Elite Traveler January-February 2017

elite traveler JAN/FEB 2017 113

WHERE TO SHOP S*uce Boutique, Marina Mall Award-winning, multi-brand concept store for contemporary clothes aimed at your quirky side and accessories to ensure you stand out. shopatsauce.com @sauceloves Ingie Paris, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island High-luxury evening wear, designed and manufactured in Paris by fashion icon and entrepreneur Ingie Chalhoub. ingieparis.com @ingieparis The Galleria Is the spot to find many designer brands – all under one roof. thegalleria.ae @thegalleriauae The Luxury Arcade, World Trade Center Mall Men’s and women’s clothing and accessories from the most coveted international and streetwear brands. theluxuryarcade.com @theluxuryarcade Tryano, Yas Mall Three floors of high-end labels for men, women and children, including handbags, shoes and makeup in Abu Dhabi’s first department store. tryano.co @tryanostore is a self-styled UAE socialite and fashion lover who shares ideas with her 29.8k Instagram and Snapchat followers in the Middle East and beyond. This is her guide to Abu Dhabi’s “must-stop shops” INSIDER TIPS Amal Salameh, a.k.a. @amalshine

WHERE TO CHILL Tamba Upscale Indian-inspired restaurant and bar with beautiful interior of copper and bells and spacious outdoor terrace. Friday

cocktails are special. tambarestaurant.com @tambarestaurant

Saadiyat Beach Club The best place to unwind under super cool cabanas, either beside the pool or on the Saadiyat Island beach. Safina Restaurant’s Friday brunch more than hits the mark. saadiyatbeachclub.ae @saadiyatbeachclub

THE CULTURAL COLLECTION

Pick up a date – the sweet and sticky type – at Bateel in several locations around the city. Presented in an ebony box, with a pearl photo frame and in any number of combinations, these fresh and delicious Arabian treats are filled with nuts, chocolate or jellied fruit. Combine with handmade chocolates for the perfect gift. bateel.com Oud and bukhoor, the traditional fragrances still used by Emiratis to perfume themselves, their clothes and linen can be found in The Souk at the World Trade Center Mall. You will also find henna, spices and the black abaya robes worn by Gulf women. wtcad.ae For an Arabian Nights experience with a shisha pipe, try Smoke, the outdoor terrace beside the Rosewood’s Sambusek Lebanese restaurant. Unwind beside a fire pit as you try the different fruity flavors and take in the Abu Dhabi skyline. rosewoodhotels.com/en/abu-dhabi/dining Named after the founding president of the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a work of art capable of welcoming 40,000 worshippers. Other numbers; 82 domes, 1,000 columns, 24K gilded chandeliers and the largest hand-knotted carpet in the world. Reflective pools surround the mosque and after dark a unique lighting system reflects the phases of the moon. Spectacular at sunset and if you are in town on the first day of Eid, don’t miss the crowds at morning prayer. szgmc.ae/en The long-awaited Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel, is scheduled to open this year on Saadiyat, the natural island which is slated to make Abu Dhabi the cultural capital of the Gulf – Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim, Foster + Partners’ Zayed National Museum and others are due to follow. louvreabudhabi.ae/en

Photos: Gallery Stock, Getty Images