Events have been on the slow side, and the notorious Dubai summer is fast approaching us.
So when the opportunity came up to attend Ahlan's Top 100 Restaurants event at Qbara I practically leapt off of my seat. Bubbles and canapés at one of Dubai's most stunning fine dining restaurants? This could be just what the Doc ordered.
It didn't disappoint. I have long been aware that Qbara's interior is supposed to be as gorgeous as the contemporary Arabesque cuisine, and it was just that. GORGEOUS. I have to hand it to Japanese designer Noriyoshi Muramatsu who has managed to nail the whole 'traditional Middle Eastern meets ultra contemporary design' thing. Between cosy majlis booths, corridors of beautifully carved wooden mashrabiya walls juxtaposed with a humongous modern chandelier of glass globes, Qbara truly sets the bar high for any new restaurant concept opening in Dubai on decor credits alone.
I'd brought one of my best mates along for the ride, TV Presenter Catriona Strachan (follow her happenings on Instagram @catstrachan). We perched ourselves at a cocktail table and enjoyed the vista from the upper deck over the restaurant lounge area below. Qbara staff ensured our glasses were never empty, although we seemed to miss the boat slightly on sampling all of the canapés, which is a pity as the few that we tasted were delectable. (On the upside, a 250aed voucher for Qbara was included with the goody bag, so I'll definitely be back to sample the a la carte menu).
From an events perspective, this was not too complicated. Musician Manuel Kev made the saxophone cool again with a strong house set. The event timings were 8pm-10pm - short and sweet and ended on a high note. I applaud the organisers for keeping the format simple. Sometimes it does pay to let the setting speak for itself.
I'm feeling a second wave of pre-summer energy now!
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