10 places to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Dubai

Garden on 8
The Media One Hotel venue is throwing a party for the entire St. Patrick’s Day weekend. On Thursday there will be special Irish dishes served consisting of lamb stew and burgers. Friday’s Notorious Day Brunch will have an Irish twist too, with a beverage station dedicated to Irish drinks on standby. And on Saturday, the big day, the chefs will serve up traditional fare such as beef sausage with mustard champ mash and onion gravy. They’ll also show the Six Nation’s finale between England and Ireland.
Brilliantly, Garden on 8 will also air the Cheltenham horse races over the weekend and for every Irish horse that wins, they’ll raffle off a bottle of traditional Irish beverage.
Where: Media One Hotel, Dubai
When: March 16-17
Contact: +971 4 427 1000,

UBK
Well, this is something else. On St. Paddy’s Day you’ll be able to take on one of the biggest eating challenges in the region with the incredible looking Hulk Dog. The one metre dog in a special green roll is split into different segments featuring nachos, chili and mac and cheese. It’s AED170 and comes with fries and two house beverages. Not up to the challenge? Don’t worry, you can always share it with your mates.
Where: Mövenpick Jumeirah Lakes Towers
When: March 17
Contact: +971 4 429 8789,

The Dubliner’s
A festival is taking place up at The Dubliner’s as they embrace the festivities of the Emerald Isle with three days of celebrations. Each day offers an all-you-can-eat deal for just AED109 that will contain Irish delicacies. There’ll also be a live band to get the party going with traditional tunes that will have you slapping your thighs and tapping your feet all night.
Where: Le Méridien Dubai
When: March 15-17
Contact: +971 4 217 0000,

Seafire Steakhouse
If you fancy celebrating the big day in a unique way, then Seafire Steakhouse is the venue for you. Chef de Cuisine Raymond Wong and Master Butcher Allan Morris of Ireland’s famous John Stone Dry Aged Meat Company are putting on a series of dinners and a masterclass of how to use the finest Irish produce. There’s a seven-course menu that takes in fish cakes, truffle scented leek and potato soup and, of course, succulent cuts of beef striploin. There’ll also be the chance to indulge in a selection of Irish beverages too. It takes place between 8.30pm and 11.30pm and costs AED390.
Where: Atlantis The Palm
When: March 16-17
Contact: +971 4 426 2626, website

Reform Social & Grill
Reform is keeping it simple, and great, this St. Paddy’s Day as they stick the big rugby battle between England and Ireland on their enormous screen. There’s also an unlimited three hour BBQ brunch between 6.30pm and 9.30pm with prices starting at AED250.
Where: The Lakes
When: March 17
Contact: +971 4 454 2638,

QD’s
In what could be one of the most complete St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the UAE, QD’s is pulling out all the stops on March 17. As well as putting on the England versus Ireland Six Nations match, the day will be rammed with Irish entertainment and activities, too.
Have a crack at the classic Gaelic sport of hurling and see if you can score a penalty shot. The soundtrack will be typically traditional, too, as a singer-songwriter and later, a band, will perform classic tracks from Irish performers. QD’s is encouraging guests to dress up for the day and will award the best dressed person some prizes. And, probably best of all, you can claim a free drink if you’re either a) wearing green or b) actually an Irish national. Just be sure you’re able to prove it.
Where: Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
When: March 17
Contact: +971 4 295 6000, website