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Think of all the past editions of Taste of Abu Dhabi as appetisers, and we are finally ready to move on to the main course. This year, the annual food festival is returning with more food, more workshops, more chefs… you get the idea.
The festival will serve up an unforgettable time between Nov 13 and 15 at Yas Gateway Park North.
Here’s what you’ve got to plan for:
Celebrity chef workshops
You don’t even have to bring your own aprons – just a can do attitude and an appetite to learn. Familiar faces like Italian chef Gino D’Acampo will be running hands-on workshops where you can learn some old tips and some new tricks on how to make a dish level up. Irish TV personality Rachel Allen is also expected this year after a popular debut at the Dubai version in 2025.
Thomas Straker, classically trained chef, restaurateur and food entrepreneur, is also heading to the Taste of Abu Dhabi kitchens.
These workshops are free to attend – just ensure you are around during class time for spots go on a first-come first-served basis and open an hour before the action.
Other chefs on the workshop menu card are:
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Jenny Morris, aka The Giggling Gourmet
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Faisal Naser
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Vanessa Bayma
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Joseph Nesbitt-Larking
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Andrew Dickens
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Richard Stratton
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Dave Kimmerly
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Hunter Burkall
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Fred Casagrande
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Annika Panikker
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Shamal More
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Sergio Freitas
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Leonardo Luza Lillo
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Hartono Julianto
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Samuel Momoh
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Rene Cerda
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Omkar Padwal
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Michelle Tredoux
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Francisco Araya
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Durgesh Dabral
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Bilal Louna
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Adetoyosi Odufuye
And besides them, there are pasta making and coffee brewing workshops on site too.
What are we eating?
Sixteen pop-ups will be at Taste of Abu Dhabi with special menus with four-five taster-sized cooked up just for the occasion – come prepared to dig in. So far the restaurants that are confirmed are:
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Oak Room
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The Director’s Club
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Ergon
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99 | Tanjun
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Almayass
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Beetza
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Ting Irie
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Paradiso
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Pincode By Kunal Kapur
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Desert Lotus
What about Live entertainment?
Winter calls for not only good food and time outdoors but also live entertainment as the breeze nips at you. And so, the carnival atmosphere will carry on the whole day; the confirmed acts include:
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Dubai-based music collective Gorgeous George
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Singer-songwriter Abri
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Jazz fusion artist Jose Ramon
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Guitarist Adam Mezi
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DJ and MC Talk of The Town
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DJ and MC Saif And Sound
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DJ Whiteboy
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DJ Akmaral
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South African singer-songwriter Aston Wylie
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Band of Brodas
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The Nomads
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Dario Madrigal
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Amine
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Acoustic Energy
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Hydyy Brown
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Ryan Gibb
What are some other highlights of the food fest?
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A mega Kids’ Zone for the tots with time for activities while their parents discover new flavours
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VIP Experiences, which include fast-track entry, food and drink vouchers and access to the chilled out VIP Lounge
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Artisan producers, local businesses and leading brands will serve up their best
What is a ticket going to cost me and what are the inclusions?
To enter, you can choose between four packages: Standard, Taster, VIP, and Team.
Standard
Price: Dh80
Inclusions:
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One-day entry to the event
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Access to Taste culinary workshops (registration first-come first-served on the day)
Taster
Price: Dh185
Inclusions:
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Day-long entry
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2 food vouchers
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2 drink vouchers
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Access to live chef demos, culinary workshops
VIP
Price: Dh350
Inclusions:
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Fast-track entry
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3 food vouchers
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4 drink vouchers
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Access to the Taste VIP Lounge
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Access to live chef demos, culinary workshops
Team
Friday Work Social Packages are available for groups of 8 or more.
Price: Dh130/per person
Inclusions:
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Friday entry before 3pm, food vouchers and VIP Lounge access
Kids under 12 get in free.
So if you are looking for a spot to unwind while nibbling on good food and listening to good music, this is the food festival you want to try. It really is the main course.
