Jumeirah | November 2016

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Life in the fast lane

F1 special: behind the scenes of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Matters of the art

The Middle and Far East are emerging as cultural hubs

Concours d’Elegance Classic wheels take a spin in Dubai for the first time

renee zellweger The Oscar winner talks exclusively to Jumeirah about the return of Bridget Jones

Marine Chronometer 60 hours power reserve Self-winding manufacture Silicium technology ulysse-nardin.com

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TH E E TE RNAL MOVE ME NT

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Call for a tour: UAE: 800 EUROPE International: +971 4 454 9818 marketing@thoe.com www.thefloatingseahorse.com

at

THE WORLD, DUBAI

Elegance is an attitude Kate Winslet

Visit the Longines Boutiques at: DUBAI: Al Ghurair Center 04 295 4518 • Dubai Mall 04 339 8528 Dubai Festival City 055 8084109 • Meydan 056 3481306 Mirdif City Centre 04 284 3604 • ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi Mall 02 650 4250 Marina Mall, AUH 02 681 3419 • The Galleria, Al Maryah Island 02 650 7391 Also available at Rivoli stores throughout the UAE. Call toll free 800-RIVOLI or visit www.rivoligroup.com

Longines DolceVita

Image: Rex features

november 2016

Jumeirah Magazine Jumeirah Corporate Office, Al Sufouh Rd, PO Box 73137, Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 366 5000, Fax: +971 4 366 5001.

Website: www.jumeirah.com Jumeirah is a trading name of Jumeirah International LLC. A Limited Liability company.

Registration Number 57869.

Share Capital Dhs 300,000 fully paid up.

Jumeirah International LLC its affiliates, parent companies and subsidiaries (“Jumeirah Group”) and the publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication for whatever reason, however caused.

The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of Jumeirah Group or of the publishers.

Readers are advised to solicit advice before acting on the information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. Jumeirah Group and the publishers take no responsibilty for the goods and services advertised. All materials are protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (Including photocopying or storage in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the copyright owner, except as may be permitted by applicable laws.

Editor-in-Chief

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer

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Managing Partner & Group Editor

lan Fairservice Editorial Director

Gina Johnson Group Editor

Sophia Serin Art Director

Karen Evans Acting Editor

Tahira Yaqoob tahira.yaqoob@motivate.ae Picture Editor

Diana Bell-Heather Contributors

Claire Hill, John Hiscock, Alex Lane, Danae Mercer, Helena Frith Powell, Conor Purcell, Gareth Rees, Ryan Young Publisher – Luxury & Lifestyle

Contents

Negar Ghodstinat negar@motivate.ae General Manager – Production

S Sunil Kumar Production Manager

Monitor

R Murali Krishnan Production Supervisor

Venita Pinto

Essential news and previews

Chief Commercial Officer

Anthony Milne

16 City watch Discover some of the most exciting events happening this month

Group Sales Manager

Ziad Saleh ziad@motivate.ae For Jumeirah

Charlie Taylor

22 Lifting the blues The anarchic Blue Man Group brings unpredictable fun to Shanghai

Featured

Head Office: Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, PO Box 2331, Dubai UAE, Tel: +971 4 427 3000, E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae

26 Bridget’s back Renee Zellweger talks exclusively about everyone’s favourite comedy heroine

Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE, Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124, E-mail: editor-wo@motivate.ae London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK, E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai

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32 Flower girl to the stars Kally Ellis went from high street florist to decorating celebrity parties

november 2016

Contents 50

Lifestyle 38 Cuckoo about clocks Dubai Watch Week is full of delights for lovers of clocks and watches 40 Matters of the art The Middle and Far East are emerging art hubs – but do they have staying power?

Travel 50 Concours d’Elegance in Dubai The Gulf region’s first taste of the homage to classic cars 52 Life in the fast lane Jumeirah experiences the thrill of the racetrack ahead of the Grand Prix final

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58 Access all areas How to get your golden ticket to celebrate the F1 VIP-style 60 Comfort food An American expat contemplates the spread of US culture at Thanksgiving 64 The old curiosity shop Quirky Cukurcuma in Istanbul is a treasure trove of antique finds 68 The water of life The Jumeirah Carlton Tower celebrates all things Scottish with a whisky terrace 72 The insiders’ guide to…Abu Dhabi The second in our special series looking at cities where Jumeirah has hotels 78 Featured spaces Take a peek behind the scenes with Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw 82 High life Salt in Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, Kuwait

City Watch

Discover some of the most exciting events happening this month

Dubai Tee Time November 17 to 20 Jumeirah Golf Estates provides the setting for the final tournament of the European Tour’s annual Race to Dubai. Some of the world’s foremost golfers will compete, including England’s Danny Willett, who won his first major tournament, the Masters Tournament in April this year and currently tops the Race to Dubai leaderboard.

DP World Tour Championship, Jumeirah Golf estates, Dubai. jumeirahgolfestates.com

Pop In to a Pop-Up November 13 to 17 During a packed month of art events in the UAE, Dubai’s cultural hub Alserkal Avenue presents November Art Openings. The event will see the unveiling of two specially commissioned pop-up installations by Emirati artist Farah Al Qasimi and Kuwaiti artist Karim Sultan, new exhibition openings, artist talks and gallery tours.

November Art Openings, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai. alserkalavenue.ae

POP iCON

Fiesta Italiano

compiled by Gareth Rees Images: Getty

November 7 to 17

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November 3 Brian Wilson, one of the most innovative and influential figures in the

The eighth edition of the Italian Cuisine World

history of pop music, stops

Summit will see dozens of Michelin-starred

off at Dubai Duty Free

chefs descending on Dubai for a gourmet

Tennis Stadium on his Pet

extravaganza. They will take over the kitchens

Sounds 50th Anniversary

of established restaurants for one-off gala

World Tour. Wilson will

nights, host cookery demonstrations and give

perform songs from The

talks on everything from coffee brewing to wine

Beach Boys seminal 1966

appreciation. Last year’s event attracted 45

album Pet Sounds, widely

chefs from around the world hosting events in

considered one of the most

60 restaurants for more than 120,000 visitors.

influential in music history.

italian Cuisine World Summit, various locations,

Brian Wilson presents Pet

Dubai. Italiancuisinesummit.com

Sounds, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai. brianwilson.com

Abu DhAbi/istAnbul

Ladies First November 2 to 5 Europe’s best women golfers compete in the first Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies’ Open at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. The tournament, which is organised by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and Abu Dhabi Sports Council, has a prize fund of $550,000 and is the first ladies’ European tour event to be held in Abu Dhabi.

Fatima Bint Mubarak ladies’ open, saadiyat Beach Golf club, Abu Dhabi. fbma.ae

NoVel MusIc November 2 to 3 Tony award-winning playwright and musician Mark Stewart (known as Stew) and Tonynominated musician Heidi Rodewald perform Notes of a Native Song in the Arts Centre in NYU Abu Dhabi. Inspired by the work of 20th century American writer James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Song, which is comprised of storytelling and music, is described by its Notes of a Native song, NYu Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi. nyuad.nyu.edu

Image: Getty

creators as a “concert novel”.

BIG ReAD November 12 to 15 The 35th Istanbul Book Fair, held in the TUYAP Fair Convention and Congress Centre, brings publishers, writers and readers together for four days of book-related events, Image: Getty

including book signings, panel discussions, poetry recitals and workshops.

Istanbul Book Fair, TuYAP Fair convention and congress centre, Istanbul.

A Man For All Seasons

istanbulkitapfuari.com

November 4 Legendary British violinist Nigel Kennedy brings the Hendrix Project to Istanbul’s VW Arena.

Kennedy, whose performance of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is one of the bestselling classical music recordings in history, has previously tackled genres ranging from classical to jazz. He turns his bow to the music of the man regarded by many as the greatest rock guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix.

The Hendrix Project, Volkswagen Arena, Istanbul. vwarena.com

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CALIBER RM 07-01

london

Game On Until april 23, 2017 The Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered exhibition in the V&A Museum of Childhood features more than 100 board games, with some of the games on display dating back to the 18th century. Filled with nostalgia, there can’t be a better way to spend a rainy November afternoon Image: Getty

in London.

Game Plan: Board Games rediscovered, V&a Museum of Childhood, London. vam.ac.uk

november 12 A long-held London tradition, the Lord Mayor’s Show is held annually the day after the new official is elected into office. Differing from the mayor of London, the lord mayor’s role is to support and promote businesses in the capital. The day-long celebration kicks off at 9am when the lord mayor arrives on a festive barge accompanied by a flotilla of boats and travels down the river Thames from Westminster bridge. There is also a ceremonial procession, free guided walks and a fireworks display over the Thames.

Lord Mayor’s show, various locations, London. lordmayorsshow.london

Image: Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum

British tradition

You Wear It Well november 2 to March 12, 2017 The Hair by Sam McKnight

ELton’s Photos

exhibition in Somerset House

november 10 to May 7, 2017

celebrates the career of hairstylist to the stars, Sam McKnight.

A fashion industry stalwart, McKnight has styled the hair of supermodels including Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell as well as Princess Diana, among many others, during his 40-year career. hair by sam McKnight, somerset house, London. somersethouse.

Sir Elton John is not just a chap with a nice set of pipes who is a dab hand on the piano. He is also the owner of one the most impressive collections of modernist photography in the world. The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography from the Sir Elton John Collection exhibition in the Tate Modern features works from the performer’s collection. the radical Eye: Modernist Photography from the sir Elton John Collection, tate Modern, London. tate.org.uk

org.uk

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frankfurt/Shanghai

Beleibers Rejoice November 16 Canadian pop star Justin Bieber touches down in Frankfurt for the second and final German show on his Purpose World Tour. Bieber will perform in the Festhalle Frankfurt, no doubt to a host of ecstatic Beleibers.

Justin Bieber, Festhalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt. justinbiebermusic.com

'TiS THe SeaSoN November 23 to December 22 It is only November but in Germany it is never too early to celebrate Christmas. Frankfurt Christmas Market, which is spread across Romerberg, St Paul’s Square and Mainkai, is one of the largest and best-known in a country which has become famous for its elaborate and decorative festive markets.

Frankfurt Christmas Market, romerberg, St paul’s Square and Mainkai, Frankfurt.

Image: Getty

frankfurt-tourismus.de

SUperHeroeS UNiTe November 5 to 6 Last year’s Shanghai Comic Con welcomed more than 14,000 pop culture fanatics eager to meet their comic book heroes. The roster Amy Acker (of Person of Interest), Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings) and Robert Knepper (Prison Break) as well as comic book artists Arthur Adams (X-Men, Fantastic Four, League of Justice) and Charles Soule (Daredevil and Death of Wolverine).

Shanghai Comic Con, Shanghai Convention and exhibition Centre of international Sourcing, Shanghai. comiccon.com.cn

Image: Getty

of stars for this year’s event includes actors

Water World Until December 21, 2017 Chinese composer Tan Dun, best known for his Oscar award-winning score to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, combines a water-filled stage, Bach, Buddhist chants, rock and roll, the traditional Chinese pipa (a lute-like instrument) and a string quartet to create a unique musical performance in the ancient water town of Zhujiajiao. Water Heavens is performed in the Water Music Hall, a building inspired by both Ming and Bauhaus architecture.

Water Heavens by Tan Dun, Water Music Hall, Shanghai. waterheavens.org

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A GOURMET EXTRAVAGANZA November is a foodie’s delight in the UAE with a calendar jam-packed with gourmet festivals and chances to try delicious fare. Don’t miss Taste of Abu Dhabi, now in its third year and moving to Zayed Sports City, where there will be more than 100 exhibitors and food stalls in the open, 18 fine dining restaurants, celebrity chefs and a lively line-up of music.

