MAKE NEW YEAR’S EVE A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
If you haven’t made plans yet, here are 10 spots in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that are still taking bookings,
DUBAI A cultured experience
Head to Dubai Opera for a black-tie affair that takes in a gala concert, dinner and dancing. The evening begins at 6pm with canapés and pre-dinner drinks, followed by a programme by the 50-piece London Concert Orchestra with soloists Iona Domnich and Jesus Leon Rendon performing muchloved classics and a rousing finale of Edward Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance. After the show, choose between a sumptuous sit-down dinner with views of the Burj Khalifa, or dance the night away at a dazzling indoor reception, with chart-topping hits from Dubai Opera’s resident DJ.
Packages start from Dh2,500 per person; www.dubaiopera.com
One for the kids
Take the young ones out for an indulgent meal accompanied by foot-thumping music at Cabana or Na3Na3 at The Address Dubai Mall. The former includes carving and seafood stations, and live entertainment by a Cuban band. Seating options include a private cabana or Burj Khalifa-facing terrace tables. At Na3Na3, enjoy a buffet featuring roast turkey and other festive delicacies, and a Hawaiian dancer and live band; both from 7.30pm to 2am.
Packages at Cabana start from Dh2,350 per person at a shared table; Dh1,175 for children between the ages of 6 and 11; and Dh17,000 for a private cabana for up to 8 guests. At Na3Na3, packages start from Dh1,100 per adult and Dh550 per child. To make reservations, call 04 438 8888 or email dine@emaar.com
Pocket-friendly pick
Millennium Plaza will transport guests to Hawaii at a luau-inspired party at the Infinity Pool & Lounge, with panoramic views of the Dubai skyline. Tropical costumes advised. For a more glamorous evening, head to the Club Lounge on the 61st floor for the Black and Gold party, with a delicious surf and turf buffet, unlimited soft drinks and live cooking stations; both from 8pm.
The luau party costs Dh375 per person, while Black and Gold is from Dh475. Call 04 387 7777 or email info. mphd@millenniumhotels.com
Cost no bar
Bring in the new year amid the opulent environs of the Burj Al Arab Terrace, overlooking the Arabian Gulf. Have dinner at one of the hotel’s five restaurants and then head to the Terrace to ring in 2018 with free-flowing bubbly, a series of stage performances and a spectacular fireworks show at midnight. Venues for dinner include Bab Al Yam, Al Iwan, Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara, Scape Restaurant and Al Muntaha. Packages start from Dh8,000 per person; call 04 301 7777
Pool party
Party animals can head to the newly opened Soho Garden, a pool-club with floating waterbeds, multiple music zones and bars, plus a 10,000-capacity concert stage, which will be taken over on December 31 by celebrated house DJ Klingande from France. Located at Meydan, the venue offers uninterrupted views of Dubai’s fireworks displays in all directions.
Packages start from Dh400 for women and Dh600 for men for an open bar from 7pm to midnight; and Dh650 for a sharing menu. Call 056 822 2559 or email reservations@ sohogardendxb.com
Beach bonanza and overnight stay
Billed as the longest New Year’s Eve party, the Overnight Celebration festivities at Nikki Beach start from 1pm in the form of a beach disco party with a performance by Barbara Tucker (aka the Queen of House) and DJ Q, and all-day access to the venue’s private cabanas. The revelries continue through the night on the upper level, with access to Nikki Privé until 3am. Guests can then spend the night at the Ultimate Villa, available for a maximum of 10 people. The overnight stay also includes a round-trip transfer in a Rolls-Royce, a personal shout-out from Tucker at the NYE party, and breakfast at Café Nikki on January 1.
For prices, reservations and more information, visit www.nikkibeachhotels.com/dubai
ABU DHABI
Put on your dancing shoes
Toro Toro Abu Dhabi is hosting a Brazilian carnival-themed NYE party with Samba dancers, live musicians, unlimited drinks from the in-house mixologists and plenty of dancing. Live stations will serve up the Latin fare the restaurant is famous for. Guests can wander between the restaurant and lounge, and head to the waterfront terrace for the fireworks display at midnight. The band kicks off at 7pm.
Packages start from Dh499 per person. Call 02 811 5882 or email reservations@torotoro.ae
French fare with flair
La Petite Maison at The Galleria will offer its delectable à la carte menu alongside a James Bond-themed party – think tuxedos and cocktail gowns. The decor promises to channel a vibe of “glamour and espionage”, with an in-house DJ performing a live set from 7pm to 3am. Recommended dishes include the burrata; prawns in olive oil; rigatoni with mushrooms; sea bass with artichokes; lamb cutlets with black olive paste; and LPM’s signature escargot cooked in butter; and foie gras-stuffed chicken.
Seating can be reserved without a minimum spend between 7pm
and 9pm, while a second seating at 9pm comes with a minimum spend of Dh800 indoors or Dh1,000 on the terrace. Call 02 692 9600 or email info@lpmabudhabi.ae
Budget beach party
Have dinner at any one of Sheraton Abu Dhabi’s restaurants – Flavours (world cuisine), Bravo (Spanish), El Sombrero (Mexican) or Tavern (pub grub) – from 8pm, and get free entry to the New Year’s Eve party after. The beachside gathering includes a band playing pop hits from the 1980s and 1990s, from 10pm until late.
Dining packages start from Dh320 for adults and Dh130 for kids between the ages of 6 and 12. The party on the beach is Dh125, inclusive of one drink (free entry for restaurant guests). Call 02 677 3333 or email Irene. Vilches@sheraton.com
A romantic night out
Reserve one of Hakkasan Abu Dhabi’s private dining rooms and enjoy a paired set menu of the restaurant’s best-loved Cantonese dishes: crispy taro and pumpkin cake with chicken floss and dry chilli; stir-fry Australian Wagyu rib-eye beef with red wine and jackfruit; charcoalgrilled Chilean sea bass with bean crumb and king soya sauce; and a chocolate orange bar with kumquat sorbet. At midnight, head out to the terrace area or wander through the Emirates Palace’s many al fresco spots to enjoy the fireworks display lighting up the skyline.
The New Year’s Eve menu costs between Dh888 and Dh1,088 per person, for a minimum of two people. Call 02 690 7739 or email hakkasan@ emiratespalace.ae