DUBAI WINNERS 2011

RESTAURANT OF THEYEAR
La Petite Maison
The past few months have seen the opening of a rash of quality new dining establishments, but over the past 12 months, since is was awarded our Best Newcomer award at the What’s On Awards 2010, one restaurant has ruled this city, providing one of the most pleasant atmospheres you could ever wish to dine in and some of the most consistent and delicious dishes in town. And that restaurant is, What’s On’s Hot List champion, La Petite Maison.

CHEF OF THE YEAR
Franck Detrait, Traiteur
Park Hyatt Dubai’s Traiteur has long been a favourite restaurant of ours. Never off What’s On Hot List, it is one of the city’s most popular and reliable French restaurants. The man behind a menu that is constantly evolving but never in danger of losing its classic Gallic roots is Franck Detrait. A very talented, and very lovely, man indeed, and our chef of the year.

BEST NEWCOMER
Table 9 by Nick and Scott
Winner of our Chef Of The Year award in 2010, Scott Price, and his talented partner Nick Alvis, have dealt with mentor Gordon Ramsay’s departure from the Dubai dining scene in fine fighting style, opening up what is the city’s most exciting new restaurant. Our best newcomer, Table 9 by Nick and Scott.

FAVOURITE THE AMERICAS
Asado
It’s a broad ranging title, The Americas, encompassing two continents and a surfeit of vastly different cuisines. But it is Latin America that has really come to prominence on the city’s dining scene in the past few years, and it is no shock to us that Argentinean restaurant Asado walked away with this year’s award for best restaurant from The Americas.

FAVOURITE BAR
Barasti
Come the cooler months, Barasti is packed to the palm frond rafters with revellers keen to capture that holiday feeling, so it’s no surprise the public voted it their favourite bar. A classic choice for wowing visitors or just kicking back on a Saturday afternoon, Barasti retains the crown for being the most popular watering hole in town.

FAVOURITE BRUNCH
The Grand Grill
A Dubai institution, the Friday brunch has become an expensive habit in the past few years, with prices tags pushing up to and beyond the Dhs500 mark. But The Grand Grill is the public’s favourite because of its casual atmosphere and staff infused with the party spirit – all for less than Dhs300.

FAVOURITE CAFÉ
Jones the Grocer
Following the popularity of Jones the Grocer in the capital, Dubai’s very own outpost was eagerly awaited. Plentiful salads, takeaway sandwiches, fresh pasta and delicious desserts abound, not to mention the tasting stations and deli. If the queues for breakfast at the weekend are anything to go by, Jones will be a favourite for a long time to come.

FAVOURITE EUROPEAN
Rivington Grill
European is the toughest category in the awards, with many of our personal favourites battling it out for votes. Any one of them would be more than deserving of the prize. But none more so than our favourite spot to enjoy a Saturday roast. We know it as the RG or The Riv. It is, of course, Rivington Grill.

FAVOURITE FAR EASTERN
Lemongrass
Anyone who loves Thai food has Lemongrass on speed dial and we’re no exception. Authentic flavours, fantastic service, an unpretentious air and prices that won’t break the bank have earned this loveable restaurant and takeaway a place in Dubai’s heart. We’ll have a panaeng chicken curry (medium spicy), pad thai and some tom yam soup, please.

FAVOURITE ITALIAN
Bice
Over the past year we’ve eaten some superb Italian food in Dubai – clever, well sourced and created with pride to a dish – but Italian cuisine is about clean, honest flavours infused with love and shared with family and friends. And nowhere does it better than the ever-popular Bice.

FAVOURITE INTERNATIONALR
Teatro
With a cracking location overlooking Sheikh Zayed Road, a host of loyal diners and a menu so diverse you can cover the globe within three courses, Teatro continues to delight Dubai’s food fans. While many restaurants bill themselves as international, it’s often a get-out clause for a clueless chef. Not so here, with Japan, Italy, India and more represented in style.