Last year’s event attracted 15,000 people and the organisers are hoping to top that with a culturally diverse line-up of chefs and three days of culinary events to thrill any foodie.

In the chef’s theatre hosting live cooking demonstrations and answering questions will be South Africa’s Jenny Morris, a cookbook author and TV presenter known as the Giggling Gourmet, Indian chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Ed Baines, the chef-proprietor of Randall and Aubin seafood restaurant in London’s Soho and a regular on British television. There will be a strong Middle Eastern contingent too with Joshua Stanzl, the executive chef of the UAE’s Ghaf Kitchen, Mohammad Orfali, the Syrian chef and head of culinary content for the Arabic language cooking channel Fatafeat, Tarek Ibrahim, the presenter of the TV shows 100 Makaroni and Min Misr and Jordanian TV chef Deema Hajjawi. Visitors to Taste of Abu Dhabi will also be able to sample dishes from 15 UAE restaurants.

Visitors can take part too with the cooking challenge, which offers them the chance to cook and have their food judged by one of the visiting chefs. On the Taste the World stage, chefs from around the globe will show off their skills while there is a kids’ zone for younger visitors to enjoy soft play, fairground rides and cookery classes. Taking to the stage will be local performers The Maplejacks, 4TheMusic, The Boxtones and Pimms Brooke while Abba tribute band Bjorn Again will be headlining.

Taste of Abu Dhabi runs from November 10 to 12 in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. tasteabudhabi.com

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monitor

LIFTING THE BLUES Front row audience members beware: there’s a good chance you might get splattered with paint or have the Blue Man Group rooting through your handbag with fibre optic cameras. This month the silent latex-wrapped trio will be bringing their brand of anarchic fun to Shanghai for a nearly three-week run. Now a global phenomenon which has entertained millions for 25 years, past shows have included paint spitting, marshmallow juggling and making music from just about any object.

It started in 1991 when three college friends decided it was their vocation to entertain. Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink shaved their heads, smothered themselves in blue paint and dressed in loose-fitting black outfits. They named their new creation Blue Man and put on a show in the small Astor Place Theatre in New York City. Co-founder Chris Wink says: “To us our show is not a play, it’s not a circus, it’s not performance art. It’s just our attempt at creating a heightened experience of being alive.” Today the Blue Man Group has permanent shows in five US cities as well as Berlin, and has performed in front of an estimated 35 million people in 15 different countries.

The group has also produced albums and film scores. Audiences in Shanghai Culture Square should expect a multimedia music and comedy performance which should tickle them pink.

The Blue Man Group runs from November 16 to December 4 in Shanghai Culture Square, Shanghai. blueman.com

Image: Getty

LES MISERABLES One of the world’s longest-running musicals comes to Dubai for the first time. The much-loved tale of revolution and redemption, based on Victor Hugo’s 19th century novel, has been seen in 22 languages by more than 70 million people in 44 countries. Now the uplifting story comes to Dubai Opera for a month-long run. The 2,000-seater venue has already sold out on some nights. Expect stirring renditions of the classic score, including the songs I Dreamed a Dream, Bring Him Home and One Day More.

Les Miserables runs from November 10 to December 2. dubaiopera.com

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Featured 26 Bridget’s back

Image: Getty

Renee Zellweger talks exclusively about everyone’s favourite comedy heroine

32 Flower girl to the stars

Kally Ellis went from high street florist to decorating celebrity parties

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Image: Fotex/REX/Shutterstock

featured: renee zellweger

bridget’s back

It has been 12 years in the making – but now Renee Zellweger has reprised the role of one of cinema’s most-loved comic heroines. She tells John Hiscock why she disappeared from the big screen and what finally lured her back

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it has been six years since Renee Zellweger dropped out of sight to take a break from acting and 12 years since the last Bridget Jones movie.

Now both are back in Bridget Jones’s Baby but, says Zellweger, its hapless heroine Bridget has never left her.

“I am always like Bridget Jones,” she says. “If you could only know my inner dialogue when I am out at Hollywood events and things, there is always something strange that happens that nobody knows about. The dress doesn’t fit or the zipper broke and it has been sewn up. My shoe breaks and then I have to go on stage and present at the Oscars anyway, even though the shoe is taped up.

“I mean, there are a million silly things. I am not ready and the train is leaving and I have to go anyway. All that. And I am a really private person so lots of the public attention feels unnatural to me and so I feel awkward – I feel very awkward. All the time.”

Zellweger, 47, is giving one of the few interviews she has given for several years and seems to think carefully before she speaks. She does not enjoy being interviewed and was unhappy with the storm of controversy that arose when a photograph of her at a red carpet event recently caused widespread speculation that she had undergone a facelift.

The arguments about whether she had undergone plastic surgery or had merely grown older became so loud, she felt compelled to issue a statement saying: “I’m glad folks think I look different. I’m living a different, happy, more fulfilling life and I’m thrilled that perhaps it shows.” Later she wrote: “Not that it’s anyone’s business but I did not make a decision to alter my face and have surgery on my eyes.”

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Talking in London, wearing a scarlet, long-sleeved dress designed by Victoria Beckham and looking very much like the Zellweger of old, she explains for the first time why she might have looked different.

“I was busy at that time,” she says. “My friend had been diagnosed with ALS [the degenerative nerve-affecting disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis] the month before. I had been living with her at her house and so I was not really thinking about what I looked like. I went to that event because she wanted me to go and she wanted to be on the red carpet with me so that she could show she was not being defeated by this terrible disease. And that is what I was thinking about that day. I was not thinking about what I looked I like or what people thought.”

For most of the past six years, she says, she has enjoyed a quiet life, living “under the radar” as she calls it. She enrolled in a screenwriting course and co-wrote a TV pilot which was accepted by the Lifetime network. “I wanted to grow,” she says.

“I did a lot of things. I wanted to take some time so that I could learn some things that you really do not have time to explore when you are in the cycle of making films. I wanted to keep some promises I had made to myself a very long time ago and I did and I learned a lot. I spent a lot of time with my niece and nephew and my family, who live on the East Coast and I have been watching them grow up and getting to know them. I have been doing all the things I used to want to do if I had time to do them.”

Like Bridget Jones in the latest movie, Zellweger is getting older, something that youth-obsessed Hollywood does not like to think about. But Zellweger has firm opinions on ageing. “I think a woman only gets more interesting

Image: Mackler/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

featured: renee zellweger

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Image: Tri Star/REX/Shutterstock

as she gets older,” she says. “Youth and superficial beauty [have their] place and are understandably celebrated to a certain degree. But it is fleeting and only a tiny moment in life. As you mature you are not getting older, you are becoming more of who you are supposed to be and you are becoming the best version of yourself – better and more interesting. And at a certain point that is more beautiful and more interesting than physical beauty. The stories actresses tell as they get older are so much more interesting and speaking as an actress, I do not want to stay the same. I have done that and I am curious about what is next.”

Coming back to the movie business was, she says, “a little scary. I was nervous because I love Bridget Jones. I did not want to disappoint anybody and I had been away for a while. So getting past that was interesting and from the moment I read the script, I was so happy to be reunited with Bridget’s family and her friends and to be in her world again. It just reminded me how much I love [her] and it was a very happy experience.”

She was 32 and a rising star after a career-making turn with Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire when she landed the starring role in Bridget Jones’s Diary, a part that every British actress under the age of 40 had been coveting. The 2001 film, based on Helen Fielding’s novel by the same name, earned Zellweger her first Oscar nomination for best actress and spawned a sequel, 2004’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

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Image: Studio/REX/Shutterstock

Image: Startraks Photo/REX/Shutterstock

This page, clockwise from above: Zellweger’s red carpet appearance at Elle magazine’s Women In Hollywood awards, 2014, sparked surgery rumours; with Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire; co-starring with Colin Firth and Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones’s Diary

Between the first two films, she was Oscar-nominated for her performance as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago and won a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in 2003’s Cold Mountain. She also became a regular fixture in gossip columns because of several high-profile relationships. She was engaged to Jim Carrey in 1999 and dated Jack White of The White Stripes in 2003, was briefly married to country singer Kenny Chesney in 2005 and dated Bradley Cooper for two years until 2011. She is now with guitarist Doyle Bramhall, 47, a friend she met while attending the University of Texas and with whom she reconnected in 2012, although she does not want to talk about it.

She recently sold her farmhouse in Connecticut and her beach house on Long Island and moved back to Los Angeles. “The house is rustic and isolated. There is more land than house and it’s comfortable,” she says. “You can eat on anything and put your feet on anything.”

Renee devotes a lot of her spare time to exercise, going to the gym, yoga classes and meditation. “I do all that and I run a lot, although less than I used to because my hips are bossy now and they tell me when it is time to stop,” she says. “And unlike before, now I listen instead of trying to make them listen to me. I get a lot of clarity when I run and I ride bikes a lot these days because it gives my hips a break. All of it is because I like to exert myself. It keeps me fit and sane.”

featured: renee zellweger

Image: Miramax/REX/Shutterstock

Image: Circle/Sto/REX/Shutterstock

This page, clockwise from far left: As Roxie Hart in Chicago; Bridget Jones’s Baby; her Oscar-winning role as Ruby Thewes in Cold Mountain

She has no presence on social media, although she is not against it. “I don’t know – I just never got around to it. I did not see that it would be that interesting or that it would serve a purpose of any kind that I would find useful.

And it could be tragic. I regret things I have said in interviews so I cannot imagine pressing send on something that is there for eternity for the whole world to see.” Then she laughs. “Or accidentally sitting on your phone and sending something. But a lot of my friends have a lot of fun with it so I might at some point – but not yet.”

It took years for Bridget Jones’s Baby to come before the cameras because of creative differences and script problems. Different directors were mooted with Sharon Maguire, who originally directed Bridget Jones’s Diary, eventually returning while Fielding, Borat writer Dan Mazer and actress Emma Thompson wrote the script. Hugh Grant declined to return as Bridget’s boss Daniel Cleaver, saying he did not like the screenplay. Patrick Dempsey instead debuted as Jack, Bridget’s new American love interest and the possible father of her baby.

Once the movie got the go-ahead, Zellweger threw herself wholeheartedly into preparing for the role. She spent time in the newsroom of the British TV show Good Morning Britain because Bridget, who is 43 years old in the film, has a new job in television. She also spent hours researching all aspects of pregnancy, for which she had plenty of help.

“I have a lot of friends who have been pregnant and I am an aunt and have godchildren and my best friend is expecting her second child any minute,” she says. “I have seen the experience and there was this wonderful show on Channel 4 [in the UK] when we were in pre-production where they chronicled the lives of pregnant women to the birth.

The variances of women’s experiences are incredible. We also worked with a midwife and went through all the possibilities of what happens to the body at each stage – all that. One of our make-up artists was pregnant while we were making the film so that was pretty helpful and I could ask her things on the spur of the moment.”

She admits the prosthetic device she had to wear for Bridget’s pregnancy was uncomfortable and time-consuming to put on and take off. “I was not drinking a lot of water during the day because everyone would have to wait a good 20 minutes for me to come back,” she says. “It was beautifully built and quite heavy, which was essential for the experience to be realistic. My back hurt so kudos to the ladies who have been through it.”

So would Bridget make a good mother? “Of course she will,” says Zellweger. “I think like every mother, she will improvise and figure it out. She is inherently a good and loving person and I think those are the prerequisites for being a good mother.”

