As families come together to celebrate the Festival of Light, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek will welcome Diwali with an afternoon shaped around the traditions, flavours and shared moments that make the occasion so special. Taking place on Saturday, 7 November from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the hotel’s Greenhouse Social Brunch will bring together food, music, art and family entertainment in a colourful celebration inspired by Diwali.

An Afternoon of Diwali Flavours and Family Traditions

Designed as an occasion for families and friends to gather around the table, the brunch will feature an abundant buffet of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, offering something for every generation. The experience will be priced at AED 199 for the soft package, AED 345 with house beverages and AED 99 for children, with an early-bird rate of AED 119 for those planning ahead.

The afternoon will extend beyond the dining table, inviting guests to experience Diwali through music, creativity and play. At the Baithak area, guests can settle in with a cup of chai while Indian folk music provides a relaxed soundtrack to the afternoon. Families can also join in Antakshari, bringing generations together through one of India’s much-loved musical games.

For younger guests and those young at heart, a series of hands-on workshops will capture the creative spirit of the festival. Diya painting, rangoli making and henna will give families the opportunity to create, learn and celebrate together, while a Diwali Market will add to the festive atmosphere with a showcase of local craftsmanship.

At its heart, the celebration reflects the warmth of Diwali, a festival traditionally associated with light, new beginnings and the joy of gathering with loved ones. Rather than simply marking the occasion with a meal, the Greenhouse Social Brunch will create a setting where families can slow down, share stories, discover traditions and make new memories together.

Stay, Celebrate and Make Memories

The Diwali celebration will form part of the hotel’s wider seasonal programme, with a collection of accommodation offers inviting guests to make the most of the festive period. The Festival of Lights Diwali Room Offer, designed with Indian travellers and families in mind, will be available for stays from 1 to 15 November 2026, followed by the UAE National Day Room Offer, welcoming UAE residents and GCC travellers from 16 November to 2 December 2026.

The season will continue into December with a Festive Season Room Offer, combining accommodation with selected Christmas and/or New Year’s Eve gala dining experiences. All three offers are available at a starting rate of AED 400.

With its blend of Indian flavours, cultural traditions and family-focused experiences, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek’s Diwali celebration will offer a warm setting in which to celebrate the Festival of Colours, bringing people and families together over good food, creativity, music and the simple pleasure of spending time with those who matter most.

By: Ivica Miloshevski, Venue Manager at Uptown Social

Several flavours associated with cooler weather are deeply connected to childhood experiences bound to seasonal occasions. Gingerbread cookies, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, roasted nuts and warm chocolate can immediately transport us to a beloved memory. They remind us of family kitchens, festive gatherings, and the excitement of waiting for celebrations to arrive. These flavours are powerful because they are not simply ingredients – they are memories.

Today, as coffee professionals, we have an opportunity to take those memories and reinterpret them for a new generation of drinks.

A gingerbread-inspired latte, for example, does not need to simply reproduce the flavour of a traditional cookie. It can become something more contemporary: espresso layered with ginger, cinnamon and subtle caramel notes, finished with textured milk and perhaps a delicate spice garnish. The drink still carries the essence of gingerbread embedded in our memory, but its presentation, balance, and technique belong to today.

This is what I mean by memories infused into new-era drinks.

The modern customer is increasingly interested in experiences. They want to understand where ingredients come from, how a drink is conceptualized, and why certain flavours work together. Seasonal beverages give coffee professionals an opportunity to tell that story; in fact, coffee itself can be part of that narrative. In the UAE, we are fortunate to have access to an incredibly diverse coffee culture; specifically Uptown Social enjoys the benefits of a varied coffee selection through the DMCC Coffee Centre. Green coffee beans arrive from producing regions around the world, bringing with them different origins, varieties and flavour profiles. They are then roasted here in Dubai, allowing us to connect global coffee origins with a local roasting culture.

That connection is particularly exciting when creating warm seasonal beverages.

A naturally sweet coffee with chocolate and nutty characteristics can become the foundation for a luxurious winter-style mocha. A coffee with brighter fruit notes might work beautifully with ginger and orange. A more caramelised, full-bodied roast can support cinnamon, vanilla and toasted spices without becoming overwhelmed.

The key is balance.

