Where to enjoy cracking egg hunts and family days out this Easter weekend
▶ From face painting to traditional Italian breads,
Easter Sunday is around the corner and for those who celebrate it, there are plenty of events taking place across the UAE, including meals and familyfriendly events such as egg hunts. Here, The National rounds up some of the best deals on offer this weekend.
Dining deals
Talea by Antonio Guida, Abu Dhabi
The Michelin-starred restaurant at Emirates Palace is offering a four-course menu that features the traditional Italian Easter bread sweet colomba pasquale, which is shaped like a dove. The meal also includes pizza, saffron risotto, oxtail ragout and roasted lamb with potato and kale, which can be enjoyed alongside live entertainment.
▶ Saturday and Sunday; lunch and dinner; Dh490 per person; Corniche Road; 02 690 7999
Oak Room, Abu Dhabi
The steakhouse in The Abu Dhabi Edition is offering a British feast on Easter Sunday.
Dishes will include English crab, oysters and roast beef sirloin. Trimmings such as Yorkshire pudding, Wagyu-fat dripping potatoes, cauliflower cheese, green beans and roasted root vegetables will also be served, as well as hot cross buns, an Easter chocolate trolley and a selection of British cheeses.
▶ Sunday; 12.30pm-5pm; from Dh285 per adult, Dh145 per child; Al Bateen Marina; 02 208 0000
Graphos Social Kitchen, Abu Dhabi
The Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island restaurant is hosting an Easter brunch with themed activities for children.
The buffet will include starters such as stuffed vine leaves, moutabel, hummus and fresh salads. Live cooking stations will serve pasta, grills, carved meats, seafood, sushi, sashimi and oysters. Other mains include beef bourguignon, seafood skewers, orange couscous with roasted walnuts, truffle mashed potatoes and vegetable lasagne.
For dessert, guests can expect vanilla creme brulee, baked yoghurt with tropical fruit relish, green apple and blackcurrant lollipop, white chocolate amarena cherry trifle and chocolate dulce de leche tart. A live dessert station will offer ice cream and a chocolate fountain with marshmallows and strawberries.
An Easter bunny will hand out gifts to children, who also have their own recreational area with themed activities and games.
▶ Sunday; 1pm-4pm; from Dh345 per adult, Dh95 per child; Yas Island; 052 547 6318
Antonia, Abu Dhabi
The Italian restaurant at Mamsha Al Saadiyat will prepare a four-course menu featuring classic dishes such as braised lamb shank with truffle polenta, home-made potato gnocchi with seafood and bottarga and grilled tiger prawns. The meal also includes colomba pasquale.
▶ Sunday; 3pm-6pm; Dh345 per person; Saadiyat Island; 02 667 2554
LPM Restaurant & Bar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Both outlets of the celebrated brand in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will serve a one-off menu.
Starters will include seared asparagus with goat’s cheese and grilled octopus with sweet pepper ragu, while main courses will be a rack of lamb or pan-seared halibut with cauliflower puree and mixed mushrooms. A chocolate Easter egg will be served for dessert.
Guests with children can join an egg-painting workshop on the terrace, while those ordering with Deliveroo will receive complimentary Easter eggs.
▶ Saturday and Sunday; noon-3pm; prices vary; 02 692 9600 (Abu Dhabi), 04 439 0505 (Dubai)
Reform & Social Grill, Dubai
The gastropub at The Lakes will start its Easter celebrations on Saturday with a party for dogs and owners, complete with games that pooches can take part in.
Sunday will welcome the Easter bunny and egg hunt activities. There will also be arts and crafts, while parents can enjoy a la carte dishes such as a lamb roast and hot cross buns.
▶ Saturday and Sunday; 5pm-7pm (Saturday), from 1pm (Sunday); prices vary; 04 454 2638
En Fuego, Dubai
The South American restaurant is putting on a barbecue party complete with live music and performers in colourful costumes. Diners can enjoy a buffet meal, with live cooking stations serving marinated chicken, Argentinian chorizo, prawns, corn on the cob, beef flank, roasted baby potatoes and gallina salad. An a la carte menu will also be available.
▶ Saturday and Sunday; 1pm-4pm; Dh195 per adult, Dh95 for children; Atlantis, The Palm; 04 426 2626
Cinque, Dubai
The Italian restaurant at Five Palm Jumeirah has created a four-course set menu for Easter Sunday.
