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HIGH END HAPPY HOURS DUBAI – with good snacks & cool vibes

Welcome to the first in a series of posts on High End Happy Hours Dubai.

High End Happy Hours are such a good idea, especially in Dubai where we know drinks are expensive.

Read on for where we recommend in DIFC. What to drink, is there any food with the offer, exact timings of the deals and any restrictions.

Did you know that you can only sit in certain areas of some venues to avail the Happy Hour offering?

A great way to start your evening and very helpful information to share with your visitors to Dubai. So do share this post using What’sAp or any of other sharing buttons shown.

1. CLAP โ€“ DIFC

NAME OF THE HAPPY HOUR: Golden Hour

DAYS AND TIMES: Mon to Fri โ€“ 4 to 6.30pm

TO DRINK

Choice of wine AED 35 per glass

Prosecco AED 40

Cocktails AED 40

Beer AED 35

TO EAT

Comprehensive selection of hot and cold bites plus sushi ranging from AED 20 to AED 50

NOTE this selection of food includes dessert at AED 35

MONICA'S CHOICE AT CLAP

Glass of Minuty Rosรฉ โ€“ AED 35

Rock shrimp tempura with spicy chilli mayo AED 52

Note you can only sit at the bar for this Golden Hour Deal.

2. INDOCHINE โ€“ DIFC

NAME OF THE HAPPY HOUR: Lโ€™Apero Indo

DAYS AND TIMES: Mon to Fri 4pm to 7pm

TO DRINK

Sommelierโ€™s Selection of wine red, white, rose all at  AED 35

Signature cocktails from AED 45 to AED 65

House Spirits AED 35

Chang Beer AED 45

TO EAT

Small selection of South Eat Asian snacks ranging from AED 40 to AED 55

NOTE

MONICAโ€™S CHOICE AT INDOCHINE

PERFUME RIVER COCKTAIL

lime leaf gin, elderflower, ginger, bergamot, celery AED 65

SALT AND PEPPER SQUID

fermented black bean, salt & pepper, sriracha mayo, lime AED 50

3. MINA BRASSERIE โ€“ Four Seasons DIFC

NAME OF THE HAPPY HOUR: Appertivo

DAYS AND TIMES: Monday to Friday 5pm to 8pm

NOTE different time for bites and drinks

Bar Bites from 3pm onwards Monday to Friday

TO DRINK

Selection of good wines, classic cocktails, Heineken beer and spirts

all priced at AED 45

TO EAT

Small selection of Mediterranean style Bar Bites ranging from AED 60 to 80

MONICAโ€™S CHOICE AT MINA BRASSERIE

Glass of white Gavi de Gavi aed 45 and burrata crostini aed 75

NOTE

Drinks available till 8pm which is late for a Happy Hour/Apperitivo,

but limited selection of snacks here.

4. ROBERTO’S โ€“ DIFC

NAME OF THE HAPPY HOUR: Roberto’s Aperitivo part of Roberto’s Sipping Club.

DAYS AND TIMES: EVERY DAY from 4pm to 7pm. Yes every day!

TO DRINK

Small selection of wines and spirits AED 32 to AED 35

Peroni Beer AED 30

Classic Cocktails AED 40

TO EAT

Selection of Italian Cicchetti ranging from AED 40 to AED 50 AND a good selection for vegetarians, we really liked the truffle agnolotto shown below. Have a look at the MENU for exactly what’s on offer here.

NOTE

Seating for this deal is only in the lounge or the bar area. Despite it being the smoking section at that time of the day we were told itโ€™s not that smoky. I think as we visited at 4pm, they permitted us to sit in the restaurant as it was still quiet.

MONICAโ€™S CHOICE AT ROBERTO'S

Calamari (D)(S) Spicy salted squid with garlic mayo aed 55

Aperol spritz cocktail aed 40

UPDATE FROM ROBERTO'S SEPTEMBER 2023

Roberto’s also has an early evening champagne and gourmet pizza offer on from WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY 4pm to 7pm! A cool way to celebrate a special occasion I think! Have a look at the MENU of what’s on offer here.

If you’d like to book or want to look at the a la carte menu then these are the details you’ll need:

Booking Link: https://www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/robertosdubai

Email Address: reservations@robertos.ae

Contact Number: +971 4 386 0066

Website: https://robertosrestaurants.com/dubai/

5. LA NINA – DIFC

NAME OF THE HAPPY HOUR: The Garden Hour

DAYS AND TIMES: EVERYDAY from 4pm to 7pm but last orders from the Garden menu for food and beverages are at 6.30pm

TO DRINK

A selection of cocktails, beers, wine and cava from aed 30 to aed 60.

