the UAE. She did squeeze in a fourth option 😜
🔪 One in her home country.
🔪 One located elsewhere internationally.

Click link in bio and stories for her top picks 🔗 This post landed in email inboxes this morning. Feel free to subscribe, if not already.

Nominations for female restaurateur-entrepreneurs are always much appreciated. They might not be on my radar, and could land themselves a feature here 🙏🏼

#UAERestaurantsUnite #foodiva Dubai Restaurants ...

Please meet real village halloumi, demolished back home in Cyprus over Eid 💛🇨🇾 Warm with the texture of burrata. No squeakiness! Brined. Raw (unpasteurised) sheep’s milk. PDO registered in the EU, so only Cyprus can stake claim to branding halloumi (like feta is to Greece, and Champagne to its namesake French region). At my favourite taverna in Cyprus - Mousikos in the village of Sotira on the east coast. Top tip: buy some vacuum-packed to take home (EUR4 a piece).

Swipe to see the best commercial supermarket brand @kkeses_dairy that I typically stash my fridge with. The blue labelled one is a mix of goat and sheep pasteurised milk which is strictly speaking the original halloumi blend. The green label is solely goat’s milk. And the red is a very mature sheep and goat milk halloumi - an acquired taste which you will either love or hate! Fresh Express used to import Keses into Dubai, but no longer, so I urge our supplier community here to fill this gap in the market 😜

I love baking halloumi whole in the oven, or foil-wrapped on the BBQ, with either @pureharvestsmartfarms cherry tomatoes (you won’t find better tomatoes here in Dubai!) or sliced apricots. The matured blend works well paired with watermelon, or grated over EVO fried eggs.

If you’re considering heading to Cyprus this summer, my most popular culinary travel guide is updated twice a year - link in bio 🔗

Καλή όρεξη (bon appétit) 😋 Halloumi - yay or nay?

[ #foodiva #CyprusDiva #Halloumi #LoveHalloumi #VisitCyprus @visitcypruscom @cypruseats Cyprus restaurants FooDiva ] ...

The hostess escorts us to our semi-banquette table, sandwiched so tightly between two tables, LPM-style, we can hear every word of the neighbouring conversation. I request another table for two that I spot with a little more room in the middle of a busy dining room, but I am politely told that’s reserved for an anniversary. Soon after we are seated and presented with the menus, the hostess returns to guide us to my desired table. My cover is blown. This kind of table hierarchy happens more often than not across many a Dubai restaurant, sadly. I just hope I didn’t rob the “anniversary couple” of a decent table.

We’re dining at @girl.and.the.goose by Nicaraguan chef @gabriela.chamorro505 who has whisked her home supper club of five years to a bricks and mortar restaurant, replacing the Peruvian, Waka, in the @anantaradowntowndubai (ex-Oberoi). She’s partnered with Rosy Hospitality of CQ French Brasserie and Couqley fame.

Central American cuisine is a first for Dubai and for me, spanning Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize and Panama. Countries that I have never visited even though I spent the early years of my life growing up in the neighbouring Caribbean islands. There’s a little known fact about me! The geography is well illustrated with a map on the menu and on the website, which is one of the most informative and user-friendly restaurant sites I have come across in Dubai. A best practice blueprint for restaurateurs.

Gabriela or Gigi, her nickname, is quick to point out in person (also confirmed on her website) that the menu marries her modern interpretation of Central American cuisine with her travel experiences as ex-Emirates crew. Only one dish is traditional, and despite its northern neighbour Mexico which I have visited, the cooking differs, she explains.

So how does Girl & The Goose fare across not solely food, but service, interior, atmosphere and price point? Thankfully, I pay the bill in full - with no freebie extras sent to the table. Link in profile for a read 🔗 This review landed in inboxes this morning - feel free to subscribe, if not already.

Have you tried Central American cuisine? 😋 ...

We have 23 new entries in the fourth edition of the @michelinguide Dubai, two three-star restaurants, two new one-stars, and two downgrades. That’s lots of twos! Revealed last night at an invitation-only affair in the @addressskyview that, for a change, I attended, rather than watch the live stream from home and pen notes. Pumped with adrenalin, I then pulled an all-nighter to write my opinion piece, and crashed for a couple of hours this morning ahead of editing. Et voilà 😋

A couple of important points to flag first:

⭐️ A reminder for chefs, publicists and media that stars are awarded to the restaurants, NOT the chefs. So a chef can leave a restaurant, yet the restaurant retains the star - like Ossiano this year, for example. And the chef does NOT take the star with him/ her. As Michelin itself has confirmed, the term ‘Michelin chef’ is factually incorrect.

⭐️ All five criteria followed by Michelin’s inspectors are centred around food only. Agree or disagree (I’m with the latter), the likes of service, interior design and atmosphere do not play a role in their decision to award stars - as verified on Michelin’s website.

Link in bio/ stories 🔗 to read my analysis, opinion and a list of questions for Michelin! This post landed in inboxes earlier. Swipe for pics and my video. Mabrouk to all the awarded restaurants and their teams 👏🏼

Would love to know your go-to restaurants that you feel should have made the cut 🙏🏼⭐️

@visit.dubai @dubaieats @gwendalpoullennec #MichelinStar25 #MichelinGuideDXB #michelinguide #UAERestaurantsUnite #foodiva Dubai Restaurants ...