Guests can start with a veal ragout and potato foam amuse-bouche before tucking into home-made green bottoni pasta with lamb ragout and chestnut sauce. For mains, guests can choose between slow-cooked lamb rack with mushroom tartlet and lamb sauce, or pan-seared yellowtail with organic spelt and clam and mussel soup.
Dessert is a golden Easter egg with white chocolate mousse, wild berry compote and frozen chocolate soil.
▶ Sunday; all day; Dh399 per person; Palm Jumeirah; 04 455 9989
Boardwalk, Dubai
This al fresco venue will host an Easter Sunday brunch with activities for children including egg decorating and face painting.
The buffet will include selections of cheese and pizza, French oysters, plus grill and pasta stations. The main event will be the “chocolate bunny village” dessert counter, with festive creations such as chocolate tofu on coconut sable and cherry chocolate tart with cooked tonka zabaglione.
▶ Sunday; noon-4pm; from Dh295 per adult, Dh145 per child; Dubai Creek Resort; 04 205 4647
Piatti by the Beach, Dubai
The Sunday brunch will celebrate elaborately woven Easter breads. One of these is casatiello, a savoury treat from Naples, which is meant to symbolise the promise of a new life. It is stuffed with an assortment of cured meats and cheeses, and is topped with coloured and cooked eggs.
Lamb, seasonal vegetables and pasta plates will also be available. Dessert will be colomba pasquale with candied citrus peel, crunchy pearl sugar and slivered almonds.
▶ Sunday; 12.30pm-4pm; from Dh540 per person; Raffles The Palm;
04 248 8889
Wavehouse, Dubai
An all-day party is taking place at the venue, complete with an egg hunt, face painting and egg decorating.
A band will entertain guests while stilt walkers dressed as bunnies roam around. A special menu has been created for the event, with dishes such as roast lamb and yellowfin tuna tartare.
▶ Saturday and Sunday; noon-11pm; prices vary; 04 426 2626
Family fun
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
Marina Hop is set to return to Yas Island on Easter Sunday.
The event will feature a variety of activities. At the supervised activity centre, there will be face painting, hat decorating and giant Jenga. The promenade will have a bunny-shaped maze and a huge colouring mural, while children will be able to participate in games including egg and spoon races and ring toss on the main lawn.
At 12.30pm, an Easter bunny will arrive by boat, providing photo opportunities for families. All activities are free for registered children aged three to 12, who will be entered into a draw to win two annual silver passes to Yas Island’s theme parks. Registration is available on site.
▶ Sunday; noon-5pm; free; Yas Island; www.yasmarina.ae
The Green Planet, Dubai
The biodome in City Walk is organising a special meet and greet with its newest guests, two short-beaked echidnas.
The in-house biologist will reveal more about the animals’ behaviour, diet, habitat and other fun facts, including that the echidna is one of only two egg-laying mammals in the world (the other being its distant cousin the platypus).
There will be Easter-themed decorations and eggs hidden around the venue. On Sunday, the first 100 children to visit The Green Planet Cafe and say the words “the echidna is here” will receive an Easter egg surprise.
▶ Until Sunday; 10am-6pm; from Dh125 per person; www.thegreenplanetdubai.com
Address Beach Resort, Dubai
The resort will host Easter egg painting for children, with craft sets priced at Dh150. For parents, there will be discounts on select dishes at The Restaurant during the event. ▶ Saturday; 1pm-5pm; Dh150 per painting set; Jumeirah Beach Residence; 04 423 8888
Sisi’s Eatery, Dubai
The Viennese restaurant will organise two days of Easter cookie decorating workshops. The in-house pastry chef will offer young artists some tips and tricks on how to spruce up their creations. A decoration kit will include egg-shaped cookies, icing, sprinkles and other ingredients. Each child will also be provided with juice and kaiserschmarnn, a sweet Viennese pancake.
▶ Friday and Saturday; 10am-5pm; Dh150 per child; Dubai Hills Mall; www.sisieatery.com
Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort
The resort will host a day of family-friendly Easter celebrations on Sunday. The afternoon will begin with a game of bunny hops, followed by Easter egg decorating and an egg hunt. Face-painting artists and DJs will be on hand before it culminates in a music parade. ▶ Sunday; from 2pm; Dh40 per person (Dh20 for in-house guests); Ras Al Khaimah; 056 548 0320