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FLOwEr girL tO thE StarS Kally Ellis quit her job in banking on a whim and bought McQueens, a struggling flower shop in London’s East End. She tells Gareth Rees how she went from being a high street florist to adorning the Vanity Fair Oscar party

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featured: kally ellis

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featured: kally ellis

Kally Ellis started her career working for the French bank Credit Commercial de France in London. Twenty-five years later, she is the owner of a $6 million business. There is nothing that unusual in a former banker becoming a successful businesswoman. What is strange is that a woman who previously never had any interest in flowers decided, during a recession, to throw in the towel on a lucrative career and buy a flower shop in Shoreditch in London’s East End. Even more strange is that she made the decision after having a dream about being a florist.

“Everything in my life at the time was going completely wrong. I had split up with my boyfriend, my best friend had just died, I was in a job I hated and I was living back home with my parents,” recalls Ellis, 54. “Then one morning I woke up having had a dream and the dream was that I was running a very small flower shop. I remember feeling the happiest I had felt for a very long time. It was an epiphany, a lightbulb moment. Ping. I knew I had to do it. It was as sudden as that. I always feel a little bit silly telling the story but that is exactly how it happened.”

Ellis asked for voluntary redundancy from her bank in late 1990 and just three months later, used her payoff to buy McQueens, “an awful East End florist” in what was then a “very sleazy” and “quite grim” neighbourhood. Her only experience of the floristry business was a short stint driving a delivery van for esteemed British florist Paula Pryke over the busy Christmas period. While working for Pryke, she met freelance florist Ercole Moroni, who persuaded her that she needed his floristry skills to make a success of her business – they eventually worked together for 16 years before Ellis bought Moroni out and he left to pursue other interests – and on New Year’s Day in 1991, the pair opened McQueens for business.

It was hard work but Ellis knew from the start she had made the right decision.

“I was so happy I had found my niche,” she says. “You know when you just know. It felt completely right. I felt completely at home – this was my environment, this was where I should be. I should never have been in banking.”

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Ellis and Moroni developed a signature style – clean and understated but bold.

“We were labelled trendsetters, contemporary, innovative. We were really pushing boundaries,” says Ellis. They took on McQueens’ existing client list but the only celebrity connection the shop could boast at the time was that the previous owner, Carol McQueen, was Alexander McQueen’s aunt – and it was still five years before the fashion designer had made a name for himself.

That all changed in 1994 when Ellis was asked to step in at the last minute and handle the flowers for the Serpentine Gallery’s star-studded annual summer party, hosted by Vanity Fair. “At the end of the event the client turned round to me and said: ‘Kally, you have absolutely saved the day and I am never going to use anyone else again for my events,’” says Ellis. “She has been true to her word.”

McQueens is now Vanity Fair’s go-to florist for prestigious events, including the magazine’s star-studded annual Oscar party and the opening party for Robert de Niro’s Tribeca Film Festival. “When you tell people you are doing the flowers for the Vanity Fair Oscar party, which has been labelled the most glamorous party in the world, people sit up and take notice,” says Ellis.

The florist’s latest luxury client is Jumeirah Group. McQueens will be working with Jumeirah’s in-house florists to create the displays for Jumeirah Al Naseem, the new hotel opening within the Madinat Jumeirah resort on December 1. “We are going to show their team how they should display the flowers throughout the hotel, using the public spaces as blank canvases and turning them into floral works of art,” says Ellis. “Art for the moment, I like to call it. So we are going out to teach them our ways, give them a little slice of McQueens.”

After that comes the televised Nasa Breakthrough prize ceremony, co-hosted

by Vanity Fair on December 4, followed by the busy Christmas season. “That is a humongous job for us. We install Christmas throughout London, literally – all the hotels,” says Ellis. At least she doesn’t have to drive the van anymore.

LIFESTYLE 38 Cuckoo about clocks

Dubai Watch Week is full of delights for lovers of clocks and watches

40 Matters of the art

Image: Courtesy of Geneva University of Art and Design

The Middle and Far East are emerging art hubs – but have they got staying power?

cuckoo about clocks Dubai Watch Week celebrates the fine craft of clock and watchmaking, from elaborate wallpieces to ornate wrist accessories. Danae Mercer reports

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lifestyle opposite page and below: Cuckoo clocks, courtesy of Geneva University of Art and Design. Bottom right: Nautilus watch

Here are our top DWW picks GranD prix D’HorloGerie De Geneve

november 15 to 19 DiFc You can expect the elaborate, the complicated, the detailed and the nuanced to be on display here from the organisers of the annual watchmaking prize. tHe Mastery oF tiMe

november 15 to 29 Dubai Mall One for history buffs, this exhibit looks at timepieces through the ages. Expect watches and clocks with historical significance.

24 Hours in tHe liFe oF a sWiss cuckoo clock

november 15 to 29 Dubai Mall One of the most striking exhibits, you can admire 24 modern interpretations of the cuckoo clock made by students and staff from the Geneva University of Art and Design. on tHe clock

november 15 to 19 DiFc For those keen to learn the craft, a four-day workshop teaches the mechanics and nuances of watchmaking, from springs, gears and wheels to taking apart and reassembling a Unitas 6497-1

“The UAE is one of the top 10 import markets in the world for watches.” So says Melika Yazdjerdi, the director of Dubai Watch Week (DWW), a fiveday event this month dedicated to the craftsmanship and innovation in the watch industry. Now in its second year and under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice-chairwoman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, it focuses on teaching an appreciation of the art of watchmaking.

movement. There are also hour-long watchmaking masterclasses throughout the week.

Get sMart

november 17 DiFc Are smartwatches a flash in the pan or here to stay? This debate looks at the

Organised by Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons, one of the UAE’s oldest watch companies and now in its third generation of trading, DWW is one of a growing number of horology events in the region. “It has been our mission for more than 60 years to increase the understanding and passion for watchmaking in the Middle East,” says Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, the company’s vicechairman. Yazdjerdi adds: “The horology market is evolving and consumers are engaged beyond the pure aesthetics of a timepiece. They are keen to learn about them from a cultural and historical aspect.”

relationship between digital watches and more traditional watchmaking. trenDsetters

november 18 DiFc Maximillian Busser from MB&F and KarlFriederich Scheufele from Ferdinand Berthoud talk about the challenges of

Seddiqi’s family firm is not the only business interested in exploring a burgeoning market. In March this year, Christie’s auction house sold a Patek Philippe 18-carat pink gold timepiece for more than $2.6 million. Last month it was offering 146 lots with a total pre-sale value of $4.5m in a watch auction in Dubai. Rolex featured prominently with a signed Cosmograph worn by the actor Paul Newman expected to fetch up to $180,000 while a rare collection of 40 Patek Philippe Nautilus watches made Dubai the only location where they were displayed en masse.

entering the industry.

Dubai Watch Week runs from November 15 to 19, with some exhibitions continuing longer. See dubaiwatchweek. com for details

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Images this page and opposite: courtesy of Sovereign Art Foundation

Hazem Harb, 3# 1920-2016 Series 2016

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Slimen El Kamel, Flashback

Athier Mousawi, After Denudation 3

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art matters three cities are aiming to continue their push into the centre of the world’s art consciousness. abu Dhabi, shanghai and Istanbul are all holding art fairs this month – but, asks Conor Purcell, are these events enough to establish them as art hubs or are they just shopping centres for the wealthy?

Radhika Khimji, An Architectural Device

Walid Siti, Fragile Permanence 2016

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Alfred Tarazi, Left/Right: Scheme for a Temporary Memorial

Asad Faulwell, Les Femmes d'Alger

This month is something of a watermark for the emerging art world. Shanghai, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul are all hosting art weeks: big, bold, money-spinning events that each city hopes will push them onto the global art stage. But are these cities simply aping the western model of artistic development? And do the big fairs help local arts and culture or are they simple shopping malls for the uber-rich?

2005 – bringing together about 70 contemporary art galleries for a four-day event – that was a major motivation. “When we first founded CI, the major setback facing Turkish contemporary arts was the inability to open up to the world. Back then, galleries here did not have such a need. With the emergence of the Istanbul Biennial in 1989 and then the establishment of CI, the players in the scene, especially the galleries, have developed an awareness for the need for international exposure. We have all come a long way since then but we still have to open up to the world even more. More galleries should participate in international fairs and more Turkish artists should be represented by international galleries.”

The concept of an art fair is nothing new and more and more cities are attempting to get in on the act. For artists the benefit is obvious – motivated buyers of their work – and for galleries, who often get a 50 per cent cut of sales, the same benefits apply. Others, however, decry fairs as nothing more than transactional events, which turn artists into brands and do little to support a sustainable art scene. The art critic JJ Charlesworth once described Frieze in London as “essentially a trade fair for rich collectors”.

Whatever you may think of them, the arrival of an art fair in a city heralds it as a player on the global art scene and crucially promotes that country’s artists to the world. For Ali Gureli, who set up Contemporary Istanbul (CI) in

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Rampa Gallery, an independent gallery in the Besiktas district of Istanbul, was founded in 2010. According to the gallery’s Nicole Dee O’Rourke, Rampa was set up to give Turkish artists a voice on the international scene. “The art world in Istanbul grows each year with ever more international visitors and attention. Since 2010 Istanbul has continued to prosper as an art destination against all odds. Next

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Mayasa Al Sowaidi, Tea Whisper

Sama Alshaibi, They Feed on Mirage 2016

year will see the opening of new non-profit art institutions and more galleries are expected to open as well. So despite the climate, the community is pushing forward and staying positive,” she says.

That climate has seen the Art International fair put on hold this year.

Angus Montgomery, who also runs the Affordable Art Fair in Hong Kong, told Artnet.com: “Galleries were saying it is a time to pause and see what is happening so we listened to our customers.” Contemporary Istanbul, however, is going ahead and you could argue that art has never been more important in Turkish society. “The challenges today are the same challenges the art scene has always faced here in Turkey – reliance on the private sector for even the establishment of art institutions,” says O’Rourke. “[There is also] the added possibility of censorship but in general the art scene in Turkey has often had to deal with such things and that simply leads to different, nuanced works.”

For Gureli, art not only reacts to political events but can help shape them.

“Political and social turmoil resulting in the destabilising of social har-

mony is experienced throughout the world. However, art can also be triggered by political and social tumult. I believe we need more artistic and critical endeavours, especially under the current circumstances. Art and creative industries in the large part will lead the way to Turkey’s future,” he says.

Indeed, Istanbul has a vibrant scene: wander through the charming Beyoglu neighbourhood and you will stumble across countless galleries, many with world-class artwork on display. For O’Rourke, it is these galleries rather than the big fairs that are driving the scene. “The big fairs are useful for the visibility of local artists but in general the scene here is homegrown and driven by the local galleries,” she says. As for how Istanbul compares to the likes of other emerging art markets such as Shanghai and Abu Dhabi, O’ Rourke finds the comparison of limited use. “The role of art is a universal one, regardless of nationality,” she says. “Contemporary art that is interesting in the UK should, too, be interesting and timely in Turkey and vice versa. I think the art world is and should be a global one, with all cultures and nationalities equal in the eye of the beholder and all national circumstances acknowledged and understood.”

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Christiaan Conradie, Gracias, 2015, courtesy the artist and 55Bellechasse

Pascal Vochelet, Collages Historiques, 2012, courtesy the artist and 55Bellechasse

It is a fair point. In the constant rush to compartmentalise and compare, we can end up commoditising art and each city’s art scene. As O’Rourke says, a painting by Renoir or an installation by Anish Kapoor should elicit the same reaction in Istanbul as it does in New York. Of course, art, like film, literature or music, does elicit different reactions depending on where in the world you are – and a homogenised global art scene might be far less interesting than what we currently have.

