Eat Drink Stay Dubai Newsletter 41/w30

Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 30, Edition 41

So here is this week’s digest of the ‘Dubai news worth knowing’, all in 10 minutes or less of your time.

👇 A few things worth knowing this week 👇

🍕Food Delivery Tips

📹 YouTube: Please Subscribe to my channel

⛔️ How to use Archive Today to view paywalled content

📖 Cafes with a literary vibe

👯‍♂️ Dubai’s best brunches

🏨 Hilton Summer Sale

🏖 Palm West Beach

🗞 Roundup: Emirates 777X, Palazzo Versace, Dubai Party Jet, Eminem.

Please note: some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, and will be denoted with an asterisk (*). This is a link to a partner site that may pay me a commission - at no further cost to you - and if so, helps to support me & this newsletter. For more info, please see Disclosure and Policies

If you enjoy this newsletter, have any feedback or suggestions or just way to say 👋, feel free to drop me an email by clicking here

KNOW MORE ABOUT DUBAI

7 Tips for Food Delivery in Dubai

Whilst there’s an inordinate amount of choice for dining out in Dubai, sometimes it can get expensive - and be a hassle. So this week’s feature is all about why you should consider food delivery, and a few tips about it.

Why spend all that money dining out when you can save money dining in? Even Dubai cafes have great options for food and drink, and getting it delivered may save a good few dirhams - even including tips and delivery charges.

Even before the pandemic, Dubai had a wide range of food delivery services and platforms, and the ‘OG’ as far as I’m concerned is Talabat. They do one thing well - ie they’re ‘just’ a food delivery platform, with a wide range of restaurants/outlets on there, and have their own dedicated app.

Then there are the aggregators - ie those that do ‘other services’ such as Uber Eats (now merged into Careem), Instashop or Deliveroo - so you can do other things such as shopping, hail a car or whatever.

So without further ado, here are my tips:-

1. Ensure you have a local SIM. It’s just easier, especially if the driver/rider needs to contact you - they’ll almost never ring an international number. Even if you have clear delivery instructions written on the order, drivers may need to ring to be ‘guided in’ to you.

2. Understand that most deliveries will be a bustling guy on a moped, often driving across pavements with uncontrolled bravado. So if you’re ordering delicate items eg cakes or fancy-schmancy Influencer fodder for the ‘gram, it may just be easier to get a taxi and visit them in person.

3. If you’re in a hotel, compound or apartment block, it’s better to meet them in person at an obvious and accessible point - eg reception or security. Sometimes delivery drivers may get let into buildings, but they can always get lost. It’s a good idea to speak with reception/security in advance to advise of a delivery.

4. If you favour service, stick with the ‘big boys’ eg Talabat (they’re now part of Delivery Hero). There is a lot of competition in the food delivery marketplace, and though new competitors spring up all the time, something has to give.

5. Some of the deal apps e.g. Entertainer will offer delivery (just look for the scooter symbol, but weigh up for yourself what the priority is. It could be there’s a great deal to be had, e.g. two for one, but then it depends who/how they’re delivering in terms of reliability, speed etc. Don’t forget the promo code EDSD24 for an extra 10% discount* if using Entertainer!

   

6. You don’t actually need to use an app or website. Some restaurants and cafes etc. will deal direct with customers for ordering, but then you’ve a potential faff about how you’re paying, how reliable they may be etc. At least with online ordering there’s a process and systems in place.

7. It doesn’t have to end with the munchies - some of the apps will also deliver things like groceries, drinks and suchlike. In fact Noon, one of the local ecommerce companies, now have food available under their services.

Please read this and consider helping your delivery driver 👉 How to help delivery drivers in Dubai this Summer.  

See how Talabat are helping their drivers with 30,000 ice creams 🍦

🔗 Talabat

🔗 Careem

🔗 Entertainer: Outlets with Delivery

🔗 Deliveroo

🔗 Instashop

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT REQUEST

Do You YouTube? Please Subscribe to My Channel.

Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel. There’s only one video of note up there, but more will be added in the coming week/s.

The newsletter will be continuing, don’t worry. It’s just I’m looking to diversify content onto different platforms, starting with video.

As always, I’m keen to hear your feedback and suggestions about what you’d like to see. I don’t intend doing any of that Influencer fluff though, just so you know.

🔗 Eat Drink Stay Dubai on YouTube

NON-DUBAI TIP

View Paywalled Content With Archive Today

Whilst I try to post non-paywalled content with the links in this newsletter, if you’re ever struggling to read anything online with a paywall, try Archive Today.

How it works is by archiving web pages, so if a link you’re trying to view has a paywall blocking it, copy and paste the link into Archive Today and one of two things will happen:-

1. If they have archived a page, after a few seconds it will show you the web content they stored. Note it may not always be an up-to-date article.

2. If the web page you’re looking to view is new to them, submit the link (URL) by pasting into the box, then submit and it will work its magic.

Note - this may not always work, and if you’re really a fan of the content provider, do consider subscribing. We all need to hustle …

🔗 Archive Today

EAT

Cafes With a Literary Vibe in Dubai

Emirates Woman posted a nice list of cafes in Dubai with a literary vibe. Who doesn’t love coffee, and books?

Whilst some may be a bit more hipster-ish or more about the ambiance, from that list I’d draw your attention to XVA Arts Cafe at XVA Arts Hotel.

Situated close to Bastikaya in Bur Dubai, it’s a lovely quaint spot to hang out, especially if you’re into the arts (hence the hotel name). Decent hotel too, and a nice area worth exploring, especially with Arabian Tea House and Al Fahidi close by.

DRINK

Time Out’s Best Brunches for 2024

‘Best Brunches’ is always such a ‘hot button’ topic. I’d say it’s almost impossible to pick - though good fun to try as many as possible.

Time Out is always a good source of info, and especially on this topic. I’d say it’s often the the go-to resource on brunches, along with Mr and Mrs Brunch.

So here’s their latest “Dubai Brunch 2024 Ultimate List” for your perusal and delectation.

In a future edition, I may give you my brunch tips 😉

🔗 Dubai Brunch 2024 Ultimate List

🔗 Mr and Mrs Brunch

STAY

Hilton Summer Sale: 20% Off

Hilton’s Summer Sale* continues to offer 20% discount across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Bookings to be made by 03 Sep 24, for stays until 08 Sep 24.

Example: Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeriah from £176 per night.

🔗 Hilton Summer Sale*

DUBAI

Explore and Discover Palm West Beach

As if Dubai areas and neighbourhoods aren’t confusing enough, here’s another worth exploring.

Palm West Beach is the strip of land (and beach!) on the West ‘trunk’ on Palm Jumeirah. Fairmont Palm Jumeirah was one of the first hotels opened there, but in recent years it’s been developed to include several new hotels such as Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah and Marriott Palm Jumeirah along others such as FIVE, Dukes etc.

Because it was initially hotels and a few residences, there weren’t many restaurants or outlets of note to visit as a ‘walk up’, but that’s changed of late. These days it’s quite a happening place to visit with a wider choice of restaurants along with the usual day pass, beach clubs etc.

Have a look at What’s On’s “A Complete Guide to Palm West Beach” for more info.

🔗 Palm West Beach

DUBAI NEWS ROUNDUP

Eminem to headline Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024, along with Muse and Maroon 5.

777X to not fly for Emirates until 2026 due to Boeing delays, fears Sir Tim Clark.