Vote Now for this year's Dubai Hidden Gems

Dear readers,

Hope you have started an amazing week ahead. I want you to vote for your favourite restaurants as part of Dubai Hidden Gems campaign. Voting closes on 24 January. I know you want your restaurant to be selected the best. See the press release from House of Comms.

Dubai Food Festival, Dubai’s annual citywide culinary celebration, is once again hunting for Dubai’s most popular undiscovered restaurants as part of its Dubai Hidden Gems campaign – with last voting closing on 24 January.

From Egyptian to Emirati, American to Arabic, lesser-known tasty treasures from all over Dubai have been whittled down to a shortlist of 50 by top food influencers, such as Muna Al Shamsi and Talal Al Rashed, for fellow foodies across the UAE and GCC to vote on.

With the voting phase closing on 24 January, food-lovers are being urged to visit the dedicated Dubai Hidden Gems website to get their votes in and be in with a chance of making sure their foodie favourite makes the final list.

Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said:“There’s a common misconception that Dubai’s gastronomy scene is all about fine dining, however there are some fantastic smaller eateries across the city that offer affordable, delicious food. Dubai Hidden Gems is a great way of shining a spotlight on those local undiscovered restaurants that hold a special place in the hearts of Dubai residents. I can’t wait to see the result of the public vote and urge any foodie who is yet to cast their vote to get their choice in before the poll closes.”

A whole host of restaurants offering affordable cuisine have made this year’s line-up, including Mezza House in Downtown Dubai, which serves authentic Arabic food in vibrantly decorated surroundings, plus Labbys the Hellenic House in JLT, which invites diners to enjoy traditional Greek dishes in a relaxed atmosphere.

A feast of burger joints make the shortlist with Krush Burger (Al Marooj Rotana), The Smokin’ 9 (JLT) and Volt (Al Warqa) all selected for their mouthwateringly-good meat patties. Those in search of more traditional Emirati cuisine can vote for casual Emirati eatery Al Forrat in Naif or Al Kehettar (Hor Al Anz), which serves up authentic Emirati food with distinctive flavours.

Once the winners have been crowned, foodies across the UAE will be able to book a Dubai Hidden Gems tour comprising of a visit to each of the winning restaurants that will take place during Dubai Food Festival. More information will be released on the tours closer to the event.

If that wasn’t enough, anyone who casts a vote will be automatically entered in a grand prize draw to win a tantalisingly tasty prize of a three-night stay at a luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Dubai’s old district, a tour of 2017’s official Dubai Hidden Gems restaurants led by a top foodie influencer, plus a luxury dinner experience for two at one of the city’s top fine dining restaurants.

The full list of shortlisted restaurants can be found at http://www.dubaihiddengems.com

Ciao,

G