Take Abu Dhabi for example. A few years ago Sharjah was the de facto home of art in the Gulf and while Dubai continued on its tourism and cultural blitz, the UAE capital took a different route, bringing over the biggest names in the art world as part of a push to establish a world-class cultural scene in the Gulf. The centrepiece of this project is the Saadiyat Cultural District, a huge area that will house, among others, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The idea of parachuting in a starchitect and a recognised art brand is nothing new; Bilbao did it first with the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim, which opened in 1997 and transformed that city’s fortunes. Whether the same thing happens in Abu Dhabi remains to be seen, although the sheer size of the project is remarkable. When finished

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Sung-Hye Kim, Sonido76, 2014, courtesy the artist and AB Gallery

the cultural quarter is expected to cost $27 billion; the use of the Louvre’s name alone will cost more than an estimated $500 million for a period of 30 years. As the biggest of the projects, the museum was scheduled to open in 2012; that date has been pushed to 2017 at the earliest.

Of course, many huge projects will see delays, certainly one with as many moving parts as the Saadiyat Cultural District. But while these huge projects take shape, there are plenty of small galleries and local artists driving the scene themselves. William Lawrie is the co-founder of Lawrie Shabibi gallery in Dubai and was previously a specialist in the Islamic, modern Arab and Iranian art department of Christie’s auction house. His analysis of the UAE’s art scene is instructive. “We think of the art scene in Dubai as part of a bigger story that takes in the three main cities of the UAE. Each adds something different and important to the mix. In Sharjah there are older museums and foundations – the Sharjah Art Foundation, Barjeel Collection and Maraya. In Abu Dhabi there are the larger new museums about to open while in Dubai the scene is based entirely around commercial ventures - the annual Art Dubai fair in Madinat Jumeirah, auctions and the galleries clustered in two areas, DIFC and Al Quoz industrial district.”

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Adel Abidin, Al-Warqaa, 2013, courtesy Lawrie Shabibi Gallery, Dubai

Al Quoz in particular has become Dubai’s de facto art hub and indeed, seven of the galleries in Alserkal Avenue were among this year’s shortlist of the top 500 galleries worldwide, compiled by the influential art news site Blouin Artinfo. For the art scene to grow in the Gulf, there is a need for less commercial events and more non-commercial spaces.

Lawrie, who is taking part in the upcoming Abu Dhabi Art and Art Basel Hong Kong fairs, points out: “Art in Dubai is only viewable in commercial spaces - galleries, art fairs, auction viewings. Permanent collections, changing exhibitions in museums or large-scale outdoor artworks in public spaces are not present. This means the only context in which people can see contemporary art is in the commercial context. In other major art centres this is not the case.” That could change, however, with the opening of the Museum of Middle East Modern Art, a spectacular futuristic-looking venue proposed for the creekside Culture Village in Dubai, although with plans still on the drawing board, that could be some way away.

Still, there are many parallels between the art scene in the Gulf and in China.

Both were places where traditionally art was something to be viewed in pri-

Seydou Keita Artwork Courtesy CAAC-The Pigozzi Collection and Leila Heller Gallery, Dubai © Seydou Keita / SKPEAC

vate and collectors drove the market rather than galleries. As with Abu Dhabi, that is now changing and Shanghai is at the forefront of a vibrant Chinese art scene, made up of a city that has produced remarkable artists and a community hungry for more. The Shanghai Art Fair, which first ran in 1997, is a symbol of that demand, linking foreign buyers and journalists with local artists and galleries and crucially, creating the demand for more art.

“Previously Chinese parents would have wanted their children to be doctors, dentists, lawyers or bankers,” says Howard Bilton, the founder and chairman of the Sovereign Art Foundation, a Hong Kong-based organisation. “Being an artist would have been seen as frivolous. That has now changed in part at least because of the amount of money that can be made by artists.”

Bilton moved to Hong Kong in 1992, a time when “there was quite a lively art culture but no public art galleries or art spaces. There was also little support for artists. I wanted to try and solve these problems with one project, which I could also use to generate funds to put back in the community.” Bilton formed the Sovereign Art Foundation, a body which puts the best art in the public space, supports artists and sells artworks for children’s charities. This

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Agnieszka Brzezanska, Untitled, 2016, courtesy the artist and Kasia Michalski Gallery

Michelangelo Bastiani, Tempesta perfetta, 2016, courtesy the artist and Aria Art Gallery

year it has extended its reach to the Mena region (Middle East and North Africa) with a $30,000 prize fund to mid-career artists, awarded in Dubai last month. The art scene in China has changed hugely in the years since Bilton has been living in Hong Kong. “Art is now seen as an investment in China.

That means there is a lot more money being spent on art. That in turn means that being an artist can be quite lucrative.” This is not the only way China’s art market mirrors the Gulf. “Both markets seem to recognise the importance of art in a civilised society. Both societies are putting large amounts of money into building public art galleries. And both markets have important collectors who have ambitions for private museums,” he says.

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Irfan Onurmen, D Series No 4, 2016, courtesy the artist and C24 Gallery

local and international audiences of different levels and interests. Shanghai has succeeded in making contemporary art available as a part of urban life.”

Art fairs help with this, of course and they also help local artists find a market. Says Bilton: “The challenges are the same as anybody working in an emerging market producing anything at all. They have to get noticed and gain impetus behind the product. Art is not that much different to any other commodity. It needs to find a market.”

It is a point we would do well to remember. Art is now a part of the urban fabric of most major cities, something that was not the case 40 or 50 years ago. That move from the homes of private collectors to public (and often free) museums and galleries is something we should all be grateful for. And art fairs have played a huge part in this – as have the collectors themselves.

As Lugen points out, Shanghai’s art scene has been driven by collector and patrons. “Entrepreneurs such as Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei have done a lot for the scene, as has famous karaoke owner Qiao Zhibing, who is set to open a new space for his collection, Tank Shanghai, a combination of art museum and recreation facility built from five empty oil tanks standing on the shores of the Huangpu River, at the end of this year. A number of art prizes support creativity such as the Hugo Boss Asia art award, established in 2013 or The Art Newspaper China’s Tanc art prize, started in 2014.”

That said, Shanghai’s art scene has embraced all aspects of the art market, not just the commercial side. “It is very active, very diverse and has lots of cutting-edge shows and performances,” says Yan Lugen, chairman of the Nanjing Art Festival and a renowned collector of Chinese art. “There is a deep interest in the educational programmes and fairs, galleries and museums see

This, then, is the global art scene in 2016 – emerging markets driving innovation, commerce and globalisation; collectors allowing their artwork to be viewed by the public and art fairs, which link buyers with artists and allow ‘artist’ to be a viable career path. For those of us who appreciate art, who enjoy what it says and how it makes us think differently, these are all good things.

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Here’S WHAt to See IN… …SHANGHAI the best thing about Abu Dhabi Art is simply wandering around and SHANGHAI Art FAIr

enjoying the work.

November 3 to 6

abudhabiart.ae

First held in 1997, the event is one of China’s biggest, with a mix of new work and classics on display (paintings from Chagall and

StAY: Jumeirah at Etihad Towers on the Abu Dhabi seafront is

Picasso were exhibited in previous years). Billed as a platform for

a short drive from Manarat Al Saadiyat, where the fair takes place.

Chinese artists to showcase their work to the world, it has been

jumeirah.com/abudhabi

one of the drivers of the Chinese art resurgence.

sartfair.com

…IStANBul

SHANGHAI BIeNNAle

November 11, 2016 to March 12, 2017

CoNteMporArY IStANBul

The 11th event will see a huge range of international galleries

November 3 to 6

(hailing from everywhere from Dhaka to Tehran) as well as a

Now in its 11th year, CI has gained a reputation as one of the

long list of Chinese curators displaying local art. Housed in the

more intriguing art fairs in the world. This year looks set to be no

spectacular Power Station of Art, this event was one of the driving

exception, with one standout being Collectors’ Stories, where 60

forces behind China’s emergence on the global art scene.

collectors will showcase 120 artworks from their private collections.

shanghaibiennale.org/en/

Galleries from all over the world will take place – keep an eye out for Ahmet Sari, a Turkish artist with a wonderfully twisted vision of the

Art021

world.

November 11 to 13

contemporaryistanbul.com

A who’s who of modern art galleries from around China will be exhibiting at this three-day event, alongside a selection of

StAY: The Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah is in the heart of a thriving

international galleries (everyone from New York’s Greene Naftali to

artistic neighbourhood with dozens of galleries and the Pera Museum

Berlin’s Esther Schipper. The focus is on Asian art though and this

on its doorstep. jumeirah.com

is as good a way as any to understand the multi-faceted scene.

art021.org/en WeSt BuNd Art & deSIGN

November 9 to 13 Located in the vibrant West Bund district, this is a more design-led art fair, reflected in the list of galleries exhibiting, which are often more conceptual than those in the city’s other fairs. Less stiff than some of the city’s other art fairs, this is usually a whole lot of fun.

/westbundshanghai.com StAY: Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel is at the epicentre of Pudong, Shanghai and features a striking 52ft high artwork in the lobby, drawn from 1,000 Chinese characters. jumeirah.com/shanghai

…ABu dHABI ABu dHABI Art

November 16 to 19 Part art fair and part cultural thermometer, the event will see galleries from around the world set up shop as well as a focus on emerging artists from the region. The Majlis Fann will offer talks and networking events for art industry players and should be an interesting snapshot of the current art world. For the rest of us, Alma Itzhaky, Independence Day in Jaffa

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TRAVEL 52 Life in the fast lane

Jumeirah gets behind the wheel to experience the thrill of the F1 in Abu Dhabi ahead of this month’s Grand Prix

60 Comfort food

An American expat contemplates the spread of US culture at Thanksgiving

64 The old curiosity shop

Istanbul’s quirky Cukurcuma neighbourhood is a treasure trove of antique finds

68 The water of life

The Jumeirah Carlton Tower celebrates all things Scottish with a whisky terrace

Image: Getty

72 The insiders’ guide to…Abu Dhabi

Image: Getty

ClassiC wHeels

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The Burj Al Arab Jumeirah will host the Gulf’s first Concours d’Elegance this month. Claire Hill reveals the history behind the event as the world’s most exotic cars roll into town

motoring

t

he vintage car exhibition Concours d’Elegance harks back to the 17th century tradition of French aristocracy parading around Parisian parks in horse-drawn carriages in a spirit of competition to be the finest and best turned out. Fast-forward to the 21st century and it now refers to a gathering of prestige cars and presents the perfect chance for exotic car lovers to mingle with like-minded enthusiasts. Traditionally celebrated in Europe, it comes to Dubai this month as organisers join forces with one of the world’s most luxurious hotels, the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah.

Excellence, heritage and originality are the three pillars which form the backbone of the Gulf Concours, as defined by the organisers who have successfully hosted Concours d’Elegance events all over the world (the French translates as elegant parade). Earlier this year, a similar event was held in the private quadrangle of Queen Elizabeth’s castle in Windsor, England. Dubai is regarded as the perfect place for the first Middle Eastern expedition of the traditional Concours and reflects the Gulf’s passion for rare, exclusive and sought-after cars.

Set in the lush grounds of the north deck of the Burj Al Arab Terrace, about 50 cars will make up this multi-million dollar collection on November 17 and 18. The event kicks off with “breakfast with the cars” for guests attending the two days of judging, followed by a garden party, afternoon tea and an evening party. Classic vintage cars will feature alongside modern-day bespoke luxury supercars. The impressive line-up will include McLaren, Bentley, Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce. Renowned UK-based Ferrari specialists Talacrest and Saudi Arabia’s Al Yemni Group have joined forces to cater to the region’s Ferrari Classic car enthusiasts.

