October always feels like a reset.

The long summer starts to loosen its grip, calendars fill up again and suddenly there are more restaurant bookings, weekend plans and event invitations than there are hours in the week. With so much happening, we’ve done what we always try to do at What’s On: cut through the noise and focus on what’s genuinely worth your time.

Leading this month’s issue is a feature we’re particularly proud of: 50 restaurants the What’s On team visited this year and would happily spend our own money returning to. No rankings. No arbitrary scoring system. Just places that impressed us enough to recommend without hesitation.

Alongside that, we’ve published our latest Brunch Guide, featuring 135 brunches across the UAE, explored Sharjah’s cultural credentials, met the communities bringing people together through dance, reviewed some of the city’s most talked-about new restaurants and rounded up everything worth booking this month.

Here’s what’s inside the October issue of What’s On.

Our cover feature isn’t a ranking of the UAE’s “best” restaurants. It’s something much more personal.

Over the past year, the team has eaten its way across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Some meals were good. Some were forgettable. These are the places that stayed with us. The restaurants we’d recommend to friends, suggest to visitors and happily book again ourselves.

Among them are the spicy rigatoni at CARBONE Dubai, the crab legs mega dish at The Guild and the Norwegian langoustine at FZN by Björn Frantzén, which Contributing Editor Alice Holtham-Pargin describes as worth every fil of its Dhs2,000 price tag.

Several What’s On Dubai Awards 2026 winners feature heavily, including Manāo, which earned a Michelin star within months of opening and was later crowned Restaurant of the Year; Girl & the Goose, where Chef of the Year Gabriela Chamorro continues to impress; Middle Child, our Homegrown Restaurant of the Year; Mimi Kakushi, voted Favourite Bar; and Fusion Ceviche, the much-loved 26-seat JLT restaurant that picked up Favourite Casual Latin American Restaurant.

Abu Dhabi is equally well represented. There’s Sand & Koal, our Abu Dhabi Restaurant of the Year; Novikov Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Newcomer of the Year; Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori, crowned Homegrown Restaurant of the Year; and Mosaic, whose mixed grill will recalibrate what you expect from one. The full What’s On Abu Dhabi Awards roll call is available in our 2026 winners list.

And then there are the personal favourites. I still haven’t stopped talking about El Primo on Al Wasl Road. Order the campechano, pastor and suadero tacos, save room for the soft serve with hot churros and thank us later. At Jodhpur Bar & Kitchen, skip the butter chicken and order the junglee maas. Trust me.

Elsewhere, Alice names Gymkhana Dubai as her opening of the year, while Trèsind Studio, the first Indian restaurant in the world to hold three Michelin stars, maintains its place firmly on the bucket list.

You’ll also find Sunday roast at The Spaniel, the tuna tostada at Taqueria Freedah, dim sum at China Tang, the Reuben at Hudson & Rye and the warm prawns nobody skips at LPM. Then there are the quieter finds we’d hate you to miss, including Culture Deli, Dalia Bagel Bar, Pancita, Oriental Dining, Kinoya and Noren. The other 20-something picks are waiting inside.

October also brings the return of our annual Brunch Guide.

If you live in the UAE, you probably don’t need an explanation as to why brunch warrants its own publication. Over the years, it has evolved into one of the country’s defining social traditions, constantly reinventing itself while remaining one of the most popular ways to spend a weekend.

This year’s guide features 135 brunches from across the UAE, ranging from long-standing favourites and hotel classics to some of the newest openings. Whether you’re looking for Michelin-starred food, all-out entertainment, laid-back family afternoons or somewhere to settle in for a leisurely afternoon with friends, we’ve got you covered.

Need somewhere to start? Contributing Editor Laura Coughlin recommends taking a closer look at chef Burak Pazarlıoğlu’s Saturday brunch at The Guild, which also features in our cover story.

Senior Reporter Shantelle Nagarajan spent the month meeting the people behind some of the UAE’s most welcoming dance communities and discovered that, for many of those involved, dancing is only part of the story.

