Author: Monica Bonalto

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Monica Bonalto arrived in Dubai in 2017 with a background in hospitality journalism and quickly became one of the most trusted voices in the UAE's dining and nightlife space. Over seven years on the ground, she has reviewed more than 400 venues across all seven emirates — from the sun-baked beach clubs of JBR and the rooftop terraces of DIFC, to the understated local gems that rarely make it onto tourist lists.Before joining What's Hot in UAE as Nightlife & Dining Editor, Monica contributed to Time Out Dubai, Abu Dhabi Food Festival coverage, and several regional hospitality publications. She has attended every major restaurant opening in Dubai since 2019 and maintains direct relationships with PRs and venue operators across the city — which means the information you read in her guides is always verified, never recycled from a press release.Her specialities are happy hours (she has personally verified every deal on our lists), Friday brunches, and the Northern Emirates' emerging food scene. She is based in DIFC and eats out five times a week. When she says a place is worth your money, it is.Follow Monica's work on Muck Rack, Substack, Vocal, and Medium.

Assorted Middle Eastern dishes on patterned plates, including kebab skewers, stuffed eggplant, hummus, tabbouleh, and flatbread with pomegranate garnish

Ask anyone who has spent a 3am taxi ride craving mixed grill and hummus where to go, and Aroos Damascus will come up before the driver has even pulled off. It is one of Dubai’s longest-running Syrian restaurants, the kind of place where the queue at midnight is as long as the one at lunch, and where locals will argue, cheerfully, over which branch does it best. This guide breaks down every current location, what to order at each, and what actually differs between them, so you can skip the guesswork. A Damascus name that has stuck around Dubai for…

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Decorative entrance gate to Quranic Park with floral-patterned towers and a crosswalk in front

Quranic Park doesn’t look like much from the entrance, pleasant landscaping, a couple of themed gardens. Then you reach the Cave of Miracles and the Glass House, and it becomes clear this is one of Dubai’s more genuinely thoughtful public parks, built around a concept you won’t find anywhere else in the city. What Is Quranic Park? Quranic Park is a themed public park in Al Khawaneej, Dubai, designed around plants, trees, and elements referenced in the Quran. It combines open green space and walking trails with two standout attractions, the Cave of Miracles and the Glass House, plus a…

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A group of playful people in Candy Museum Dubai

If your Instagram feed needs a serious sugar rush, Candy Museum Dubai is built for exactly that. It’s part sweet shop, part interactive art installation, part full-blown sensory experience — a candy-coloured playground of oversized lollipop forests, marshmallow clouds and ball pits that photograph beautifully and, refreshingly, are actually fun to walk through rather than just stand in front of. It’s become a go-to for families, groups of friends and content creators alike, and it’s small enough to fit into a half-day out without derailing your whole itinerary. Here’s what to expect. What Is Candy Museum Dubai? Candy Museum is…

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Luxury boutique entrance with Bâoli Dubai and Prada signs, modern cream architecture, and lush landscaping

Let’s clear something up before anything else: Bâoli Dubai is not on Palm Jumeirah, whatever a stray URL somewhere on the internet might suggest. It sits at J1 Beach on Jumeirah 1, the stretch of reclaimed coastline that’s quietly become one of the city’s busiest beach club postcodes, sandwiched between the Jumeirah Beach strip and the skyline views of Marina and JBR. If you’ve been searching for “Bâoli The Palm,” save yourself the taxi fare and redirect to J1. What you’ll find there is one of Dubai’s more theatrical day-to-night operations: a French-Mediterranean restaurant with a Japanese accent, a crescent-shaped…

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Man sitting on a reflective floor in a vivid blue and orange digital art installation with cartoon-like floating figures

If your feed has been full of neon corridors, secret doors and people mid-scream inside what looks like a fever dream, chances are you have already seen House of Hype without realising what it was. Tucked inside Dubai Mall, this is not a restaurant, a bar or a nightclub in the traditional sense. Instead, it is Dubai’s answer to the immersive-experience trend. Moreover, it has quickly become one of the most talked-about things to do in the city after dark. Honestly, it is popular during the day too. What Exactly Is House of Hype? House of Hype is a high-energy,…

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A girl bowling at Dubai International Bowling Centre

Bowling doesn’t need reinventing, but Dubai International Bowling Centre has quietly become one of the city’s most reliable, no-frills nights out — decent lanes, arcade games to fill the gaps between frames, and none of the velvet-rope pretension that comes with a lot of Dubai’s newer entertainment venues. It’s a solid pick for birthdays, corporate nights, first dates that need a low-pressure activity, or just a Tuesday evening with nothing better to do. Here’s the practical rundown before you book a lane. Location Dubai International Bowling Centre is located in Al Mankhool, near the Trade Centre area of Bur Dubai…

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