Collectors and connoisseurs will also be able to catch a glimpse of a rare Ferrari 250 GT Competition Berlinetta Sport Speciale. Legend has it the car was commissioned for Hollywood star Ingrid Bergman and her husband Roberto Rossellini, both keen Ferrari enthusiasts who owned a 375mm but Bergman never took delivery of the car. The chassis 0403 was given special coachwork by the Italian car design firm and coachbuilder Pininfarina and the vehicle has an aluminium body. The first documented owner kept it in Modena, Italy but by the 1960s, it had crossed the Atlantic to the US, where it has remained since.

Rory Heron, the event’s organiser, says: “The world’s rarest and most valuable classic and current cars will be on display for this exclusive event. It will be hosted for the Middle East’s most discerning collectors and car enthusiasts and is going to be something special for those in attendance.” gulfconcours.ae

By Claire Hill, PR manager and copywriter, Jumeirah Group. On a weekly basis, new stories about Hill’s travels from across the luxurious world of Jumeirah are posted on experiencejumeirah.com.

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liFe in the

fAstLAne

One of the most glamorous events in the Formula One season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix sets a gold standard for adrenalin and excitement. Alex Lane reports from the driving seat as he learns what it takes to be an F1 driver.

Photography by Farooq Salik

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racing

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t

he noise, the speed, the smell of burning rubber, the glamour, the tech, the crashes and the clashes...Formula One has been thrilling Abu Dhabi since 2009 and the city has established itself as the most popular location for the final race of the season. It is not just because the UAE’s capital represents an easy break for European F1 fans escaping chilly autumn weather, nor that it is a day-to-night evening race which presents an added challenge as the light changes from sunshine to floodlights. Nor is it that the championship will almost certainly be decided in Abu Dhabi this year with a showdown between reigning champion Lewis Hamilton and his teammate Nico Rosberg on the cards on November 27.

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seconds. They make it look easy but it isn’t and fans want to see them pushing themselves to the limit with daring manoeuvres to overtake one another, sometimes ending in titanic crashes amid the smell of burning rubber.

Man-made Yas Island was purpose-built to host just such a race. Costing more than $40 billion, it opened to the public to great aplomb in 2009 with the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Since then the island has become one of the city’s major tourist attractions with a water park, the world’s fastest rollercoaster in Ferrari World, a shopping mall, marina and a world class golf course.

No – it is the fact Yas Marina Circuit is one of the most thrilling in Formula One with one of the longest straights in the season, where drivers can hit up to 320 kilometres per hour along more than a kilometre of superb asphalt.

That also gives them the confidence and grip to take ultra-sharp corners at high speed, experiencing more than three times the force of gravity as they brake and turn.

To get a flavour of what it feels like to be on Yas Island’s famous aquamarine track, I strapped on a helmet and got into the cockpit at Drive Yas, Yas Marina Circuit’s race-driving school. While some of the new Formula One circuits can be very quiet outside race weekend, the circuit hosts racing skills lessons year-round, track days and a drag track to give the UAE’s many sports car owners a chance to test their skills – and perhaps generate the country’s first F1 driver.

Any racing fan will tell you they love the roar of the engines and the thrills and spills of the racetrack. Formula One represents the pinnacle of engineering and speed with drivers accelerating from nought to 200kph in a matter of

My wits and reactions were to be challenged behind the wheel of a supercharged Jaguar F-type S while my nerves would be tested in the passenger seat of an open-cockpit Radical SST. The F-type is a luxury supercar deliver-

racing

ing 375 brake-horsepower in air-conditioned comfort designed to keep you on the road when you feel ready to push the 3-litre V6 engine. The SST is a bare-bones racing car designed to show you how much faster you could go if you knew how to really drive.

My instructor Kepa Carmona talked me through the braking points of the section of the course known as the north corkscrew before letting me loose for about 10 laps as I attempted to push the Jaguar harder each time round, daring myself to brake and accelerate harder. Cones mark the braking zones, the apex and the exit spot of each corner – the apex is the shortest route through the corner and your challenge is to brake hard enough to hit the apex and accelerate out of the corner. On top of that, you need to change down as you brake so that the engine can slow you down and build revs that you use as you pull out – but the winding track has some tricky double-apex corners with very little time to put all of that together.

The Jag’s engine screamed at first because I had forgotten to shift up with the racing-style paddle controls after changing down into a corner but it finally became a delicious roar behind me. I hoped it drowned out an unmanly squeak of pleasure as the back end kicked out in one under-braked corner, while the traction control expertly saved me from a spin. A cool-down lap allowed me

to ask for a few more driving tips before I was pushing off again but it was over all too soon.

Then it was time for Axel Jeffries, a former driver in the GP2 series (used as a stepping stone to F1 by the likes of Rosberg and Hamilton) to take over as my driver in the Radical SST, where racing overalls and a full-face helmet were required. I asked casually how long he had been driving – then learned he had been karting since the age of five and my confidence rose.

He positioned my hands on the metal roll cage (a set of tubes designed to protect your head in the unlikely event of the car flipping over), one beside my shoulder holding the frame and the other gripping the seat under my right leg. One corner later, I realised this was to stop me lurching into him as we turned - the straps alone could not hold me as we braked and turned with more than twice the force of gravity yanking me around. There was no warm-up this time - we screamed out of the pits and flicked through a tight chicane in the warm-up section before the actual racetrack as though it wasn’t there. Jeffries deftly avoided the mini-cones, barely slowing down, before the acceleration pinned me to the seat and we barrelled into the first corner, paying no attention to the cone which had marked my braking zone in the Jaguar. When Jeffries hit the pedal, I shot forward against my straps and felt as if I was standing up on the bar at my feet. We turned

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and my head was pushed firmly against the roll cage, then thrown to the left as Jeffries manoeuvred around an S-shaped corner.

Vettel, are obsessive about these details and play a key role in the leadership of their race teams.

Once I had recovered and stopped banging my head on the roll cage in sharp corners, the remaining laps were a laughing delight as Jeffries attacked every corner and I realised I was 35 years too late to become a future F1 driver. I removed my helmet with a grin plastered across my face and my sunglasses at a cheerfully wonky angle. Back in the pits, I mentioned the braking. “You think that’s braking hard?” he said. “In GP2 they go 100 kilometres an hour faster and they brake 15 metres later. That’s terrifying.”

Drive Yas gives a taster of those conditions and will let you loose in an Aston Martin GT4, Mercedes AMG, Renault Clio Sport, a Formula Yas 3000 single-seater, drift cars, a Chevrolet Camaro drag racer and even the Radical SST, with private tuition for the truly keen and even a race licence assessment from the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA, the international governing body of motorsport) for those who think they could compete in real races. Backseat drivers can enjoy a passenger experience in many of the school’s cars and there are junior experiences for younger petrolheads.

In fact, F1 drivers have to endure conditions like this for up to two hours during a race, often at more than 30C with only a small bottle of warm water to keep them going. Under conditions which would exhaust most athletes, they have to be hyper-alert to the 21 cars around them. They will make tactical decisions on the fly, adjust their driving style for changing conditions as their tyres wear down or rain falls. To succeed they have to overtake other cars or defend against them in a test of nerves where a misjudged move can not only ruin the race but risk lives in this dangerous sport.

Most F1 drivers start in go-karts as young as three years old and usually no older than 10. They train daily and often compete in mountain biking, rallying and iron man competitions outside the F1 season. They will also be expected to practice in hyper-realistic simulators, work with their engineers and strategists to understand everything about their cars and opponents. The most successful modern drivers, such as Michael Schumacher and Sebastian

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Abu Dhabi is also one of the most technologically advanced tracks. I took a rare peek behind-the-scenes at the control room, where race times are measured to the minutest fraction of a second (Saturday’s qualifier, which determines who will start in pole position, can come down to a thousandth of a second). Among the track’s features are digital flag panels replacing traditional marshals with flags, who stand at the trackside to tell drivers what is going on (humans are still there to help stricken drivers). Large coloured panels glow yellow for drivers to slow down, red to send everyone back to the pits and blue for slow cars who need to let someone past, along with other colours for hazards such as oil or debris on the track. They can also indicate a safety car - the Mercedes AMG used to lead the pack after a major incident - set speed limits or message specific drivers. The traditional control tower is replaced at Yas Marina Circuit by an operations

racing

FOUR OTHER UNMISSABLE RACES BAkU

The Azerbaijani capital is home to Europe’s newest F1 circuit, a fast and challenging street track winding though the old city.

STAY in the city’s Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel. jumeirah.com FRANkFURT

The German Grand Prix is held close by in either the Hockenheim or the Nurburgring motorsports complexes, both classic tracks packed with F1 history.

STAY in the Jumeirah Frankfurt hotel. jumeirah.com/frankfurt LONdON

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone 90 minutes north of the capital is a favourite of fans and drivers with its complex corners and unpredictable summer weather.

STAY in one of Jumeirah’s three London properties. jumeirah.com SHANgHAI

With its uniquely difficult spiralling first corner, hairpin turns and long high speed straights, this test of car and driver at the Shanghai International Circuit comes early in the F1 season.

STAY in the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel in Shanghai. jumeirah. com/shanghai

room that looks more like a Nasa mission control centre, with big screens showing views from cameras around the circuit to the head marshals, medics and other key personnel. Fully staffed in race week, it is managed alongside the ‘bad boys’ room’, where FIA race director Charlie Whiting sits with three stewards to decide on penalties for drivers who take unnecessary risks.

Next door to operations is the medical centre, where doctors can treat all but the most serious injuries and helicopters stand by to whisk serious casualties to hospital. Even today they can happen but the circuit is well prepared. All of this is part of the paddock, the area behind the pit garages which houses the teams, the media and the rest of the F1 circus. Abu Dhabi has 81 air-conditioned garages (each team uses three, plus space for FIA weighbridges and testing as well as safety and medical cars). Then there are the 13 villas – 11 for teams, two for the royal family and Formula One corporate staff, including chief executive Bernie Ecclestone – and boxes directly overlooking the start/finish straight for team guests and the sport’s sponsors. A paddock pass is, together with team garage access, the ultimate in F1 luxury, trumped only by an invitation to the royal tower.