Boot Scoot UAE began with a goodbye. Founder Stella Hartley taught a handful of line-dancing routines at a friend’s country-and-western send-off, half the guests asked where they could learn properly, and it has since grown into a community of more than 100 regulars across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Elsewhere, Brandon Stanley explains why he opened Fred Astaire Dance Studios on Saadiyat Island, Jonathan Unda talks us through the come-as-you-are philosophy behind Salsa Bachata Abu Dhabi, and Abdul Samad reflects on what six years of Ritmos Dance Community has taught him about belonging.

There’s also a social starter pack for both cities, testimonials from the regulars, an interview with young UAE dancer Tanisha Singhi and a kids’ corner for the next generation.

For anyone who still thinks of Sharjah purely as Dubai’s quieter neighbour, this feature may change your mind.

Junior Reporter Shifali Jain explores the galleries, museums, heritage districts and creative spaces that continue to cement Sharjah’s reputation as one of the Arab world’s leading cultural destinations.

Her guide moves through the restored heritage buildings of Sharjah Art Foundation, the 1925 trading house Bait Elowal and the heritage homes that make up The Chedi Al Bait, before taking in Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, the Literature Pavilion on Al Noor Island and the Emirates Fine Arts Society.

Bait Al Shi’er and Maraya Art Centre round out the guide, alongside the emirate’s cultural events this month, including the 12th Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, Perform Sharjah and the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children & Youth.

Wasl 51 has welcomed another serious contender.

Aatish is the work of four friends who call themselves the Strong Boys: Reza Namazi and Amin Ebra of Iranish, Alex Augusti of Just Food and head chef Abdul Hakim of The Meating Room. Together, they’ve brought dishes inspired by their travels back to Dubai and put live-fire cooking at the heart of the experience.

Arts & Culture Features Editor Aarti Saundalkar puts the menu through its paces, singling out the psychedelic lamb chops, Sinan’s Sizzling Prawns and Singapore-inspired Hawker’s Sup Kambing. The T-Rex bone marrow may have been built for the camera, but the flavour more than backs up the presentation.

Not every great restaurant opening arrives with a huge marketing campaign.

Sometimes word spreads because the food is simply too good to ignore.

That’s the case at S.E.A Bistrot, where chef Shane Mac Neill and his wife, Djo, have quietly created one of the most talked-about neighbourhood restaurants in the city.

Despite the name, S.E.A Bistrot isn’t a seafood restaurant. S.E.A stands for Southeast and East Asia, filtered through a French bistrot sensibility. Laura Coughlin’s advice? Order the duck salad, wagyu beef gyoza and sesame prawn toast, and approach the red prawn curry with a napkin to hand.

For years, Dubai’s biggest restaurant openings have tended to cluster in the same handful of neighbourhoods.

Chef’s Society at City Centre Mirdif might help change that.

The new food hall-meets-restaurant cluster brings together an impressive collection of homegrown and international names under one roof. Salam Daqqak opens the third, and one of the largest, Bait Maryam restaurants; Reif Othman arrives with REIF Japanese Kushiyaki; and Ying Ji Dim Sum returns with an open kitchen steaming har gow by the basketful.

Rome’s Gabriele Bonci makes his UAE debut with Bonci and its 48-hour fermented pizza al taglio, while Slab, Athar by The Q Lab and Kunal Kapur’s Anara complete the line-up.

The result is one of the city’s most interesting new dining destinations, and an excellent reason to start making dinner plans in Mirdif.

If your social calendar feels busy this month, you’re not imagining it.

October might be one of the most packed months of the year for live entertainment, with major concerts, comedy shows, sporting events and theatre productions landing across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The Amy Winehouse Band plays Dubai Opera on October 8, while the UAE National Orchestra opens Abu Dhabi Festival at Etihad Arena on October 10. Gipsy Kings founder André Reyes brings a full symphonic show to Dubai Opera on October 22.

The nightlife calendar is just as busy. Carl Cox opens the Pacha ICONS season at Playa Pacha on October 9, while Black Coffee headlines Ushuaïa Dubai Harbour on October 24. You can find the wider electronic line-up in our guide to Dubai’s biggest DJ gigs.

