“The Capital’s Favourite Food, Drink and Music Festival.” Taste of Abu Dhabi
Taste of Abu Dhabi, the three-day outdoor food festival is back in the capital at Du Arena, Yas Island from 8th – 10th November. The fifth edition of the popular family-friendly event promises to entertain the capital’s foodies with a showcase of some of Abu Dhabi best eateries, world-renowned celebrity chefs, multiple food and beverage brands and non-stop live entertainment.
Tickle your tastebuds with a selection of taster sized signature dishes on offer from local cafes and restaurants. The line-up this year includes Roberto’s Restaurant Club, Hickory’s Restaurant, Nolu’s, Leopold’s of London, Dai Pai Dong, Sushina, Burger & Crab Matsu, Dickey’s BBQ Pit, Limo Bar, Coya and a special pop-up of Theatre by Rhodes where you might even get to meet the chef himself.
Baking is back on trend due to the overwhelming success of The Great British Bake Off so in homage this year’s Taste of Abu Dhabi will unveil The Jif Big Baking tent. Fans of the TV baking show are in for a treat with renowned chefs such as Gary Rhodes, Eric Lanlard and Roberto’s Andrea Falcone taking centre stage displaying of their skills. Whether you are new to baking or an experienced baker you can learn how to create your own masterpiece with top tips from the professionals. Take a cake decorating class or join French Master Pâtissier Lanlard in an exciting series of specially-tailored masterclasses – for more information click here
Fancy yourself as a star baker? You can get involved in the UAE’s biggest ever Bake Off competition for the chance to be crowned Bake Off champion and win Baking and Pâtisserie Courses worth AED 25,000 at the The International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA) in Dubai. Show off your baking and decoration skills by sending a detailed description and picture of your creation and you could face the judges, Chef Lanlard and ICCA Pastry Chefs.
Entertaining the crowds at the Crate & Barrel Chef’s Theatre* will be a lineup of top chefs live on stage. Visitors can witness the masters at work and get involved with the interactive masterclasses. Chefs Lanlard and Rhodes will be joined by Taste of Abu Dhabi regulars Sanjeev Kapoor, Reza Mahammad and Jenny Morris among others.
Consider yourself as a bit of a whizz in the kitchen? Here’s your chance to step into the culinary limelight and take on a celebrity chef in the Al Ain Farms and Kibson’s cooking challenge*. Lots of prizes on offer for those brave challengers who have the chance to cook alongside the celebrity and local chefs – click here for the weekend schedule.
Other new attractions for 2018 include the Local Harvest farmers market and the Weber & True Aussie beef and lamb BBQ steak-out. Fresh fruit and vegetables sourced from local farms will available to purchase from the farmers themselves at the market. The first ever ‘BBQ Steak-Out’ will be hosted by Master Chef Tarek Ibrahim and guest chefs who will share their top BBQ tips. They will be cooking premium halal Aussie lamb and beef on the latest Weber PULSE smart grills.
Local and international acts will be providing live music throughout the weekend on the Emirates NBD stage. Opening night will see the ‘Best of British’ line-up with 2017 Britain’s Got Talent singer Sarah Ikumu (who got the golden buzzer from Simon Cowell) and former Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle kicking things off on Thursday evening from 8pm. Headline act, The Bootleg Beatles, will be performing a selection of the famous foursomes classics to round off the evening’s entertainment. Other musical acts in the weekend’s line-up includes DJ Sheps, 4TheMusic, Mark Zitti e Fratelli Coltelli and Sound City.
Enjoy VIP experiences? Get the ultimate Taste of Abu Dhabi experience with a VIP ticket that includes fast-track entry and unlimited access to the VIP lounge sponsored by Cleartrip. Relax in style in the VIP area close to the mainstage with three complimentary drinks and food vouchers to sample dishes from any of the participating restaurants – read more about the Cleartrip VIP ticket experience here.
Children aged 12 and under enjoy free entry to the festival where they can participate in special cooking and baking classes devised by Table of Five founder Fathima Ahmed. Local Harvest experts will be on hand to teach kids how to grow vegetables and plants from seed and then take them home to watch them grow. The OMO Kids Zone, a dedicated area to keep the younger members of the family entertained, offers a variety of games and attractions including face painting, cupcake decorating, competitions and trampolines from BOUNCE Middle East.
Step away from all the culinary action at the Wellness Pavilion, another new attraction this year. Health and wellness brands such as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Nayomi Beauty Salon and Organic and Real will have experts on hand to provide health check-ups, pampering and a range of wellness products.
Don’t miss the highlight of the annual foodie calendar, grab friends and family and book your tickets to the capital’s tastiest weekend and experience a three-day extravaganza of capital’s gourmet offerings and live entertainment all in one location.
Taste of Abu Dhabi 2018
Location: Du Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Timings: Thursday 8th November 4pm — 11.30pm, Friday 9th November 12pm — 11pm and Saturday 10th November 12pm — 10pm
Tickets: Book tickets online at www.tasteabudhabi.com
Website: tasteabudhabi.com
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*The Chefs’ Theatre operates on a first come, first served basis. You can sign up for a spot in the Al Ain Farms and Kibson’s Cooking Challenge 30 minutes in advance. All sessions are free of charge.
Information sourced from Taste of Abu Dhabi. Unless otherwise stated, all photos on this page © Jo Brett 2018. All rights reserved. Additional photos used courtesy of tasteabudhabi.com and www.bootlegbeatles.com