PRIME your appetites as Dubai Food Festival (DFF), the city’s annual celebration of all things food, kicks off today (Feb. 21) until March 9 – uniting various cultures and tastes in a 17-day extravaganza of culinary events, activities and dining experiences across Dubai.

Featuring new and returning favorites, here’s a list of the top must-try events taking place during the first week of DFF:

Visit swyp Beach Canteen

DFF’s flagship event returns this year, featuring unique zones that will appeal to all age groups. The beachside location is perfect for a day out with friends and family, and visitors are encouraged to head to the Food Piazza or 7UP-FIDO’s Food Truck Alley to try out a variety of cuisines, watch movies under the stars, enjoy incredible live performances at the swyp Beach Canteen Mainstage, or watch culinary professionals show off their skills at the Cooking Court. Other things to watch out for are the Gaming Zone, Retail Garden, Workshop Space, Fun Zone, Sports Court and Kids Play Park for the little ones.

A celebration is not complete without fireworks and DFF 2019 is no different. A mesmerizing fireworks display will open up, followed by a final closing show of fireworks at 8:35pm. swyp Beach Canteen is also set to light up the skies with fireworks to celebrate the occasion of Kuwait National Day on February 25.

Book your table for Dubai Restaurant Week, brought to you by Emirates NBD and Visa

Take your taste buds on a journey as you enjoy bespoke 3-course meals at some of Dubai’s finest restaurants such as Scape, Morimoto, Bleu Blanc Dubai, Hotel Cartagena and much more starting 21 February until 2 March 2019. Book your table now on Reserve Out, and take advantage of a 15 per cent reduction if you book with an Emirates NBD VISA credit or debit card before 25 February. Not only that, but residents who make two more reservations at Dubai Restaurant Week will get a chance to win AED4,000.

Discover (and re-discover) Dubai through its Hidden Gems

Help us identify Dubai’s best undiscovered culinary spots by voting for your favorite hidden gem from a list of 40 shortlisted restaurants onwww.dubaihiddengems.com before 25 February, where 10 participants will have the chance to win AED1,000 and a year-long Zomato Gold membership!

You can also try out special DFF meals priced at AED35 per person at all 40 restaurants until 2 March. The announced winners will extend their menu until 9 March, so make sure to check out all set menus for each restaurant on their pages on Zomato’s website and app.

Embark on a culinary adventure with Foodie Experiences

Try out a variety of unique culinary events and experiences across Dubai, including master classes and exclusive tasting menus amongst others. More information on experiences, prices and booking are available on Platinumlist, and here is a list of what’s happening from Feb 21 to 27. — SG