Baku

Shanghai

Self-drive a Jaguar F-Type S Coupe ($354 for one hour), enjoy a passenger experience in a Supersport SST ($120 for 30 minutes) and take a behind-the-scenes venue tour (from $16). yasmarinacircuit.com/en/experiences Jumeirah at Etihad Towers on the Abu Dhabi Corniche is a short drive from Yas Island. The concierge can arrange a limo or helicopter to the circuit during F1 weekend (Nov 25 to 27). jumeirah.com/abudhabi

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How to do tHe F1 like a ViP

Cool oFF aNd Beat tHe Heat

Looking to spend some down time away from the track? Yas Island has two great theme parks free to race ticket holders, Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi (see left). Gold tickets to both parks will halve your waiting times or secure you priority seating on most attractions, with a combined ticket covering both parks for two days. Yas Waterworld also offers a platinum ticket with fast access, unlimited drinking water and reserved seating on the beach. If you are in a group, there are cabanas where you can relax between rides with waiter service. yaswaterworld.com;

ferrariworldabudhabi.com

FlY to tHe tRaCk aFteR a lUXURY StaY

You can book a limo to the track – but who needs four wheels when the concierge in Jumeirah at Etihad Towers can book you a helicopter to beat the traffic? That gives you even more time to luxuriate in one of 18 suites in the hotel, from the deluxe 3,240sq ft Sky Suite (pictured) to a spacious apartment in the Residences. The club executive lounge is an exclusive area for hotel guests to both unwind and conduct business around the clock. jumeirah.com/abudhabi

watCH iN StYle witH BRUNCH oN tHe teRRaCe

There are many ways to upgrade your Grand Prix weekend, whether you are booking with F1 or Yas Marina Circuit. A gourmet Friday brunch just 10 metres from the circuit is a good way to start – or book full weekend club or lounge tickets, which combine reserved seating with either catered air-conditioned indoor lounges or outdoor club areas. The Marisa, Al Dhiyafa and Al Jood private suites enable you to combine fine dining indoors with reserved outdoor viewing areas or you can watch from the seventh floor of the circuit headquarters. tickets.formula1.com; ticketsyasmarinacircuit.com

PaRtY all NiGHt loNG witH tHe StaRS

Want to rub shoulders with F1 drivers and the likes of Prince Harry, Kylie Minogue and Craig David (pictured)? Book a table on board the Amber Lounge’s yacht moored at Yas Links golf club, where the party runs until dawn. Abu Dhabi is one of just four cities worldwide hosting the celebrity-filled event. If you can’t stretch to a $6,600 table (they go up to $23,600 while individual tickets are $825), Yas Marina is home to bars and restaurants open until the early hours. You can dance the night away at the pop-up VIP Room above Cipriani restaurant (last year Kim Kardashian put in an appearance while Ludacris and 50 Cent were on the billing) or in the neighbouring Iris bar. After all that partying, the sumptuous pillows in the Sky Suite will be a welcome relief. amber-lounge.

com; bookings@viproom-dubai.com; reservations@irisabudhabi.com

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racing AFTER-RACE CONCERTS: UPGRADE YOUR FREE TICKET

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is rightly famous for its after-race concerts, both on Abu Dhabi Corniche (free to the public) and at the Du Arena a short walk from the circuit, which are free to all ticket holders. This year the Chemical Brothers headline Friday night, soul legend Lionel Richie (left) performs on Saturday and superstar Rihanna brings her Anti World Tour to close the Grand Prix on Sunday. If you are not lucky enough to be invited to the VIP lounge – it offers viewing platforms from suites and treehouses – get there early. The first 2,000 Grand Prix ticket holders to arrive each day will be given passes to the golden circle in front of the stage. yasalam.ae

SUPERYACHTS: THE ULTIMATE IN GRAND PRIX GLAMOUR PADDOCK CLUB: THE RACING FANATIC’S DREAM TICKET

Yas Marina is also one of just two F1 circuits where you can watch

The dream ticket for any F1 fan is a paddock club pass and Yas

the race from a yacht moored beside the track from as little as

Island visitors can choose from Friday, Saturday/Sunday access or

10m away. Most superyacht packages include Friday brunch, pit

the full three-day package, which costs from $5,400. Here you’ll be

lane walks and plenty of bars and dining options as well as after-

able to grab selfies with the drivers as you mingle with the teams,

race partying and meet-and-greets with F1 drivers. There are

their celebrity guests and the media behind the pit lane, dining in

numerous yacht services and if you have your own yacht, you can

fully catered, air-conditioned suites with balcony viewing above the

berth it for race week. yasmarina.ae

garages. tickets.formula1.com

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Image: Getty

food

comForT Food From burgers to coffee bars, American food and culture has spread across the planet. But when it comes to Thanksgiving, there’s no place like home, says Danae Mercer

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food

When you think of American food, you think of the burger – reportedly invented in Texas by a Danish immigrant, now ubiquitous across the entire world. You think of comforting southern fried chicken, peanut butterinfused treats, coffee bars on every street corner and, of course, you think of Thanksgiving, traditionally held on the last Thursday of November. American cuisine speaks volumes about centuries of migrations and settlers, together with the food and traditions they brought to America with them.

This November, I will gather around close friends. I will cook food or we might go out, squeezing into the booths of some small American diner. We will eat corn bread slathered in honey, turkey and pumpkin pie, drinking hot cocoas and watery beers. Together they will help me capture new memories.

It might not be exactly like the Thanksgiving of my past — but I’ll be thankful for it all the same.

And as much as American tastes have developed according to those who have settled there, so too has it permeated other cultures. With an estimated six million Americans living abroad (although there are no official public figures) - including about 50,000 in the UAE - that means a lot of hungry American expats wanting a taste of home. “Food evokes memories,” says Darryl Downs, the general manager of The Hide restaurant in Jumeirah Al Qasr, Dubai. “The smell, the taste, even the act of preparation – all can elicit a specific and usually fond recollection of one’s past. Food is needed as a source of sustenance.

But all that surrounds food is what makes life worth living.”

As an American expat myself, I am happy most of the year. In a brief trip to the nearest shopping mall in Dubai – or wherever I am in the world – I could have all the pumpkin spice lattes, burgers and grease-fried, crunchy-coated chicken my heart desires. But as Thanksgiving approaches, things change.

Every year it is there, a persistent ache brought on by a caramelised smell, by autumnal colours, by passing thoughts of home. The American holiday, taking place in November and originally celebrated to mark the harvest, is one where families and friends gather together over a traditional feast. For the most part, Thanksgiving today is all about great food and beloved company.

Tables heave with stuffed turkey, sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, green bean casseroles, cranberry sauce, buttery bread rolls and pumpkin pies.

Families spend the entire day or even weekend together. And unlike birthdays or the festive season, there is no pressure to buy gifts.

Image: Getty

Last year the US exported food worth more than $1 billion to the UAE, including familiar brands like Kellogg’s, Hershey’s and Kraft Foods. American fast food chains make up almost half of the UAE’s $600 million casual dining market. Even our hot beverages have gone global. Statista estimates there were more than 23,000 Starbucks outlets around the world last year.

WHERE TO ENJOY A TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING FEAST THE HIDE

Jumeirah Al Qasr, Dubai

“Thanksgiving is the perfect blend of family, food and [American] football, with a huge helping of introspective thankfulness,” says Texan Downs. “It is not just the actual dinner but the build-up to it as well. The cleaning, the shopping, the smells of pre-game food preparation wafting through the house, the excitement from the first arrival’s ring at the door.”

The Hide will feature a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with a traditional roast turkey, roast potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, sauteed Brussels sprouts, corn bread stuffing, cranberry sauce and fresh herb gravy. Come with friends – it is big enough for two or three people to share.

Call +971 4 432 3232 to book or email restaurants@jumeirah.com Except food is only a small part of Thanksgiving. More than that, the holiday is about the company and family memories that surround it. As November approaches, I find myself nostalgically thinking of home. For many expats, sadness around special holidays can be a challenge, says Dr Lavina Ahuja, a personal development consultant with LifeWorks Dubai. She suggests creating new traditions with friends who are like family. “Holidays, especially ones which have tradition attached to it, often carry deep and loving emotional memories. They are inevitably about family and about spending time with loved ones. Not having family around, which is common with expats, often makes people feel quite homesick. [You need to] create your own traditions. Spend it with the family-like friends you have.”

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PERRY & BLAcKWELDER’S ORIGINAL SmOKEHOuSE

Souk madinat Jumeirah, Dubai For the comforts of a Deep South home-style Thanksgiving dinner, P&B’s will be offering slow-smoked turkey, barbecue beef meatloaf and cajun-spiced salmon together with candied yams and pecan and apple pie to follow. There is also a festive takeaway box available from November 20.

Call +971 4 366 6197 to book or email restaurants@jumeirah.com

You’re with us today.

Imagine where we can take you tomorrow.

The enhanced Jumeirah Sirius Recognition and Rewards programme. Collect points to go further, stay longer and STAY DIFFERENT™. Become a member before checking out and make this stay count towards unlocking even more privileges*.

If staying at a Jumeirah property, apply at reception; or visit jumeirahsirius.com *Guest on an eligible rate will accrue Jumeirah Sirius Points for their current stay.

hidden treasures image: courtesy of the Museum of innocence

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a rabbit warren of lofty 19th century buildings and winding alleys, Cukurcuma in istanbul is a treasure trove of curiosity shops and antique finds, as Ryan Young discovers

culture

I

f you cannot find it in Cukurcuma, it probably does not exist.

This could be the unofficial slogan of the quaint suburban neighbourhood, a short walk from Istanbul’s city centre, renowned worldwide for its lively curio collectors and singular antique shops. These eccentric outposts appear unchanged by passing decades, boasting stock as muddled as the district’s steep, winding, cobbled streets and as varied as the city’s chequered, cosmopolitan history.

Ranging from poky, cluttered front rooms to luxury boutiques commanding five-figure pricetags, Cukurcuma’s undulating retail trail both bewilders the senses and dazzles the mind. Browsers quickly learn to park surprise at the sight of a marble Ottoman ornament balancing atop a stack of dusty magazines or centuries-old jewellery scattered amid a tabletop of cheap trinkets.

It is this sense of unadulterated randomness which lends Cukurcuma much of its charm for a casual visitor. But for the serious collector, this heady combination of chance and opportunity is akin to a lifeforce. Amid the clutter and chaos, the find of a lifetime is never more than a few metres away.

It might feel like another world but it is amazing to discover – typically after a number of wrong turns – that Cukurcuma is just a short walk from Istanbul’s commercial centre in Beyoglu, the modern hub of the city’s European side.

To reach the district from the central Istiklal Avenue, turn southwards down Yeni Carsi Caddesi, where the pedestrianised throughfare bends midway at the corner by Galatasaray High School. Walk down the hill for about 10 minutes and turn left onto Cukurcuma Caddesi. Stroll a few metres further and you will hit this veritable treasure trove of antique shops.

It is a competitive field, where a single sale can make or break a business and it is not uncommon for sellers to shut up shop, only to re-emerge at a new address a few months later. Sitting at number 19A, the first shop to your left is one of a significant number of businesses without so much as a sign above the door. Just a small piece of paper stuck outside identifies the owner, Nervat Abi.

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Orhan Pamuk in The Museum of Innocence

Below the sign sits a small, serious, bald man with an impressive moustache, locked in a heated negotiation with a younger man dressed in a suit over his huge stock of furniture, furnishings, lighting, glassware, decorations and a particularly impressive collection of antique bird figurines.

fully curated into 83 cabinets, one for each chapter of the book. Strolling the building’s five floors, the effect is somewhere between a love letter to the Istanbul of the 1970s evoked in the book and a surrealist work of art it in its own right.

A short way up the road at 32A sits Dogu Antik, a tiny shop space which – perhaps out of necessity – specialises in ancient jewellery and ornaments.

The softly spoken owner will not be drawn on how much his stock is worth but a wide grin speaks volumes. Nothing is priced, which means any visitor needs to know their stuff before embarking on an elaborate bargaining ritual.

A 90-minute audio tour both relives key passages of the novel and illuminates the efforts Pamuk went to in amassing this collection of curios by trawling the very same antiques shops of Cukurcuma. Indeed, in a speech last month to an international museum conference in Milan, Pamuk emphasised the importance of rewriting history with the “ordinary and everyday stories” of the man on the street and creating museums which reflect a more human narrative. “If objects are not uprooted from their context and streets but situated with care in their natural places, they can have a way of independently telling their own stories,” he said. “We need modest museums that can honour the streets, houses and shops around them and transform them into moments of their narrative.”

Stooped over a case of timeworn trinkets is Ecem Arslanay, a 28-year-old interior designer who recently moved into the neighbourhood and is looking for one-of-a-kind finds to spruce up her new home. “These shops are the main reason I wanted to move here,” she says enthusiastically. “All these things remind me of my childhood. My grandfather never let me play with or collect anything so now I have a great desire for these kinds of objects. It is not about how old they are, it is about finding something unique which is yours only. The things that are important to me are not considered aesthetic by most people.”

Her sentiments appear to neatly mirror those of Orhan Pamuk, the bestselling Turkish writer who helped put Cukurcuma on the map with The Museum of Innocence. In a meta turn, that is the name of both the Nobel Prize-winner’s acclaimed 2008 book and the museum depicting the life story of the novel’s protagonist. Conceived at the same time, the museum sits in the fictional former home of the protagonist’s lost love on the corner of Cukurcuma Caddesi and Dalgic Caddesi.