The same night, UFC 333 lands at Etihad Arena with two title fights on the card. Dubai Comedy Festival runs from October 9 to 18, while Russell Peters plays Etihad Arena on October 25.

Nancy Ajram and Shaan headline Coca-Cola Arena, cellist Elham Al Marzooqi performs at Zayed National Museum on October 30, and homegrown play Game.Set.Match runs at The Junction in Alserkal Avenue from October 16 to 18.

For the rest of the month, see our guide to 25 brilliant new things to do in Dubai this October.

Not everyone is booking tables and concert tickets.

For many, October marks the proper return of race season.

Reporter Lana Du maps out a packed month for anyone training for something, or meaning to. Dubai Fitness Challenge turns 10, running from October 31 to November 29, while Dubai Active also marks a decade with three days at Dubai Exhibition Centre.

HYROX Abu Dhabi returns to ADNEC from October 23 to 25, with a new women-only day, and there are three new races to enter: the Yas Bay 10-Miler, Dubai South Run and Al Dhannah Flat Out.

For recovery, KORE Theory brings Pilates and contrast therapy to The Commons in Mirdif, while Heart & Soul Spa in Al Barari lets the greenery do much of the work. You’ll find more ideas in our guide to October’s wellness and fitness activities across the UAE.

The flight from Dubai or Abu Dhabi is short, and two days is enough to get an initial feel for the Saudi capital, as long as you plan by area. Riyadh traffic has no interest in your itinerary.

Senior Online Reporter Jumira Hancock bases herself at W Riyadh – KAFD, the first W Hotels property in Saudi Arabia and one of the Kingdom’s standout hotel openings of 2026.

From there, she works through the city’s coffee culture, contemporary art in JAX District, sunset at the UNESCO-listed At-Turaif in Diriyah, dinner at Doulmt Omy, old Riyadh at Al Masmak Palace and the view from the Sky Bridge at Kingdom Centre.

The obligatory shawarma is covered too. For more from the Kingdom, follow What’s On Saudi Arabia.

“Wow. This is so much nicer than our home.”

That was my eight-year-old’s verdict within minutes of walking into our two-bedroom suite at InterContinental Residences Abu Dhabi.

For the record, we don’t live in squalor. But his reaction neatly sums up why the property works: the space feels like a very nice apartment rather than a hotel room, while access to the neighbouring InterContinental Abu Dhabi, a buggy ride away, brings the family pools, beach and Chamas, quite possibly one of the best churrascaria experiences I’ve had.

The biggest endorsement? We’ve been home for weeks and the kids are still asking when we’re going back.

For another excuse to visit the property, take a look at the What’s On Lock-In at InterContinental Abu Dhabi.

Whether it’s a restaurant you’ve been meaning to book, a brunch you’ve been promising yourself you’ll try or a trip that has sat on your list for far too long, we hope this issue gives you the excuse to finally make it happen.

Also read: Missed last month? Catch up on our September 2026 issue.

What’s in the October 2026 issue of What’s On?

The cover feature is dedicated to 50 places the What’s On team ate at in 2026 and would happily return to. The issue also explores the UAE’s dance communities, Sharjah’s cultural scene, new restaurants including Aatish and S.E.A Bistrot, October’s events and fitness calendars, 48 hours in Riyadh and a family staycation at InterContinental Residences Abu Dhabi.

How were the 50 restaurants chosen?

Every entry was visited by members of the What’s On team in 2026. The feature is built around personal recommendations and group-approved favourites and is presented alphabetically rather than as a ranking.

Which What’s On Awards 2026 winners feature?

They include Manāo, Girl & the Goose, Middle Child, Mimi Kakushi, Fusion Ceviche, Sand & Koal, Novikov Abu Dhabi, Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori and Mosaic.

How many brunches are in the What’s On Brunch Guide?

The October 2026 Brunch Guide features 135 brunches from across the UAE, spanning long-standing favourites, new openings, relaxed family brunches and full-scale party experiences.

Where can I read What’s On October 2026?

The issue is on shelves across the UAE

Images: Supplied