TO EAT

Quite a large selection of mainly non vegetarian dishes with a very wide price range. Starting from aed 50 for some cod fritters (really nice) but then going up a lot for things like fresh seafood platters and caviar dishes.

NOTE

I’ve tried the cod fritters and their Gambas al Ajilo as part of a dinner, both are very good, but I haven’t tried the offering at Garden Hour as yet. I’ve also tried their cava sparkling wine, it was also good but I would like to have seen a bit more in the way of tapas on the Happy Hour menu and some more vegetarian options.

If you found this post HELPFUL then please do share with your friends and visitors, tell me about your best High End Happy Hours in a comment.

Want to try posh food on a deal at lunch?

Then Check out our best BUSINESS LUNCHES IN DUBAI post here.

ba-feature-pic-Monica-Kapila-DoinDubai

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MONICA’S WEEKEND Try a terrific new thali meal at Raj Mahal then let’s dance off your calories at Emirates Golf Club and wander around the new indoor Ripe Market at Times Square all this weekend

This week 13th May we’re eating a terrific new thali meal at Raj Mahal in Bur Dubai, Let’s Dance off the calories with Sasha at Emirates Golf Club and then have a wander around the new Ripe Market at Times Square.

Monica Kapila and Mark Lloyd broadcast every FRIDAY on DUBAI EYE 103.8 at 1.45pm repeated on the Sunday Brunch at 1.15pm. LISTEN to the podcast for this show below, under 10 minutes.

Terrific new thali meal at Raj Mahal behind Bur Juman in Bur Dubai

I’ve had many a thali in Dubai, but this is my favourite so far. We’re at Raj Mahal, quite a new place just behind Bur Juman shopping centre in Bur Dubai. A full blog post coming soon but the highlights are here!

Over 10 different savoury and 4 sweet dishes included in this vegetarian thali so come hungry! The food is a well matched blend of Rajasthani and Gujerati regional cuisine and everything is super fresh. We liked the fact that everything had a distinct taste and there was a good choice of both dry and gravy type dishes.

We also liked the mini Inidian Street Food counter at the front of the restaurant. I recommend the gol gappas or pani puris from here. But don’t eat too many as there is a lot of tasty food on your thali.

Open for lunch and dinner everyday Raj Mahal is definitely a place to check out if you want to try a thali meal for the first time or if you’re a bit of a thali guru! Either way this is a good one so make a note for when you have visitors in town too.

Comfortable, spacious place to sit, not very cramped. Location details below oh and perfect if you’re treating your family or friends as it’s about aed 40 all in! AND we love that they let kids aged 10 and under eat for absolutely free. Well Done Raj Mahal.

Ground floor of Pearl Residence hotel apartments just behind Bur Juman. Tel 058 504 7000

Open every day 12. to 3.30 for LUNCH and then 7pm till 11.30 pm for DINNER.

Monicas Weekend Terrific Thali DoinDubai
RAJ MAHAL VEGETARIAN THALI AED 42 ALL IN

Outing

Let’s Dance off the calories and have fun at the same time. A friend of mine alerted me to this activity after she tried a dance class with Sasha King the teacher. So Sasha’s danced since she was a child and got a normal day job and has been in Dubai for about 5 years. But recently that pull of being a dancer made her decide she wanted to teach others about how therapeutic dance can be and get you healthy physically at the same time.

So she decided to offer dance lessons at 3 different venues in Dubai to anyone who cares to dance. No prior skill, no choreography skills, no knowledge at all, you just want to want to dance! So Let’s Dance Mark!

The 3 overall styles of dance she teaches are LATIN AMERICAN, BALLROOM AND SOCIAL DANCE. But within those are 16 different types. So I think I’d choose Social Dancing and apparently within that there’s Salsa, Meringue or Tango. Have a go! Your first trial class of 45 minutes is FREE!

Go alone or with your partner or some friends, maximum of 4 people per class. Emirates Golf Club, Jumeirah Golf Estates or Creek Golf Club, every weekend. Tel 058 658 1162. So long as it’s not Murder on the Dance Floor, see you there!

Monicas Weekend DoinDubai Let's Dance
LET’S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE FOR FUN

Events

Get along to Times Square next to Mall of Emirates for an all new indoor Ripe Market! On Sunday 15th May from 10 am to 7pm. Lot’s of arts and crafts, home decor, accessories and some food retail too that you won’t find in a shop. While you’re there go to the organic shop and stock up on some supplies.

Have a coffee at one of the many coffee shops and buy a piece or two of some very exotic and authentic Turkish sweets from the shop called Loqum also in Times Square.

And if you’re with your kids get them a session on the well supervised Climbing Wall at Adventure HQ! Remember Saturday is the Arte market at Times Square and Sunday is the Ripe Market so it’s definitely a Market Day this weekend!

