Enter an ethereal dream world with the latest opening from Sunset Hospitality Group at Address Beach Resort.
In a necessary pivot to adhere to health and safety measures put in place to combat the global pandemic, Dubai’s nightlife scene has seen several adjustments in recent years. Dancing in nightclubs has been replaced with gastronomy, and while Dubai’s dance floors have been transitioning into restaurants spaces, the city has also seen a resurgence in ‘dinner and a show’ experiences initially made popular by the likes of Billionaire Dubai.
Enter DREAM, a new venue aiming to elevate the dining experience at Address Beach Resort with an eclectic mix of singing, dancing, acrobatics and everything in between. The new venue and its vibrant terrace (Garden of Dreams) comes to us from Sunset Hospitality Group, the team responsible for the recent success of SUSHISAMBA Dubai and AURA Sky Pool & Lounge.
From the moment we cross the threshold of this restaurant-come-theatre, we are immersed into an ethereal dream world where nothing is quite as it seems. Taking our seats close to the stage, performances begin to erupt around the room. Subtle at first before rising into a crescendo of song and dance that is vivacious as it is audacious. Cabaret singing leads into gyrating and the music of Beyoncé segues into Bollywood amidst colourful costumes and fancy footwork.
Although not always cohesive, the show appropriately captures the feeling of a fever dream where scene after scene plays out much to the delight of guests. We begin amid a Broadway performance before transitioning into the Moulin Rouge and ending our journey in the middle of a gladiatorial dance-off set against the crumbling ruins of ancient Rome to the sounds of Lil’ Nas X.
3D mapping adds to the immersion, where a cacophony of parrots leads us through a lush and verdant jungle scene before dropping us into a temple in India. The projection is fun and thrilling, adding an additional element to the show that enhances the performances on the stage.
DREAM’s Mediterranean menu of Dubai favourites is a crowd-pleaser on the busy Friday evening that we visit. It combines popular choices such as beef carpaccio (AED 90) with snails in parsley butter (AED 95) and the French delicacy of grilled frogs legs (AED 115). We’re as enraptured with the prawns from the josper (AED 85) as we are with the Busby Berkeley-esque dance numbers unveiled before us. The dish offers perfectly plump crustacea doused with lemon, garlic and just a hint of chilli. Elsewhere, the fresh sliced yellowtail (AED 125) with beetroot powder and a punchy orange chilli dressing results in our preferred dish of the evening,
Dinner at DREAM can be as casual (pizza, pasta and risotto) or as boujee (oysters, caviar and lobster) as you desire. We devour the beautifully tender 350g grilled rib-eye MB 3+ (AED 335) served with a sprightly potato wedge and a robust peppercorn sauce. However, we were less impressed with the oven-baked wild sea bass (AED 245), which required a touch more seasoning to elevate it to the dizzying heights of the show playing out on stage.
Desserts and beverages are simple yet effective, with a beguiling mix of cocktails offering a refreshing hit to the palate between performances. A classic vanilla cream brulée (AED 60) is understated in a similar vein to DREAM’s competent service that blends effortlessly into an experience that vies for the full attention of diners.
In a city saturated with dinner and show experiences, the latter is often an afterthought, resulting in sub-par antics that wouldn’t be out of place at a British seaside resort. DREAM, however, prioritises the theatrics, placing them front and centre and thus providing an energy and kinesis that prolongs the evening into an after-party that runs until 3am.
Much like the dreamscapes upon which the venue draws its inspiration, DREAM is fun without taking itself too seriously (check out the pink giraffe in the gents bathroom), offering a show and menu that genuinely impresses. Just wait for the rollerskating duo and their gravity-defying act if you don’t believe us!
DREAM at Address Beach Resort requires a minimum spend of AED 600 per person on Wednesdays and Sundays and AED 800 per person on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
GO: Call 04 220 0224 or follow @dreamdubaiofficial on Instagram for reservations or more information.
