Chipotle to J1 beach clubs: 8 restaurants coming to Dubai in October

The last three months of the year bring with them a flurry of activity – from family-friendly spots reopening for the season to an array of activities to add to your fitness calendar . Prime among winter's attractions in the UAE is the spate of new restaurant launches, with enough options to keep even the most discerning of diners spoilt for choice. Here are eight of the latest to check out this month. Cuisine: French-Italian Led by Turin-born chef Alessandro Bertinetti, the restaurant at Conrad Dubai is studded with frescoed ceiling, massive angel sculptures and baroque design. Chef-recommended dishes include: Saint-Jacque carpaccio with scallops, caviar and orange juice; slow-cooked veal tenderloin with tuna, capers and egg sauce; charred octopus with black olives and roasted cherry tomatoes; and sole meuniere with white asparagus. Monday to Saturday, 4pm-11pm; Sheikh Zayed Road Cuisine: Mexican The 3,500-strong American chain opened its first UAE branch at The Beach, JBR this month. The venue will be immediately familiar to anyone who’s eaten at a Chipotle, with its countertop and glass barrier through which customers can see their orders being put together and the freshly prepared ingredients visibly laid out. The straightforward menu offers five items, burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas and salads, all of which can be personalised with options such as rice, beans, salsa, cheese and protein. Additional sides include chips, guacamole and queso. Top tip: Add the sweet white corn salsa Chipotle is known for to your meal; it tastes the same as in the US. Daily, 10am-1am; The Beach, JBR Cuisine: Indo-Chinese The first Dubai outpost of the fusion Asian eatery from the UK, Oodles Wok is located in Foxhill 4 in Up Town Motor City – and offers delivery and dine-in options. The menu focuses on freshly made noodles, available as wok boxes and stir-fries. These can be customised with options such as Malaysian chicken, katsu vegetable curry, wok-fired beef and schezwan paneer. Daily, 11am-11pm; Motor City Cuisine: Mediterranean Located within BCH:CLB at W Dubai – The Palm, the restaurant offers vibrant weekend brunches (from Dh350) plus an a la carte menu. Dishes include chicken souvlaki, oak-smoked peppers, seabass ceviche, ouzo-flamed tiger prawns, black Angus tomahawk, and an Insta-worthy nine-fish seafood tower. Monday to Thursday, noon-midnight; Friday to Sunday, noon-2am; Palm Jumeirah Cuisine: Mediterranean Following from its branches in Dubai Design District, Mall of the Emirates, Nakheel Mall and Yas Bay Waterfront, the restaurant and concept store opened its latest outpost at Dubai Hills Estate. Designed by the British architect David Archer, the latest location offers bar seating, high tables and loungers, plus DJ performances. On the menu are an array of salads (lentil, Greek and beetroot); mezze (burrata, musakhan rolls and stuffed grape leaves); pizzettas and pastas. Mains include the popular steak frites, harissa-crusted seabass and mushroom risotto. Sunday to Thursday, noon-midnight; Friday and Saturday, noon-1am ; Dubai Hills Estate Cuisine: Italian The first restaurant and beach club to open at J1 Beach , Gigi Rigolatto is designed by Franco-Mexican architect Hugo Toro, and its is dominated by lush foliage, a rustic palette and white parasols. The family-friendly space includes a Mediterranean-style garden, two terraces, a concept store, a court for the ball game petanque and a play area for children. Offering coastal Italian dishes, the menu includes signatures such as linguine alle vongole, ricotta ravioli, meringue lemon tart and panna cotta. Opens on Monday; Jumeirah 1 Cuisine: Japanese Chefs Reif Othman and Vladimir Kim come together to open the latest restaurant by the Bulldozer Group (Not Only Fish, Miya) at The Lana Promenade by Dorchester Collection. The venue comes with Burj Khalifa views, and is dominated by a dragonfly sculpture hovering under an eight-metre-high ceiling, plus Japanese vases and Kokeshi dolls. The menu pays ode to the bustling markets of Asia, with a focus on fresh seafood and flavours ranging from yuzu and charred miso to shiso leaves and soy. Signature dishes include Beijing duck, bikini sandwich with otoro and black caviar, duck gyoza with foie gras and cherry hoisin sauce, and a selection of dim sum. Opens on Friday; Business Bay, Dubai Cuisine: French Another offering from the Bulldozer Group, also at The Lana, Frou Frou takes its cues from the brasseries of Paris. Its bistro chic vibe plays out as pops of greenery and large-scale artworks studded around the interior. The menu is the brainchild of chef Leonid Ivanov and offers gourmet French dishes, from buttery escargot and foie gras, black caviar and truffles, to plenty of pastry. Opens on Saturday; Business Bay, Dubai

Chipotle to J1 beach clubs: 8 restaurants coming to Dubai in October

As cooler climes set in, the food scene in the emirate is garnished with a number of new eateries