Uh oh. It seems like there might be some serious competition for Entertainer GCC now, in the shape of a certain Zomato Gold.

As a lot of you might already know, I’ve been an avid supporter and loyal customer of Entertainer GCC for years now. In fact, the Big Blue Entertainer Book was one of our earliest purchases after moving to Dubai, seeing as M and I love to eat and pretty much only ate out for months after moving to Dubai.

Over time, I switched over the to Entertainer app, and it has been one of my best companions in Dubai, saving us lots and lots of money not only on meals but also attractions, spas, fitness and other everyday services.

Enter, Zomato Gold. What sets Zomato Gold apart, you might ask, and why should you get that instead of or at least in addition to the Entertainer App? The answer is simple: because Zomato Gold is offering you the one thing Entertainer never did, and the one thing that always bothered us: No limits on the number of discount redemptions at participating outlets. 

I’ll elaborate below on 3 main differences between Zomato Gold and Entertainer:

1. You can redeem the offers at the participating restaurants any number of times, no limits whatsoever. On the Entertainer app, you can use only 3 offers per participating vendor, and recently, they’ve even introduced a limit on the number of vouchers you can ping each other.

2. The second thing that sets Zomato Gold apart is the payment plan. You pay for your Zomato Gold subscription on a quarterly basis, rather than having to make a year-long commitment, as is the case with Entertainer. I personally know several people who come to Dubai on holiday, want to buy the Entertainer but feel they won’t be able to get their money’s worth as the app is for the whole year. I’ve always tried explaining to them that they can break even in a single brunch, but sometimes they just don’t see it

3. On the Entertainer, most  1 + 1 offers are restricted to main courses only, or brunches only, and so on. On Zomato Gold, when they say 1 + 1 on food, that means ALL food, appetizers and desserts included.

I’ve been one of the first people to use Zomato Gold, as I managed to get my hands on a discounted subscription at Taste of Dubai earlier this month. So many subscriptions were sold, in fact, that they all got sold out and Zomato have had to halt any further sales until further notice. There is a waiting list for future subscribers now, people.

As one of the earliest adopters of Zomato Gold, I have not only been turned, but have already used the service at the following restaurants:

 

I’ve also used Zomato Gold at some casual outlets like Little Bangkok and Urban Seafood, but didn’t take pictures.

Now, I’ve spoken a lot about the pros of Zomato Gold, but what are the cons? 

I can only really think of one main downside, when comparing Zomato gold with the Entertainer food apps: the list of participating vendors is still quite limited. However, I anticipate for it to grow very fast due to Zomato’s vast network of restaurants.

Should you just not buy Entertainer anymore?

I think its too soon to completely switch over, but I’d highly recommend just getting both apps, at least for now. Zomato Gold offers you major and far better savings at whichever restaurants are listed, at a negligible subscription fee, however Entertainer does offer a wider selection, and the Entertainer Beauty & Fitness app still gives you access to gyms and spas which is completely different from what Zomato Gold is offering.

Have you tried either or both of the apps? Do leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!