A winner of the 2014 European Museum of the Year award, the idiosyncratic exhibit gathers more than 1,000 antique and vintage everyday items the novel’s characters “used, wore, heard, saw, collected and dreamt of”, care-

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Image: courtesy of The Museum of Innocence

Image: Getty

The neighbourhood of Cukurcuma

Karaca Borar, 59. owner of a store called The Works, Objects of Desire, claims “at least 40 per cent” of the museum’s artefacts came from his labyrinthine shop. “When Pamuk was making the museum, he came here six or seven times and left carrying truckloads with him each time,” he says.

His pirate’s lair includes an assortment of statuettes, sports trophies, old radios, mannequins, picture frames, vinyl records, postcards, paintings, musical instruments and much more, merging into a sensory haze, mirrored by the swirl of psychedelic rock blaring overhead. “There is an order within this disorder,” he laughs. “But without an eye, you would not notice.”

For the serious collector, a reliable assortment of ancient artefacts can be found in Yasam Antik, a long, narrow space which, from a storefront vantage, appears to extend indefinitely into the distance. Venture deep enough and perched behind a chiselled workshop table sits owner Mahmut Gezmez, sipping tea and smoking, locked in good-natured conversation with a reg-

culture

Treasure hunT a La Turca

For high-end, antique kilim rugs, this airy, sophisticated, four-storey townhouse is a treasure trove, well-stocked with colourful handsewn relics. Also check out the pottery collection in the basement.

4 Faikpasa Caddesi, Cukurcuma. alaturcahouse.com asLi Gunsiray

Best known as an interior designer to the Image: courtesy of Sinan Aslan

wealthy, since 1988 Asli Gunsiray has managed a distinguished boutique in Cukurcuma, offering a curated collection of Ottoman architectural delights, Anatolian art, Turkish ceramics and more.

58-60 Cukurcuma Caddesi. asligunsiray.com Karaca Borar, owner of The Works, Objects of Desire

yasam anTik

For serious collectors who know their stuff, owner Mahmut Gezmez’s collection of wooden furniture, brass, silverware and ceramics is hard to rival but be prepared to bargain hard.

31 Cukurcuma Caddesi.

ular client. Turkish show tunes blare from antique speakers. Every piece of floor or wall space has been used to stack or hang an extensive collection of candlesticks, glassware, porcelain, silver, brass, ornaments and jewellery boxes.

usLu yoney

A boutique belonging to the celebrated Turkish designer of the same name, who is renowned for integrating industrial relics into practical pieces

The 64-year-old digs out an old, marked, wooden cabinet, which to the untrained eye looks worthless but is expected to fetch at least $15,000. Next he opens a chest of what appear to be precious stone beads. “Copies,” he grunts of the $3 jewellery. This disparity seems a fitting metaphor for Cukurcuma’s unpredictability.

of homeware. Spotlights make ideal desklights.

This lively, vibrant scene has been allowed to prosper for decades precisely because it sits away from the main tourist area of Sultanahmet on the opposite side of the Golden Horn. Historically a poorer neighbourhood which was home to Greek and Armenian expatriate communities, in recent decades Cukurcuma has offered the pairing of large 19th century buildings and cheaper rents, creating an ideal environment for the antiques trade to evolve.

The Works, objecTs of Desire

“People have made a lot of money here over the years,” says William Tardieu, an antiques collector and senior lecturer at Kuwait University, who has divided his time between Istanbul and the Gulf for more than two decades. The 64-year-old academic, who keeps a penthouse home nearby, was first attracted to the city in the mid-1990s by an influx of treasures from the former Soviet countries, which began to flow through Istanbul following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Pera PaLace hoTeL jumeirah

Discarded pipes are turned into candle holders.

And cheese graters, apparently, make fine ceiling decorations.

5 Cukurcuma Caddesi. usluyoney.com

A supplier of The Museum of Innocence, this eccentric retailer aimed at the “slightly deranged collector” is an ideal place to start.

6/1 Faikpasa Caddesi, Cukurcuma.

fleaworks.com

The hotel is itself a treasure trove of antique finds. When the hotel ownership changed hands in 2006, a secret door was discovered in the kitchen with an incredible 6,000 pieces of silverware behind it. Many of them were crafted by the French silverware manufacturer Christofle and dated from 1887 to 1959. Today the pieces

After two decades spent keenly traipsing these narrow streets, his knowledge of every dealer’s stock and speciality is instinctive while special nicknames have developed for each of the traders. “That’s Black Sea Omar – good for ancient busts,” he nods at a passerby. “This is a city of characters and Cukurcuma is its centre,” he says. “Sultanahmet and Taksim are too expensive so if you want to open an art gallery or an antique shop, where do you go? You go to Cukurcuma.”

are used throughout the hotel, whose history stretches back to 1892. Hotel guests today are still served using the finely crafted silverware in the Patisserie de Pera and the Kubbeli Saloon during afternoon tea service. jumeirah.com

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travel

the spirit of burns Kilts at the ready: a centuries-old tradition in the Scottish Highlands, born of a love of life and bonhomie, is coming to London this winter

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d

eep in the heart of Speyside, the air prickles with a different fragrance. It’s not the thickets of scented pine and oak that cover miles and miles of enchanted woodland in this corner of northeastern Scotland. Nor is it the knee-deep banks of purple heather fringing winding trails nor golden barley wafting in the breeze as far as the eye can see.

No, the scent that hangs in the air with the promise of a centuries-old tradition is that issuing from the dozens of distilleries Speyside is famous for. Fringed by the Cairngorm mountains on one side and the North Sea on the other, it has been producing whisky for centuries, with more than half of Scotland’s 116 distilleries tucked among its picturesque glens and vales. Speyside’s year-round temperate climate, natural springs and abundance of barley and yeast make it the perfect environment to produce the spirit en masse. And one of the oldest whisky producers in this magical valley is William Grant and Sons, behind such iconic brands as Glenfiddich and The Balvenie.

“I love coming home to the distillery,” says Kirsten Grant Meikle, the fifth generation in the 129-year-old family business and its director of prestige in the UK. Born in Edinburgh, she is now based in Hampshire in England but loves returning to the Highlands. “It is a calming place.

When I take customers there, I tell them they will sleep well and dream vividly and they do. It’s the air. It is so fresh. The trees and houses are black because of a fungus fed by the angels’ share – the evaporation from the casks during maturation.”

The 41-year-old started her career in the wine industry but was persuaded to join the family firm five years ago by her late uncle and former company chairman Charles Gordon. She specialises in rare and aged stock and her role entails promoting the brand in the UK with a clientele ranging from five-star hotels to private collectors. This month she will be helping launch a Scottish-themed winter terrace in the Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel in Knightsbridge, London, injecting some festive Caledonian spirit into southern Britain. Running for two months, there will be whisky tastings, masterclasses, live music and regional bites to eat, from kedgeree and haggis to Arbroath fishcakes and cock-a-leekie pasties. One of the tastings includes a whisky flight paired with a three-part Glenfiddich cigar, where each part complements a different spirit. The culmination of the festivities will be a Burns supper in January next year.

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The Rib Room’s heated terrace will even be importing a little corner of Scotland with greenery, furniture fashioned from Glenfiddich barrels, twinkling Christmas lights and cosy tartan cushions and blankets while inside, the walls will be adorned with fishing rods, Shetland lace and stag motifs to continue the theme. Live music from the restaurant and bar’s resident band every weekend will create something of a in the heart of the British capital.

For Grant Meikle, it is the bonhomie and air of conviviality of the spirit that appeals, as well as the legacy of a firm family tradition. In Scotland whisky is known in Gaelic as uisce beatha, or the ‘water of life’. Grant Meikle was close to her great aunt Janet Sheed Roberts, the last of the third generation, who died in 2011 at the age of 110 as the oldest person in Scotland. “She was brilliant,” says Grant Meikle.

“She remembered William Grant [the company founder and Roberts’ grandfather]. It was very sad when she died. There are different levels of involvement between family members but we believe in family working together in the business. It is designed so that we have to think long-term.”

She disliked her first dram of whisky at 16 but was tempted to try it again at 22: “I got my father to do a whisky tasting with me and some friends. You have to understand it. You need to be told about it, then you appreciate it and then you like it. We have got a product that we can be hugely proud of. It has such provenance and history.”

She is one of a growing breed of women opting to drink whisky – traditionally perceived as the drink of fusty older men puffing on cigars – as consumers become more educated about the skill that goes into producing the spirit. Whisky-based cocktails like the Negroni and the Old-Fashioned are also making a comeback. “We just bought Drambuie and bought the copyright to the Rusty Nail [which uses Drambuie and Scotch whisky],” she laughs. As for what the future holds, Grant Meikle believes firmly that ‘we do not own the business, we are merely custodians of the brand for the next generation”.

The Scottish Winter Terrace runs daily from November 20, 2016 to January 25, 2017. The terrace will be opened from 12pm in the Rib Room Bar and Restaurant in the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London. Call +44 207 858 7250 to book. theribroom.co.uk

Kirsten Grant Meikle

Image: Getty

travel

Image: Getty

The Rib Room

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The InsIders’ GuIde To‌

abu dhabi

Image: Getty. Interviews by Gareth rees

In the second instalment of our new monthly series, we talk to residents in the cities where Jumeirah has hotels to find out what they think and feel about their home

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travel Buthaina Al Mazrui

Buthaina al Mazrui, 31

Co-founder of the Dinner Club by no 57 pop-up restaurant and no FiftySeven Boutique Cafe in al Marasy. Married, one child

I was born in Abu Dhabi. During my childhood it was – and still is – a beautiful, peaceful city. As a child I remember spending lots of time outdoors in parks and going to the beach with my father and sisters on weekends. I love how Abu Dhabi still retains some of its old charm – for example, Abu Dhabi Corniche – but most areas are not how they originally were. I think all people who were raised here would say they miss the large fountain on the Corniche that was demolished in 2004.

I grew up in Al Bateen. My parents still live there. Our house was directly opposite a line of shops that included the famous Sea Shell Cafeteria, a place all the young Emirati men would gather. They would arrive in their cars and spend hours there chatting to one another. I remember sitting and looking out at them from our upstairs window to see what trouble they would get into. It is a shame as these shops were also demolished. I am sure most local residents of Abu Dhabi have fond memories of that place. There was a bus station next to it that is now a supermarket called Al Bateen Mall.

When I think of Abu Dhabi I feel secure and at home. I am so proud to be from Abu Dhabi and don’t think I would ever choose to live someplace else.

To me, being Emirati means feeling empowered as a woman. We are traditional but we embrace modernity. I love to see the city come to life during festivals like Al Hosn and Mother of the Nation. My favourite memory of Abu Dhabi is celebrating National Day here. I couldn’t choose a better city to be in and celebrations here always give me a strong sense of pride to be an Emirati. My favourite escape in the city is climbing the rocks near the Mina Zayed port and sitting overlooking the sea. It is one of the most peaceful places in the city.

The hardest thing about living here is not being able to walk as much as I would like. When I travel, I walk everywhere and really appreciate it, espe-

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Jane Bristol-Rhys

Dr Margit Gabriele Muller

Image: Getty

Saadiyat Island

cially since most of the year I get from one place to another in a car. The best part of living here is the strong sense of community the city offers and the fact you can meet people so easily here. At weekends I like to go to Al Ain to disconnect after the hectic week I have had. Once a month, I like to go to Dubai to try out new restaurants and catch up with friends I have been too busy to see. When I leave work, I go straight home and spend time with my baby girl and get her ready for bed.