RIPE MARKET NOW INSIDE AT TIMES SQUARE ON SUNDAY

Something for you to COOK this WEEKEND

Try these delicious Air Fried pakodas for your evening drinks snack or tea time savoury. Never be stuck for what to make for dinner with our easy, healthy always TASTY RECIPES here.

Air Fried Pakodas DoinDubai Monica Kapila almost ready
Monica’s Weekend – Posts

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MONICA’S WEEKEND Experience a cool, new Ladies Night at Bar du Port Dubai Harbour, feel genuine ethnic vibes at Fab India and see Van Gough with your ears and eyes at Dubai Mall

This week 6th May we’re experiencing a cool ladies night at Bar du Port Dubai Harbour, experiencing ethnic vibes at Fab India in Mankhool and immersing ourselves in a Van Gough exhibition with all our senses at the Infinity Lumieres in Dubai Mall!

Monica Kapila and Mark Lloyd broadcast every FRIDAY on DUBAI EYE 103.8 at 1.45pm repeated on the Sunday Brunch at 1.15pm

Cool new Ladies Night at Bar du Port Dubai Harbour

We’re loving the last of the cool breezes on the terrace of Bar du Port in Dubai Harbour. A very newish bit of Dubai, Dubai Harbour is roughly at the Marina end of Dubai and Bar du Port has a Ladies Night on a Wednesday.

From about 8pm to 10pm AED 160 that includes a good selection of beverages for the ladies plus either a vegetarian or non vegetarian or a mixed if you like platter. So we liked the lobster rolls on our platter as well as the mushroom arancini bites.

Note these bites aren’t really a meal so there is an a la carte menu where you can order more dishes to share which is what we did We spent about AED 260 a head in total for a jolly civilized, cool evening. But I think it’s fair to say you EAT THE VIBES here! They’re higher on the agenda than the food! Enough said. Bar du Port Dubai Harbour, booking essential.

Bar du Port Dubai Harbour tel 04 332 4868. New to Dubai and want to know how the concept of Ladies Nights started? Then listen to this under 5 minute podcast on Ladies Nights Dubai from our sister site MonicMoments podcast.

LADIES NIGHT AT BAR DU PORT DUBAI HARBOUR EVERY WEDNESDAY

Outing

Head to the older part of Dubai and experience a genuine ethnic emporium for all things Indian. Great idea for the hotter weather during our Dubai days now. Forget the malls for a morning and head out to Mankhool for some ethnic shopping.

A one stop shopping emporium for all things Indian apart from food! So I think Fab India stands for Fabric India and everyone in India will know and probably have experienced one of the shops there. Buy some block printed table cloths, colourful napkins, breezy, voile curtains, beautiful soft and floral print thin quilts. Ditch those duvets!

I bought a long curtain, very delicate white floral and use as a table cloth. Also pure cotton, muslin tops you could wear for the beach or pair with trousers for an ethnic evening look. There’s even kids clothes, perfect for any kind of dressing up activity. Good quality too.

Don’t forget the block printed wrapping paper and cards, very unique and very useful all year round. A few branches but the biggest is in Mankhool 04 398 9633.

TOP TIP

If you’re visiting Fab India then you definitely try a traditional Indian Thali for your lunch at nearby Kamat or anyone of the places we mention in our Terrific Thali post here. Look before you eat!

BLOCK PRINTED QUILTS AND THROWS AT FAB INDIA DUBAI IN MANKHOOL

Events

Go to the 2nd floor of Dubai Mall to experience Van Gough like you’ve never seen before! Famous works including The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, Starry Night and Bedroom at Arles are projected using the latest digital techniques all around the exhibition space.

So it feels like you’re in the sunflowers themselves or actually looking at a Starry Sky. Combine this with music and light and all your senses are brought to life.

So look at the same art but in an entirely new way. The Infinity Lumieres exhibition space is located on the 2nd floor of Dubai Mall near Galleries Lafayette. Timings and Ticket prices can be found on the Infinity Lumieres website.

Something for you to COOK this WEEKEND

Try these delicious energy balls for a nutrient dense sweet fix. Never be stuck for what to make for dinner with our easy, healthy always TASTY RECIPES here.

ENERGY BALLS DOINDUBAI MONICA KAPILA fennel and sesame seeds
Monica’s Weekend – Posts

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KIZA DUBAI – A Pan African Restaurant – Read why we liked it

Kiza Dubai is a Pan African restaurant, bar and lounge that serves more that just tasty African food and great cocktails. ย Here’s why we like Kiza Dubai.

What’s the philosophy behind Kiza Dubai

Kiza is a Swahili word that means black, but it also means community. So Kiza wanted to be a platform for all things African in Dubai.

