THE WEEKEND EDIT: THE GREAT SUMMER ESCAPE

Celebrating five years of success in Dubai, Waldorf Astoria on Palm Jumeirah has launched a slew of celebrations this summer. To take advantage of some down-time as Dubai goes into relaxation mode, most appealing to us is the Enliven The Senses experience at the Waldorf Astoria’s award-winning Spa, where guests will be taken on a sensory journey that includes a foot ritual, 60-minute massage and mindfulness meditation, soothing mind, body and soul. Heaven sent.

A night at the opera, anyone? As theatre aficionados, you won’t have missed the news that The Phantom of the Opera is coming to Dubai Opera in October this year. But, if you did miss out on the best tickets when they went on sale, the good news is that the production has added eight more nights to the run, giving show-lovers one more week to see one of the world’s most popular musicals. Get ahead of the curve, as the additional nights' tickets are on sale now.

Yet to jet-off on your summer vacation? Let Villamore’s Mediterranean Summer Series brunch sate your wanderlust. Inspired by the culture, traditions and cuisines of Nice, Mykonos, Capri and Bodrum, the themed brunch, which runs from June to September, will take your tastebuds on an epicurean European adventure. First up is the French Riviera resort of Nice, where the fresh flavours of the sea and the aromatic herbs of the countryside culminate in succulent dishes, like Nicoise salad and Bouillabaisse. Chic eats at their best.

A debut Middle Eastern exhibition of Edvard Munch’s artwork has opened at The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra), in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, showcasing 40 pieces from the world-renowned Norwegian artist of the Modernism era. Edvard Munch: Landscapes of the Soul delves into the artist’s psyche, presenting an eye-opening and emotional artistic expression of his inner self. The exhibition also includes a lithograph of the artist’s most iconic painting, The Scream. An honour to have this exhibition hosted in the region, it really is not to be missed.

Well, kinda… Fish, the beautiful seafood eaterie at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi has installed a new glass cover over the restaurant, allowing guests to still dine on the terrace this summer, whilst embracing the notion of bringing the outdoors in. If you haven’t been, the views are reason enough, but the twinkling lights, cobbled pathways, rustic Santorini-style whitewash interiors and sublime seafood (you must try the seabass souvlaki) ensure all senses are sated. 

THE ONE-STOP SHOP

What we love in the summer is a place that caters to all our whims in one place, rather than traipsing around the city in the sweltering sun. Step forward Kulture House, the new boutique cafe-cum-concept-store-cum-florist-cum-art-gallery in Jumeirah. You get our point? With a focus on artisanal interiors pieces collected from Africa to Asia, beautiful floristry work, local art on the walls and a contemporary menu that serves up jalapeño eggs Benedict and deep fried Oreos (yes, it's a thing) , this is the true definition of a one-stop shop.