Seasonal drinks should feel indulgent, but they should still respect the coffee. Too much syrup or spice can overshadow the character of the beans. The best warm serves allow the coffee and seasonal ingredients to complement each other rather than compete.

Hot chocolate is another perfect example. It has always been associated with comfort, but today’s version can move far beyond a simple sweet drink. The quality of chocolate, the texture of the milk, the temperature, and even the aroma can transform the experience. Add cinnamon, ginger, vanilla or a touch of toasted marshmallow, and the familiar hot chocolate becomes an elevated sensorial experience.

Then there is mulled non-alcoholic wine – a drink that captures the festive season almost entirely through aroma. Warmed with cinnamon, cloves, orange, star anise and other spices, it creates an atmosphere before the first sip. It reminds us that beverages are not only about taste. Aroma, temperature, presentation, and memory all contribute to the experience.

Ginger is particularly interesting because it bridges memory and modernity. It has warmth and natural spice, but it can also feel fresh and vibrant. Combined with citrus, honey, cinnamon or coffee, ginger can create drinks that are comforting without becoming heavy.

This season, I believe the strongest beverage menus will not simply follow trends. They will create rituals.

A warm drink enjoyed after work. A hot chocolate shared between parents and children. A spiced coffee ordered during a festive shopping afternoon. A gingerbread latte that becomes the first sign that the holiday season has arrived. These are small moments, but they can become traditions.

Perhaps that is a renewed opportunity for coffee professionals – to not simply create seasonal beverages but rather new ways for people to experience familiar emotions.

The future of seasonal drinks is not about forgetting the past. It is about taking the flavours, aromas and memories we grew up with and giving them a new expression. From coffee beans sourced from around the world and roasted here in Dubai, to ginger, cinnamon, chocolate and festive spices inspired by childhood, every cup can tell a story.

Warm drinks are becoming more than accompaniments or trends. They are new rituals – familiar memories, reimagined for today.

What happens when a Neapolitan pizza chef and a Nicaraguan chef step into the same kitchen, each bringing their own stories, experiences and approach to food? At FALCONE, the answer is two very special pizzas, created by Chef Roberta De Sario and Chef Gabriela Chamorro, founder of Girl & The Goose – Restaurante Centroamericano, available from 24 October to 1 November 2026.

More than simply bringing two culinary cultures together, the collaboration is about learning, exchanging ideas and discovering new possibilities through food. For Gabriela, it was an opportunity to explore the techniques and craftsmanship behind Roberta’s Neapolitan pizza-making, while Roberta drew inspiration from Gabriela’s Nicaraguan heritage and bold approach to flavours. Together, they have created two distinct pizzas, each telling a personal story.

Gabriela’s Buenos Días, Nicaragua is inspired by the comforting breakfasts of her childhood. Bringing a little taste of home to Neapolitan pizza, her creation features homemade Nicaraguan-style chorizo seasoned with achiote and cinnamon, confit potatoes, caramelised onions and smoked cheese, reminiscent of el fogón, the traditional wood-fired kitchens back home. Finished with pickled onions, coriander, creamy goat cheese and a soft egg at the centre, the pizza brings together familiar childhood flavours in an entirely new way.

For Roberta, Momento is a celebration of the connections made through food. Inspired by her first trip to Naples with Chef Josh Stumbaugh and the experience of creating alongside Gabriela, the pizza reflects her belief that food is as much about emotion as it is about technique. Featuring marinated tomatoes with basil, fior di latte, bresaola, buffalo mozzarella and lemon zest, Momento is a reminder to slow down, enjoy the present and cherish the people around the table.

Born and raised in Naples, Chef Roberta De Sario has honed her craft across Italy, Paris and Hong Kong before bringing her expertise to FALCONE in Dubai. Ranked No. 63 in The Best Pizza Awards 2026, she continues to explore contemporary pizza-making while remaining rooted in Neapolitan traditions. Chef Gabriela Chamorro, originally from Nicaragua, brings a different perspective through Girl & The Goose, where her heritage, travels and personal memories shape her approach to cooking.

While the pizzas are distinctly different, both celebrate the same idea: that the most exciting creations often come from sharing knowledge, stepping outside familiar territory and finding common ground through food. Both pizzas, priced at AED 100 will be available on FALCONE’s à la carte menu from 24 October to 1 November 2026. For reservations, visit www.pizzeriafalcone.ae.