About

A freelance travel and motoring writer and photographer since 2004, living in UAE since 1999 (Al Ain!) Paolo Rossetti has published over 200 articles in The National, Gulf News, and Khaleej Times, as well as Arab Wheels, Middle East Car, Top Performance, and Wheels magazines. This love for cars and travel has taken him on an amazing journey of discovery in the UAE and Oman - and in this blog, Paolo wants to share his knowledge of great places to visit with you, just like numerous good buddies have shared their stories with him. Paolo is sad to hear of UAE expats (and nationals!) who spend their weekends bored in malls, when he knows there are awesome adventures to be had if only people knew where to go. Check out the photos and you will be astounded - is this really in the UAE? You betcha! On this website Paolo provides a lively travel article on a monthly basis, with description, photos, route, GPS file, and even a Google Earth map for you to follow at your leisure. It's free of charge because Paolo is not motivated by profits but by his admiration of the UAE and by helping you make the most of your stay in the UAE, be it a few months or a lifetime. To adventures!

Weekend Dining at Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Village, Dubai

The Jebel Ali Recreation Club, one of the earliest set up in Dubai’s history, is undergoing a major renovation project, but at the same time the well- loved and popular restaurants within are offering exceptional deals!

In fact, even though there is a large construction site around, the Jebel Ali Club remains an oasis of calm, and so once inside the grounds, our weekend brunch was unaffected.

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend
weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

And Nawab, the authentic Indian restaurant bringing Northern Indian dishes and Mughlai cuisine to Dubai for decades has arranged for an exceptional value for its weekend brunch!

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

Nawab is a family affair, and the dishes are prepared with love and care – plus, it is fully licensed.

Indeed, as well as the classics, the good people at the Nawab bar have creatively experimented with unique cocktails, such as the Whisky Masala Chai: a bespoke whisky sour, enhanced with Indian spices, akin to the aromatic masala tea.

The result was a glimpse of Indian culinary traditions embedded within an enticingly tasty beverage!

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

Also the mocktails where exceptional, and fun to order!

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

As for the food menu, an excellent selection of favorities, but also some experimenting has been going on there, as well!

For instance, an appetizing chaat woke up our palates straight off the bat – with that delicious melange of fresh creamy yogurt, sweet and tangy tamarind, mystical chutney, and who knows what other marvels of Indian herbs and spices – and, the twist, it was made from whole spinach leaves!

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

Each individual spinach leaf was transformed into an explosion of crunchiness, and then enhanced with the exciting chaat flavors!

And that attention to detail, as well as willingness to playfully explore while remaining true to traditions, became the theme of our weekend brunch at Nawab – an exceptional journey of tastes from the north of India.

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

The grills were without doubt among the best we’ve tried in Dubai.

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend
weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

And also the vegetarian options were abundant and delicious – Indian cuisine is the one world cuisine were vegetarian fare was never considered secondary to a splendid meal.

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

Soya chaap marveled at its ability to absorb and retain flavor, and the cottage cheese in thick gravy was a big hit!

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

Actually, every dish was magnificent at Nawab – as a stand-alone and in combination with other dishes, served in the middle of the table, and allowing for a celebration of different and exciting flavors at each bite!

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

In fact, at Nawab’s it was more a feast than a regular weekend brunch!

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

A family feast crowned by intensely delicious desserts!

weekenduae Nawab Indian Restaurant at Jebel Ali Club Village in Dubai UAE weekend

Overall, while it lasts, the weekend brunch at Nawab Indian Restaurant was exceptional along many dimensions: from the quality and care of the food preparation, to the mastery in bringing out exceptional flavors – the decor and service were excellent, and even a lively and fun quiz was on the cards – and of course the great value on offer due to the renovations the outer grounds are undergoing – for a brilliant weekend feast of Mughlai proportions, look no further than Nawab Jebel Ali next weekend.