BEST INDIAN & PAKISTANI
Indego by Vineet
With vast Indian and Pakistani communities here in Dubai, the city is awash with quality restaurants, both independent and within hotels. Choosing our ‘best curry in Dubai’ earlier this year was one of the toughest calls we’ve had to make in 2011, but the inventiveness of chef Vineet Bhatia’s team shows what Indian cuisine can become in the hands of a genius. Indego is our favourite in this category, and you the public wisely agree.

FAVOURITE JAPANESE
Zuma
We have consistently named this restaurant ‘the best Japanese restaurant in Dubai’, and it’s no stranger to a What’s On Award or two, having taken home a glut in the past two years. There are several good enough to challenge it, but, as yet none quite good enough to beat it. The favourite Japanese is, of course, Zuma.

FAVOURITE MIDDLE EASTERN
Shabestan
Unsurprisingly there are some wonderful places to enjoy this region’s cuisine in Dubai, from the abundance of quality Lebanese restaurants to Turkish, Syrian and in recent years an increase in traditional Emirati venues. But it is the Radisson’s Persian favourite that retains a special place in people’s hearts. Once again, ladies and gents, we give you, Shabestan.

FAVOURITE PUB GRUB
McGettigan's
Exploding onto the pub scene, JLT’s busiest bar isn’t just a reliable choice for a pint and the big game, as the voting public knows. Instead of pallid chips and sad club sandwiches, McGettigan’s kitchen produces platefuls of tasty dishes, from the impressive Irish fry-up to lighter lunch options. We’ve been known to go for a burger in the evening, and return for the brunch the next day.

FAVOURITE SEAFOOD
Aprons & Hammers
Why no-one has opened a crab shack in Dubai before is a real head scratcher; we have some of the freshest seafood around and a horde of hungry diners waiting to wear an apron and crack some shells. This wonderful spot has quickly become a real favourite, with diners charmed by the floating venue, personable staff and buckets full of just-caught crabs, prawns, mussels and more.

FAVOURITE STEAKHOUSE
Rhodes Twenty10
We often complain about the percentage of new openings in Dubai that are steakhouses. Restaurateurs seem to think it’s easy money. People like steak. All it takes is some good meat and a hot griddle. But they couldn’t be more wrong. The second Dubai restaurant opened by our monthly columnist, Gary Rhodes, is an example of how to do it right. More than just a steakhouse, Rhodes Twenty10 is, nevertheless, the best steakhouse in Dubai.

FAVOURITE SPORTING EVENT
Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens
A marathon, a tennis championship, two golf tournaments and all manner of other sporting events from international cricket to the burgeoning local football league take part in this desert land every year. But there is one event that has such a history in this city, it will always be a highlight on the Dubai sporting and social calendar. The Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens.

FAVOURITE CONCERT
Faithless
One of the world’s biggest dance acts took to the sands in April, wowing a crowd of thousands with a staggering sound system, light show and live performance. Music fans flocked to Nasimi Beach to hear the hits, leaving the city buzzing for days and quietly humming Insomnia for weeks, with the concert setting the standard for the rest of the year.

FAVOURITE NIGHTCLUB
Rock Bottom
When Rock Bottom opened its Tecom club, Dubai was split – some rejoiced that they wouldn’t have to trek down to Bur Dubai, whole others wondered how could it measure up to the original. Well, the critics have been answered, with voters giving the new club a resounding thumbs up. Packed every night of the week, the city’s party institution is well on its way to becoming a superbrand.

FAVOURITE FESTIVAL
Sandance
Think of parties on the beach and you think of Sandance. This hugely successful festival has had several incarnations in 2011, attracting Dubai’s party people with its inimitable atmosphere. October’s festival saw ex-Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft play an unforgettable acoustic set as the sun went down, UK dance-rapper Example whipping the crowd into a frenzy and the Grammy Award-winning producer and DJ David Morales finishing with one of his legendary sets. With a huge crowd singing the praises of Sandance, it’s no wonder it scooped the gong.