Expect fashion shows, music events, great food and cool cocktails at this venue. In fact our foodie bloggers dressed up in African clothes lent to us for the occasion by a Dubai based African designer – ย Ntombi Couture. Her functional, vibrant pieces for both men and women are inspired by Africa an it’s people.

Where is Kiza Dubai located

Kiza Dubai is located on the ground floor of Emirates Financial Towers, almost opposite the Warwick hotel. It’s in the same building as Mint Leaf of London. ย Here’s a google map showing you the exact location of Kiza. It’s not in the well known Gate Village where Zuma and LPM are located.

What would you expect to eat at Kiza Dubaiย 

Kiza Dubai serves a variety of dishes from all over Africa. There is definitely an emphasis on meat and fish, but rest assured, vegetarians would definitely not go hungry!

I recommend you try the kele wele, a Ghanaian street food favourite to begin with. This is a fried plantain dish served with peanuts and good to have with drinks. I think it could be improved by a serving of their spicy chermoula sauce on the side.

Kiza Dubai DoinDubai Kele Wele

Maybe try a traditional meat patty from Nigeria as well or a soup. We had the hot and peppery lamb soup and we also sampled a delicious lentil soup which was just like a tasty, light, Indian yellow daal!

To follow I recommend you try the prawns piri piri. We all loved these, you’ll get 3 large prawns cooked in a special, spicy African sauce. I suggest you eat your prawns with some jollof pilau type rice and a side serving of sukuma wiki from Kenya.

Kiza Dubai DoinDubai Princess Kiza prawns

This is more commonly known as kale and is a very popular side dish served all over Africa. It’s served slightly stir fried as opposed to raw which is how I am used to it in salads.

Do also order the mango salad as this is a perfect accompaniment to the prawns and rice and is also delicious.

Kiza Dubai DoinDubai Mango Salad

There is a generous and tasty selection of meat that forms part of the mixed grill. Expect chicken, lamb and beef.

We also really liked our Princess Kiza fish that was baked with some very African/Indian tasting spices. This would have been easier to eat if was filleted properly after being shown to us whole at the table though.

Anything for vegetarians at Kiza Dubai

We tried and I would also re order the Githeri, which is again from Kenya. It’s a type of vegetable bean curry served with bread. Eat this with the jollof rice. I also suggest the mango salad, sukuma wiki and kele wele with spicy sauce for the vegetarians. Instead of rice you could try ugali, which is a polenta type starch that would form a great base for the Githeri curry.

What were our favourites at Kiza Dubai

Definitely the prawns piri piri for me with the mango salad, kale and jollof rice on the side. If you leave out the rice then you have a perfect paleo meal too! It’s the kind of meal I’d like to learn how to cook to serve at home.

Special Deals at Kiza Dubai

They have a Happy Hour every day from 4pm till 8 pm where many beverages are just half price, that’s a great deal! They also have a business lunch that offers a meat, seafood or vegetarian option with a side of rice and vegetables for just AED 40! That’s a delicious deal, don’t you think?

What did some of Dubai’s finest Food Bloggers think of Kiza Dubai

Don’t just take my word for what the food and ambience is like at Kiza, have a read of what Dubai’s finest Foodie Bloggers thought here. I’ll add in their posts as they’re completed. Keep checking back to read what they have to say here:

  1. The Tezzy Files.
  2. MarkMyWorld.
  3. BigFoodBoy
  4. NairuzReviews
  5. A Foodie World
  6. DineOutDubai

 

Kiza Food Bloggers DoinDubai

How to win a meal for 2 at Kiza Dubai ( value AED 450 )

  • Follow DoinDubai on Instagram or
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  • Write your answer this question in a comment below

NAME FOUR DIFFERENT AFRICAN COUNTRIES

  • To complete your entry Press the PINK button below and follow the instruction to check you email ย ensuring completion of your entry

 

Pressing the pink button below will subscribe you to the DoinDubai Newsletter.

DoinDubai SUBSCRIBERS who are already registered STILL have to go through the process to enter ย the competition. Donโ€™t worry you will not have multiple subscriptions,ย it just helps us to have all the ย entries for this competition in one file

Once you click on the โ€˜WINโ€™ button below, please complete your entry by opening the confirmation email ย to confirm your subscription has been added to the WIN a mealย for 2 at Kiza Dubai competition list.

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We’ll let the randomiser pick a winner on the 1st of May 2017

*This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, Facebook, Twitter or any other social network.

DoinDubai.com Online Competition Terms & Conditions apply

2nd May this competition has now closed, and the WINNER is Harriet Dodea! We’re emailing you with your vouchers right now, well done Harriet!

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