Pinxtos (O&O Za'abeel edition).

A range of new culinary hotspots.

I will be candid with you, dear reader — as you might have surmised, I have too many posts in the queue. 2024 has already been quite generous to my dining schedule, and I’ve got enough reviews to easily take me into the summer. In February, during Gulfood, I did an unheard-of four nights out in a row, which was actually five with a terrible visit to Nobu on the Saturday before). Because of its location and easy proximity to the trade center, I purposely chose the One & Only Za’abeel for my meals out post-Top Table. And while all of these restaurants deserve their own moment, I will batch them for now. Yes, it’s because of time management, but also because I’m sure I will return to all the locations at a later date.

Before we unpack each restaurant, let’s talk about the location, as I find it weirdly necessary, especially within the context of the property. For example, Street XO is located in a dedicated space on the fourth floor, which weirdly makes it the “easiest” to visit. The rema…