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Dubai Marina really is a great place to live. I am a five minute walk to the beach, a whole host of restaurants and shops. And if I am inclined, about a ten minute walk to the recently opened Dubai Marina Mall which can satisfy my cravings for Waitrose or electronics.

The place that is making Dubai Marina all that more homely it what I would describe as the recent opening of what I am deeming “my local”. In the banner of this blog the low building with strong horizontal green light is the recently opened Dubai Marina Yacht Club. It is home to a restaurant and perhaps more importantly a really nice bar called Aquara.

Aquara in the last four weeks, as word has spread, has become incredibly popular with the after work crowd. I always used to love after work drinks with colleagues in London and I get the same type of feeling on my visits to this bar. But be warned it gets busy, really busy.

The reason it gets so popular is perhaps only really clear once you have sat on the huge veranda, overlooking the luxury yachts with the skyscrapers of the Marina it forms a truly impressive setting for a G&T. Here it is just before dusk:

And when I say it gets busy I am not joking. I thought the place was opened from 5ish. So I went down only to find out the doors don’t open till 6. By 5.45 there was a lengthy queue waiting to get in and bag a table and by 6.30 it was one in and one out. Here is the veranda at 6.30:

But the good news is between 6-8 and the beer is half price and 15AED for a drink really is good value in Dubai nowadays. Here Jo enjoys the view whilst enjoying the cut price drinks:

I do like going to Aquara as a wind down from a hectic week at work and it probably has the most “British” feel to it outside of Barasti. I understand that they also offer one of those famous “All you can eat and drink” Friday brunches which usually ends in a sore head and empty wallet the following morning. Or front page news if you are less than careful.

There are a number of hotels that are due to open along the beach front of Dubai Marina in the next few months. If there are even a couple of good watering holes amongst them I will be a really happy man.