In a city full of football-centric sports cafes, Dubai’s cricket fans now have a sanctuary, and just in time for IPL season. And it’s got the patronage of none other than Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan. The newly launched Flying Catch Sports Cafe and Restaurant in Dubai is the batsman’s maiden spell at being a restaurateur and the venue seems to be bowling people over.
Located in Jumeirah, the slick new eatery is named after Dhawan’s iconic ‘flying catch’ that won the Indian team a match against England in 2018. But its celebrity ownership isn’t the only thing pushing Flying Catch to the top of the F&B scoreboard. The sports cafe has caught on to our city’s obsession with fitness and healthy eating, ensuring that the menu is a great blend of flavour and nutrition. While imitating a cricketer’s fitness regime might prove to be a sticky wicket, eating at a health-focused restaurant run by one comes a close second and we’ll take it.
As you watch nail-biting matches on six different LED screens, including a colossal 200cm TV, you can nibble on the likes of arugula mango salad and quinoa crackers. Gulp down on protein shakes or dig into heartier fusion fare such as Jaipuri Junglee lamb burger, artisanal vegetable seekh and crispy apricot wrap to power your impassioned appeals of Howzat! to the on-screen umpires.
Ambiance is on point too, here. The wood-panelled interiors house photogenic wall gardens, displays of cricket jerseys and equipment as well as an indoor cricket pitch complete with wickets, a bat and a ball if you fancy yourself the next Shane Warne or Sachin Tendulkar.
Cant’ differentiate an LBW from a Duckworth Lewis? The sports lounge also caters to non-cricket fans and IPL widows. Air hockey, billiards, video games and table tennis dot the venue so you’re not bored silly while your cricket-loving friends are glued to the live IPL match screenings. There’s also a mocktail bar on site where you can nurse fizzy drinks with Instagrammable smoky effects.
All through IPL season, until May 28, grab meals for one for a steal at AED 49 and groups of four can dine together for AED 149. During match hours, fans can also snap up 20% discounts on the a la carte menu. The best part? One per cent of the total revenue from the cafe s donated to local sports programmes in the UAE. Now THAT is a sixer in our books!