![The cafe already gets about 150-170 visitors on each night of the weekend. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S7H4ITQN3XPJDPOVYCEUMSFFTY.jpg?smart=true&auth=45a537c3e853a99fbc0a5df65f1122dce9b2ef16ddccb8e565a6880cf720763f&width=400&height=225)
![Unwind Specialty Board Game Cafe is based in Dubai on Hessa Street. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/Q6PC5XJDJ3JF333ZTWHSKIOLQ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=68fb813d7158fdb7288ca1710e7e42f33697548f6881ae70bb771bd5f3c69b9a&width=400&height=225)
![The cafe was nearly two years in the making, and has only been open for two months. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BWUWRSOWOPS3ZLJ7SKYF4LVYZI.jpg?smart=true&auth=dfc28a31467a5ea19e8a8bc42135d6ff91449be5497732191e331131fdf4ad49&width=400&height=225)
![Vaihundan Paramalingam, left, and his business partner Saifur Rahman, who opened the cafe with Vai's sister, Hamsa. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OWERGRE2FBOIM7BHOYPRAXCZTI.jpg?smart=true&auth=abd6ddd3d49b444e0b1e2199547addd90866f7cfbc730d9af4864beef65ee815&width=400&height=225)
![The trio is constantly adding new games to their growing collection. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/G7TCAJSDAMR7W3IM5Z7IUXB4FA.jpg?smart=true&auth=fae9be03e81b805eb05aa4ed25869e1919452206d59d4fcd18cc1c5203188736&width=400&height=225)
![The games are split into three categories: 'competitive', 'co-operative' and 'party'. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MHMUVOU7JF6ULJ3JJCIFIBS7VE.jpg?smart=true&auth=c766d9cf549a72cb5192f3a5835b4e65a8611d3b62cb3c2c6483c08af9883d01&width=400&height=225)
![The cafe also serves food, which has been designed to complement the homely atmosphere. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IWCPROIHGZT2QOU7F735K2GUIE.jpg?smart=true&auth=46bd5c1651abb13fc9650d4efe51225a127b6ab2a5848660e5c7c1c97f47abd1&width=400&height=225)
![Games are sourced from all over the world and right here in the UAE. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7MHO4NTLHYNNOHWHI7IZNJZVRM.jpg?smart=true&auth=958900ca871359def2ac8bd14779f449a44a1bb7804c70a65ee93a031de1faac&width=400&height=225)
![Customers' current favourite is a simple card game called Sleeping Queens. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FOKRVJPHEAFI6MEJ2F7YIE22UI.jpg?smart=true&auth=64f15c5f2569e0d1c4795b0a1425d4f448b09549b53090e85335457ef41cbe3b&width=400&height=225)
![Guests can enjoy specialty coffee made of beans imported from Costa Rice and El Salvador. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VYIBXE7QFRZFZ2FFDF5PZGKJCY.jpg?smart=true&auth=ec093b342d6259bb097bc66e50c3251e0f2afcd0fb6147026c0f19419d7e739f&width=400&height=225)
![Every Tuesday, the team holds a theme night, highlighting different games each week. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/NEFR3THV7NE7AH4VV56NFSB374.jpg?smart=true&auth=4c94eb2006f05cb1faf8d758cca970c773807e68fa14c3a37ea8dea6b275a471&width=400&height=225)
![The cafe already gets about 150-170 visitors on each night of the weekend. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S7H4ITQN3XPJDPOVYCEUMSFFTY.jpg?smart=true&auth=45a537c3e853a99fbc0a5df65f1122dce9b2ef16ddccb8e565a6880cf720763f&width=400&height=225)
![Unwind Specialty Board Game Cafe is based in Dubai on Hessa Street. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/Q6PC5XJDJ3JF333ZTWHSKIOLQ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=68fb813d7158fdb7288ca1710e7e42f33697548f6881ae70bb771bd5f3c69b9a&width=400&height=225)
![The cafe was nearly two years in the making, and has only been open for two months. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BWUWRSOWOPS3ZLJ7SKYF4LVYZI.jpg?smart=true&auth=dfc28a31467a5ea19e8a8bc42135d6ff91449be5497732191e331131fdf4ad49&width=400&height=225)
![Vaihundan Paramalingam, left, and his business partner Saifur Rahman, who opened the cafe with Vai's sister, Hamsa. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OWERGRE2FBOIM7BHOYPRAXCZTI.jpg?smart=true&auth=abd6ddd3d49b444e0b1e2199547addd90866f7cfbc730d9af4864beef65ee815&width=400&height=225)
![The trio is constantly adding new games to their growing collection. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/G7TCAJSDAMR7W3IM5Z7IUXB4FA.jpg?smart=true&auth=fae9be03e81b805eb05aa4ed25869e1919452206d59d4fcd18cc1c5203188736&width=400&height=225)
![The games are split into three categories: 'competitive', 'co-operative' and 'party'. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MHMUVOU7JF6ULJ3JJCIFIBS7VE.jpg?smart=true&auth=c766d9cf549a72cb5192f3a5835b4e65a8611d3b62cb3c2c6483c08af9883d01&width=400&height=225)
![The cafe also serves food, which has been designed to complement the homely atmosphere. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IWCPROIHGZT2QOU7F735K2GUIE.jpg?smart=true&auth=46bd5c1651abb13fc9650d4efe51225a127b6ab2a5848660e5c7c1c97f47abd1&width=400&height=225)
![Games are sourced from all over the world and right here in the UAE. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7MHO4NTLHYNNOHWHI7IZNJZVRM.jpg?smart=true&auth=958900ca871359def2ac8bd14779f449a44a1bb7804c70a65ee93a031de1faac&width=400&height=225)
![Customers' current favourite is a simple card game called Sleeping Queens. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FOKRVJPHEAFI6MEJ2F7YIE22UI.jpg?smart=true&auth=64f15c5f2569e0d1c4795b0a1425d4f448b09549b53090e85335457ef41cbe3b&width=400&height=225)
![Guests can enjoy specialty coffee made of beans imported from Costa Rice and El Salvador. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VYIBXE7QFRZFZ2FFDF5PZGKJCY.jpg?smart=true&auth=ec093b342d6259bb097bc66e50c3251e0f2afcd0fb6147026c0f19419d7e739f&width=400&height=225)
![Every Tuesday, the team holds a theme night, highlighting different games each week. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/NEFR3THV7NE7AH4VV56NFSB374.jpg?smart=true&auth=4c94eb2006f05cb1faf8d758cca970c773807e68fa14c3a37ea8dea6b275a471&width=400&height=225)
![The cafe already gets about 150-170 visitors on each night of the weekend. Victor Besa/The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S7H4ITQN3XPJDPOVYCEUMSFFTY.jpg?smart=true&auth=45a537c3e853a99fbc0a5df65f1122dce9b2ef16ddccb8e565a6880cf720763f&width=400&height=225)
Inside Unwind, Dubai's new board games cafe: 'we want to bring back nostalgic times'
We meet the three friends who masterminded Dubai's new specialty board game cafe as a way to get people connecting with each other again
![Katy Gillett](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F0d30538e-8093-483b-9671-b522ebeb7695.png?smart=true&auth=8c7547f4ac03274ba8bbce82d6291f909b38c6ccab7737911edec4058f46eea6&width=70&height=70)
Katy Gillett
June 30, 2019
- Listen In English
- Listen In Arabic