Jane Bristol-rhys

associate professor of anthropology at Zayed University. lives alone

I was born in Seattle in Washington, America but I grew up in Africa. Abu Dhabi is a very modern city that has expanded outwards and upwards in the last 40 years. It is also a very rich city. Cairo, one of the cities that I grew up in, is huge but it is not modern and it is certainly not rich. It is overpopulated, amazingly crowded and pretty much dirty everywhere. I lived in Africa long ago at a time when two of the countries I lived in, Nigeria and Kenya, were just getting their independence from Great Britain. There was hope everywhere and plans to do great things. Sadly, few of the hopes were realised.

I moved to Abu Dhabi because I had visited Abu Dhabi in 1972 with my father on our way to Oman and I wanted to return to the region. I had several Egyptian friends from university who were working here. It sounded like a good place to work and live. So I came in 2001 and that means that I have lived here for 15 years now. Abu Dhabi is a great place for me to do my job because I teach and do research on social and cultural change. I cannot think of a better place to do those two things than Abu Dhabi.

The thing that has surprised me most about Abu Dhabi is how fast it has grown. When I drive around, I remember what certain areas looked like 10

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and 15 years ago – amazing. My favourite escape in the city is the Kite Beach on Saadiyat Island. It is quiet and peaceful yet entertaining with all the people flying their kites. I take a large coffee with me and just enjoy the show. In the city, I love to drive around in my car on Friday mornings.

The traffic is very light and I like to see what’s new in different areas of the city. I also like to take pictures of interesting things. The city’s best-kept secret is Khalifa Park because it is beautiful and underused. Sometimes I will go to Al Ain to visit friends. I go there as frequently as possible. The best book about Abu Dhabi is Before the Oil. It tells us so much about how life was before oil changed everything. Of course, I think my book, Emirati Women: Generations of Change, is pretty good too.

The hardest thing about living here is the weather in the summer. I really don’t much like the heat and I miss being able to sit on my balcony with a good book. The best part of living here is the great mix of people, languages, cultures and foods. We have the best of everything all within our reach. I like to eat at Prego’s. It has the best Italian food in Abu Dhabi and is the best place to go with friends for lunch. The service is great and they let you sit and enjoy talking long after the meal is over. My favourite dish is risotto.

Dr Margit gaBriele MUller, 47

Director of abu Dhabi Falcon hospital. single

I was born in Germany. I grew up in a small town in Bavaria. The weather is so much better in Abu Dhabi and the landscape is completely different – lush forests and fields in Bavaria, a vast and exciting landscape of desert and sea in Abu Dhabi. I moved here because I was offered a position at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital in 2001. The city is the place to be to work with falcons as it is the centre of falconry worldwide.

Image: Getty

Image: Getty

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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The thing that has surprised me most about Abu Dhabi is that it is a very vibrant and multicultural city that perfectly combines tradition with modernity. Abu Dhabi has in it the power and passion to improve itself and to become one of the world’s major cities by seeking the latest in excellence performance in each field. My earliest memory of the city is when I first arrived and received the warmest of welcomes from Emiratis who even invited me to their homes to ensure that I felt at home here.

My favourite escape in the city is Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is stunningly peaceful and calms the heart. The mosque’s architecture is breathtaking and there are so many different unique features that you can always find something new, even after many visits.

The biggest misconception people have about Abu Dhabi is that it is very conservative and the people are not open-minded, not warm and do not accept expatriates. In reality, Emiratis accept foreigners with open arms and excellent hospitality. They allow all cultures and religions to live together happily in peace in a multicultural environment.

In the city I love to walk on the Corniche. I feel comfortable and relaxed seeing the beautiful mesmerising sea on one side and the stunning skyline of Abu Dhabi on the other. The city’s best-kept secret is Al Mina fishmarket.

As I am from a small town near the mountains, the amazing variety of fresh fish never fails to amaze me.

The best book about Abu Dhabi is From Rags to Riches by Mohammed Al Fahim. It helped me to better understand the development of Abu Dhabi and the character of the Abu Dhabi Emiratis. It also provided me with a clear understanding of how Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan [the founder of the UAE] put all his effort into improving the situation of the local popula-

Abu Dhabi corniche

Mohammed Abdulla Farah

tion and providing them with a vision of a peaceful and prosperous future.

My favourite memory of Abu Dhabi is winning the Abu Dhabi Award in 2008. I will never forget the moment when I received this prestigious award from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The hardest thing about living here is that there are no places to walk dogs in the city. Therefore we have created a dog agility park in the pet care centre of Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital to give all dog owners the chance to let their dogs run freely.

At weekends I like to go to the desert. The peace and quiet of the desert has a very soothing and calming effect on me and I adore the variety of plants and animals. I like to eat at Al Dhafra restaurant in Al Mina. It serves traditional Emirati cuisine and is a favourite restaurant among Emiratis. The food is excellent and the decor is very special. The best coffee in town is served at the coffeeshop Le Cafe in Emirates Palace hotel. They serve it with gold flakes – it is so unique.

MohaMMed abdulla Farah, 28

Culture specialist and media relations executive. Single

I was born in Abu Dhabi. There weren’t many places to visit when I was growing up so my childhood was all about outdoor areas such as football pitches, the beach and trips to the northern emirates to see the mountains.

Over the years the number of places to visit has dramatically increased. In the city I love to visit Saadiyat Beach Club. I pay $68 and have access to the health club, the beach itself, the swimming pool, the restaurants – it is just amazing. Safina at the beach club is my favourite restaurant. I love its seafood.

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Bill Bragin

Image: Getty

Emirates Palace

My earliest memory of Abu Dhabi is the beach. I used to go to the beach all the time. I take a sunbed, have my lunch by the sea and stay until sunset.

When I think of Abu Dhabi I feel like I am part of it. I have to be a good citizen and pay back the government or the rulers for what they have done for us because the city becomes more beautiful every day.

be developed quickly. Colleagues in the arts sector have been especially warm, making introductions and invitations and sharing ideas and experiences. I have also been surprised how hungry and curious audiences are for the adventurous programmes we have been bringing to Abu Dhabi, which generally sit to the left of the mainstream.

My favourite escape in the city are the sand dunes 45 minutes from my home.

I own a 4x4 and I go there, either on my own or with my best friend, park the car and sit with a pot of tea and Arabic sweets and watch the sunset. The best part of living here is safety and the people. Wherever I go in the city I see nice people. I have always had lots of expat friends as well as local friends.

We might have different traditions or views of this world but Abu Dhabi has taught us to become friends. We might be different in many ways but the beauty of the city has helped us to come together. To me, being Emirati means peace. It means being the best you can be when it comes to [your] humanity. It means being hardworking. It means giving your soul for the country.

My earliest memory of Abu Dhabi is going to the Tourist Club for Ethiopian music, just before it was torn down. When I think of Abu Dhabi, I think of an incredible cross-section of the world and an exciting experiment in multiculturalism. My favourite escape in the city is Saadiyat beach because soft white sand beaches and the gorgeous turquoise Gulf waters five minutes from my home is hard to beat. I also enjoy kayaking in the eastern mangroves. In the city I love to discover restaurants that aren’t in hotels because the food is great, the prices are even better and you get a sense of your neighbours and larger community. I also love to go to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with visiting artists, since they are as awed by its beauty and grandeur as I am.

Bill Bragin, 49

Executive artistic director of the arts Centre in nYU abu Dhabi.

Married

I was born in Long Island, New York. Abu Dhabi is different to Long Island in almost every way. Abu Dhabi is far more international although I was a short ride from New York City, so I also grew up with a strong relationship with a large city and global capital. New York has an overabundance of performance offerings while Abu Dhabi is just starting to develop in these ways, which we are trying to catalyse through our work at the Arts Centre.

I moved to Abu Dhabi because I was excited by the prospect of leading a start-up arts centre under the auspices of one of the world’s great universities and of helping to develop the arts and culture sector in a place that is so dynamic and international. The thing that has surprised me most about Abu Dhabi was how open and welcoming it was. People are very quick to open their social circles and their hearts to new arrivals and new friendships can

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The best film about Abu Dhabi is Abdullah. It captures an intimate portrait of an Emirati musician and the complex relationship with both his own family and with expats. The best part of living here is being part of a relatively new country that is so actively building and continuing to redefine itself and knowing I am a part of that building process. It is incredibly dynamic and I feel like I learn and evolve every day.

When I leave work, I work some more or I take advantage of cultural offerings elsewhere in Abu Dhabi, like Warehouse 421, the Mother of the Nation park, Abu Dhabi Classics, Abu Dhabi Festival, the Du Arena, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi Soul or Boogie Box. Going to all these events constantly is the best way to discover the city and expand your social circles. I like to eat in the Beach House on Saadiyat Island. The watermelon and feta salad is light and delicious every time and during the six to seven months when the weather is perfect you cannot beat the view of the dunes and the Gulf. I also like Tarbouche and Al Saada bakery.

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Not that you would guess it from wandering around the kitchens of Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara, which opened in the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in September. There is an atmosphere of controlled calm as the Michelin-starred chef commandeers his team of 17 chefs ahead of a 90-cover busy lunchtime service, with little rest before a four-hour dinner service. Here he is, delicately balancing a lobster tail on top of his lobster risotto and bringing a little piece of Cornwall, where he runs the Michelin-starred Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, to Dubai. He is back in the UAE this month and if you are very lucky, you might see him wandering through the restaurant in his chef whites like the white-coated captain of a very smooth-sailing ship.

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photography by farooq salik

With an air of studied concentration, Nathan Outlaw puts the final flourishes on a dish of toothfish with red peppers, olives, tarragon and Porthilly crab sauce. His junior and sous chefs lean in and watch intently, soaking up tips, as they observe the masterchef at work. For this is one of the finest kitchens in one of the finest hotels in the world, where guests expect nothing but the best.

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Have you Haveever youwanted ever wanted to go inside to go inside Burj AlBurj Arab AlJumeirah?

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The high life:

Salt, Jumeirah Messilah Beach hotel and Spa, Kuwait

The lowdown: Salt is a fine dining seafood restaurant tucked away on the

fanatical about seafood, fear not: there are a number of more earth-bound

lower level, or south wing, of Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, an

dishes too, from grilled wagyu beef tenderloin to mushroom risotto with

idyllic resort on Kuwait’s seafront. The ornate interior is therefore aptly

porcini mushrooms.

themed around the ocean. As you enter you pass eyecatching fish tanks housing large grouper and Canadian lobsters. Admire the aquatic-themed

The atmosphere: An elegant ambience, thanks to elaborate bronze chairs

decor as you take a seat. The combination of azure walls, blue tones fea-

and a striking interior. The vibe is lively; as you walk through the restaurant,

tured throughout and sparkling crystal chandeliers all combine to give an

a pianist sets the mood with classical music and the show kitchen adds a

oceanic effect.

touch of theatre. Take a seat near the window and enjoy stunning views of the hotel’s gardens.

The food: Prepare for an extensive a la carte menu of international and contemporary cuisine with a special focus on fresh fish and seafood.

Insider’s tip: Salt has a team which specialises in organising romantic

For starters, try the steamed black mussels, baked prawns or the corn

candlelit arrangements, from petal-strewn tables to spelling out loving

soup. The lobster thermidor is a popular main course, fresh from the tank.

messages. The private dining room is popular for such set-ups.

Gourmet diners will love the chef’s favourite, a seafood platter of lobster,

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king crab, mussels, prawns, scallops and marinated salmon for two. For

Booking details: Call +965 2226 9666 or email JumeirahRestaurant@

dessert, the chocolate souffle comes highly recommended. If you are not

jumeirah.com

HAPPY DIAMONDS