As its name suggests, walking into Dream Dubai is to escape to another world. The dinner-and-show venue, which opened in January at the Address Beach Resort, JBR, is an experience like no other.
Fusing jaw-dropping acrobatic performances, dancers and live musical performances with a top-notch international cuisine, it's an evening designed to transport you to a wonderland where, at least for a few hours, you find yourself willingly submitting to whatever the night may morph into.
Scroll through the gallery above for more pictures from Dream Dubai
Run by Sunset Hospitality Group, the team behind SushiSamba and Lola Taberna Espanola, Dream Dubai has just launched a new season with new acts and a refreshed menu, and it's still an enticing escape from reality that's as mesmerising as when it first opened.
The show
Conceptualised by award-winning Arab choreographer Pierre Khadra, who serves as creative director, the main attraction at Dream Dubai is undoubtedly the show. Or shows, to be precise, as they take place with 15-minute intervals, each lasting less than 10 minutes so guests are not distracted from their meals for too long.
While the restaurant opens at 8pm, the first of 12 performance begins after 10pm with a musical medley. Standing on a pedestal in the middle of the restaurant, a singer runs through a mix of contemporary and classic hits, warming up the room.
Orchestrated to recreate varying stages of a dream, the performance is a teaser for what's to come, where, soon enough, the lights dim and projections light up one side of the restaurant. Masked dancers in glittering dresses and large pink hats appear on a stage on one side, while some are suspended from the ceiling. They then begin their performance, while a singer performs at another end of the restaurant.
Performances erupt around the room, ensuring everyone gets a front-seat view, irrespective of where they're seated.
Khadra, who has worked with regional and international artists such as Elissa, Tamer Hosny, Nancy Ajram, Myriam Fares, Wael Kfoury, Ricky Martin and Andrea Bocelli, effortlessly blends a variety of dance styles and cultural references. A Moulin Rouge-style number pivots to a nail-biting hand-balancing acrobatic act, which is followed by dancers in Roman dresses grooving to a Lil Nas X song. In between, there are Ed Sheeran hits being performed, as well as Lizzo's.
The performances, as well as the music pick up pace as the evening goes on, eventually giving the restaurant a night club vibe as guests are up on their feet, dancing.
The dinner
Dream Dubai is as much about the food as the performances. The shows come in quick bursts so as not to deflect guests' attention for too long from the culinary experience. And the Mediterranean menu has a lot to offer.
Starters include grilled octopus (Dh155), snails in parsley butter (Dh115), pan-seared scallops and caviar (Dh195) and a cheese board selection (Dh185).
For mains, there is a truffle pizza (Dh395), linguine with lobster (Dh195), as well as an 800g grilled T-bone steak (Dh715).
There's also a wide selection of salads, fresh oysters and signature plates, which includes a grilled beef rib with salad for Dh1,150.
Vegan options are also available for all courses.
Where to sit and what to expect
While performances take place across the room and each table gives you an unhampered view of the main stage where many of the group performances take place, a table close to the stage will cost more to reserve.
Dream Dubai is a smoking restaurant so non-smokers will need to take note.
Price point and contact information
The minimum spend per person is between Dh800 and Dh1,000 depending on the table location. Dream Dubai is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 8pm until late. Garden of Dreams, the restaurant's terrace, is open daily from 6pm to 3am.
Dream Dubai is located at Address Beach Resort, JBR. Reservations can be made by contacting 04 220 0224 or reservations@dreamdxb.com.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
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Daniella Weiss and Nachala
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Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
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Transmission: two-speed
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The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
UAE v Oman - abandoned
Oman v Namibia - abandoned
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
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