night with the girls. And with deep house and RnB on offer throughout the week, notably on popular weekend night J’Adore, Atelier M has quickly become the go-to venue in the Marina. THE SCENE Best for: Something Different It’s gone from a Marina eyesore to the hottest joint in town, as Pier 7 joins the dots from laidback dinner (Fume), after work drinks (Cargo), food with a twist (The Scene) and 3 levels of nightlife and live music courtesy of Atelier M. We had the enviable task of hitting each of the 7 venues Pier 7, Dubai Marina Mall, pier7.ae an adventurous menu with taste twists throughout. The chicken wings came in a tangy, finger-licking Asian influenced sauce – and you know chicken wings are good when you have the sauce splattered all over your face. The Scene burger exploded in a juicy mess in our mouth, and came with a portion of crunchy and chunky fries. The whole burger was so good and filling, it almost made me wish I was hungover to appreciate it even more. Add in their impressive cocktails, the sprawling bar, and the views over the Marina from the terrace and you have a posh – but well priced – dinner option that definitely offers something different. ASIA ASIA ATELIER M Best for: Nightlife At the very top of Pier 7 you can find Atelier M, a sleek sophisticated venue dominated by the huge bug-eyed mirrored bar in the centre of the room. Having arrived mid week for the ladies night the venue was an energetic mix of expats, tourists and musos awaiting the start of resident band Abri. The staff are all attentive, friendly and know the menu inside out. The food was amazing, and their sticky toffee pudding the best we have had. Tuesdays nights is Ladies night and with Hamdan at the helm, musically you can’t go wrong. A perfect place for a more upmarket Beanos for wallpaper, chintzy photos on the wall, mis-matched furniture and a food menu that includes Smoked Salmon Lasagna for two and Elderflower and raspberry trifle: The Scene is certainly different. Thanks to UK head chef Simon Rimmer, the Gastro-pub has created Best for: Very Cool Date Night There’s only so much food you can stomach at a press opening. One event blurs into another (I know, poor us), with the same predictable boring people doing the same circuit that it gets to a point where all you want is quiet night in with cheese on toast. Asia Asia was a welcome surprise. We were looked after right from the get go with a little welcome kiss and cuddle from our favourite northerner and venue Operations Manager, Spencer Hartwell. And those boring people? There were none! When we walked into the restaurant we bumped into some lovely faces we hadn’t seen for a while which made the new venue already feel like it should become our regular dinning spots. We were treated to 4 course meal ranging from freshly prepared sushi rolls, light and tasty crab salad, a mouth watering Black-Cod dish (that I didn’t want to share with my date) and the best desert ever - chocolate spring rolls with vanilla ice-cream, which also tasted like it had been made from scratch. The food clearly was made with a lot of love and pride which basically had me running my finger around the edge of my plate at the end of the meal. O'CACTI Best for: Brunch This Mexican themed venue is popular for all the right reasons – good food, good drink and a cracking atmosphere. But it’s their 2pm onwards Friday brunch that will have us going back for seconds. Offering a mouth watering A la Carte style menu including fajitas, burritos, nachos, steaks and much more, alongside free-flowing cervezas and cocktails, the 4 hour session is the perfect start to a big day/night out. And with DJ Taya Cruz on the decks and Latino band Latin Grace getting people on the dancefloor, not to mention the 6pm happy hour, there’s plenty to keep you here for the night. FUME Best for: Friend/family dinner Fume has a bit of an advantage over the other venues as you have to walk right to its front door in order to get into the lift so naturally you’re going to want to check it out. The first thing you notice is the place is full and there’s a healthy waiting list. When we’re finally sat down with meals ordered, there is a nice buzz about the place. Everyone is just normal. No airs and graces, or skycraper heels. Just people enjoying good food and good company. The food is really well priced, and although there is no alcohol in the main restaurant, the bar area is just a short walk away giving you the best of both worlds. pumping out a cool house mix, not to mention the sensibly priced drinks menu, Cargo is the ideal place to wind down after a long day pounding the keyboard at work. ABD EL WAHAB Best for: Something traditional CARGO Best for: After Work drinks From the marble-topped counters, to the strong warehouse feel that makes it feel cool and industrial, Cargo is the perfect antidote to Dubai’s plethora of high end bars. With the outdoor terrace offering views across the Marina, and the resident DJ The only chain restaurant in Pier 7, Lebanese eatery Abd el Wahab has a sister venue at Souk Al Bahar, and both offer exactly the same thing: prime water-side real location, an excellent kitchen serving typical Lebanese food, a shisha friendly terrace and first class service.