Dubai's latest dining destination The Farm is a little bit different
21.05.12
There are flowers and more leafy greenery than I have seen for quite a while here. The faint sound of birdsong and the distant hum of dragonflies fill the air, which is, I'm later told, six degrees cooler than the rest of Dubai, thanks to all that vegetation.
Wooden decking juts out over a small lake, where visitors can either sit at tables within touching distance of an array of colourful plants, sink into a slouchy bean bag or recline in a hammock next to the water. Close by, there's a stretch of grass where children are encouraged to play and yoga classes will soon be taught and if you meander around a tree-lined corner, you'll come to a fragrant, well-manicured herb garden. At night, tiki lights line the pathways and when, in a few short weeks, the summer sun starts to rage, the al fresco area will be tented and the temperature controlled.
This tranquil cafe-restaurant known as The Farm is located in Dubai's exclusive Al Barari development - the brainchild of the Zaal family - and is managed and operated by Soul Dining Concepts, a subsidiary of Zaal Enterprises. It officially opened to the public yesterday, but Maheesha Ratnayake, the food and beverage manager for The Farm and the leader of food and beverage interests for Zaal Enterprises, says that this wasn't always the intention. "Originally, it was supposed to be a restaurant just for the Barari community, but considering the beautiful space that we occupy, we decided to position it as a destination restaurant."
Source: The National