African Queen opened on the shores of the French Riviera 55 years ago and can count Naomi Campbell, Bono and Sylvester Stallone among its customers. The renowned restaurant has now brought its blend of Mediterranean, African and continental flavours to Dubai's with the opening of an outlet at J1 Beach.
The original dining venue takes its name from an Oscar-winning 1950s film that also inspired its bold, maximalist interior design. The J1 Beach outpost showcases contemporary elegance in a colourful yet chic space suited to both intimate dinners and lively celebrations.
It has quickly become a busy midweek venue. My dining partner and I visit on a Tuesday night to find out if this is due to its reputation as a celebrity hangout spot in the Cote d'Azur or its new kid-on-the-block status.
Where to sit and what to expect
We're greeted by a zealous front-of-house team as we walk into the dimly lit, green-tiled entrance. The enclave opens up to a spacious open-air dining area, and we're shown to our seats a few steps shy of the pool. This way, we can soak in the bold interior design while also taking in the golden-hour glow reflected in the water.
Meanwhile, the music (think funk tunes and soul remixes) from our seats is at an ideal volume for an early evening meal, keeping the energy high and conversation flowing without vocal strain.
The menu
The menu is an eclectic mix of cuisines, with pages of both fresh, healthy options and indulgent comfort foods, from Riviera salad to truffle pizza. Fluffy flat bread served with olive tapenade is placed on our table to start our meal. It's delicious and is a modest portion as we don't want to fill ourselves up too early.
For starters, we order calamari (Dh85), tomato tatin (Dh95) and the old-fashioned artichoke and truffle salad (Dh135), which is our favourite. Served in a hollowed artichoke with shavings of ingredients within, it's a flavour-packed start to our meal.
For mains, we chose grilled tenderloin in Bearnaise sauce (Dh285) served with a side of truffle mash (Dh70) for my meat eating partner and, as a vegan, a simple orecchiette pasta served with fresh arrabiata sauce for myself. It's a stripped-down version of the orecchiette with octopus ragu, which ordinarily costs Dh125, made vegan-friendly just for me.
For dessert, there's a selection of delicacies, from pastries to cakes. Yet the golden chocolate bar is the one that stands out, oozing mousse, passion fruit, caramel and biscuit bites. So indulgent, my guest only makes it through half, taking the rest home for her four-year-old son, who later offers his testimonial by crowning it the “best cake ever”.
Standout dish
Our server tells us that the wood-fired truffle pizza (Dh180) is one of most popular dishes. Then, there's the African curry made with chicken, served with mango chutney and basmati rice (Dh135); the Nicoise salad complete with tuna ventresca (Dh135) prepared tableside; and the fanciful royal sea bass with baked potato and sour cream (Dh480).
We sample just a sliver of this comprehensive menu. While our selections span both decadent dishes and comfort foods, there's a surprising one that stands out for both of us: the old-fashioned artichoke and truffle salad. The ingredients are minimal, yet a full-bodied blend of flavours. It's an optical treat, too, and becomes a dish easy to associate with African Queen's playful personality. All the food is delicious, but this is memorable as well.
Contact information
African Queen is located at J1 Beach in Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 570 55 46.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Martin Puchner
Granta
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Getting%20there
%3Cp%3EGiven%20its%20remote%20location%2C%20getting%20to%20Borneo%20can%20feel%20daunting%20even%20for%20the%20most%20seasoned%20traveller.%20But%20you%20can%20fly%20directly%20from%20Kuala%20Lumpur%20to%20Sandakan%20and%20Sepilok%20is%20only%20half%20an%20hour%20away%20by%20taxi.%20Sandakan%20has%20plenty%20of%20accommodation%20options%2C%20while%20Sepilok%20has%20a%20few%20nature%20lodges%20close%20to%20the%20main%20attractions.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
