Things to do in Dubai
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Ravi
Cabbies to five-star chefs flock to this legendary Pakistani eatery where you eat like a prince and pay like a pauper. Loosen that belt for heaping helpings of kick-ass curries, succulent grilled meats, perky dal (lentils) and fresh, buttery naan. There’s a family room and a cafeteria, but it’s worth waiting for an outside table to watch Satwa on parade.
reviewed
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Buddha Bar
If there are celebs in town, they’ll show up at Buddha Bar, where the dramatic Asian-inspired interiors are decked out with gorgeous chandeliers, a wall of reflective sheer glass, and an enormous Buddha lording over the heathens. The bartenders put on quite a show with their impressive shakes (think Tom Cruise in Cocktail ). Arrive early or prepare to queue; otherwise book dinner for guaranteed admission.
reviewed
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Sezzam
This restaurant is so huge, it almost surpasses the sight of skiers and snowboarders heading down the slopes of the adjacent Ski Dubai. With global cuisine labelled under the Flame, Bake or Steam monikers, it's really a food court with style - and a great break on a shopping excursion at this massive mall.
reviewed
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Karachi Darbar
A favourite of guest workers and expats with an eye for a biryani bargain, Karachi Darbar keeps ’em well fed with a huge menu of Pakistani, Indian and Chinese specialities – but stick to the Pakistani. Fear not: it’ll be good. No credit cards.
reviewed
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Ski Dubai
Skiing in the desert? Puh-leeze! Where else but in Dubai? The city’s most incongruous attraction, Ski Dubai is a faux winter wonderland built right into the gargantuan Mall of the Emirates. It comes complete with ice sculptures, a tiny sledding hill, five ski runs (the longest being 400m) and a Freestyle Zone with jumps and rails. Gulf Arabs especially are fascinated by this snowy display, but they typically restrict themselves to the walk-through Snow Park, passing through a colour-lit igloo filled with carved-ice penguins and dragons, then sledding down a little hill in plastic toboggans. Skiers and boarders are kept separate from the Snow Park and instead whiz down a f…
reviewed
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Burj Khalifa
Call it impressive or preposterous, there’s no denying that Burj Khalifa is a ground-breaking feat of architecture and engineering. The world’s tallest building pierces the sky at 828m (seven times the height of Big Ben) and opened on 4 January 2010, only six years after excavations began. Up to 13,000 workers toiled day and night, at times putting up a new floor in as little as three days. Inside Dubai’s own ‘Tower of Babel’ is a mix of offices and apartments; at the time of writing, the sleek Armani Hotel was scheduled to open late in 2010. For visitors, the main attraction is the Observation Deck ‘At the Top’ on the 124th floor. From such lofty heights yo…
reviewed
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Dubai Mall
With around 1200 stores, this is not merely a mall but a small city unto itself, with an Olympic-size ice rink, a huge aquarium, indoor theme parks and 160 food outlets. There’s a strong European label presence here, alongside Galeries Lafayette department store from France, Hamley’s toy store from the UK and the first Bloomingdale’s outside the United States. It’s a ginormous, daylit mall with wide aisles and lots of open spaces, atriums and even a fashion catwalk. The four floors are divided into ‘precincts’ with clusters of product categories: search for high-end designers on Fashion Ave (which has marble floors and silver resting divans), high-street fashions on the g…
reviewed
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Almaz by Momo
Though it lacks the celeb factor of Momo’s London flagship, high-energy Almaz draws party-hearty Emiratis who guzzle nonalcoholic champagne by the bottleful. Hardly any Westerners come here for dinner for the very reason Emiratis do: there’s no booze. Don’t be deterred. The moody-dark dining room, with its dizzying zelaeg -tile floor, feels like a cool Kasbah Lounge. Tender-sweet pigeon pastilla has great depth of flavour. The succulent Almaz lamb tagine melts off the bone. And the honey-sweet Moroccan pastries go down easy with the nose-tickling cinnamon tea.
reviewed
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Asado
Meat lovers will be in bovine heaven at this cheerful, lusty steakhouse. Choose your quality cut of tenderloin, veal chop, rib eye or sirloin from a tray brought to your table by servers clad gaucho-style. While it’s being cooked to order, sit back and savour the delicious bread, the views of Burj Khalifa (sit on the terrace) and the sultry tunes from the live band. All meats are served with a selection of delicious sauces, salts and mustards. A sommelier stands by to help you pick the perfect bottle from what is purportedly the biggest selection of Argentine wines in the Middle East.
reviewed
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Asha’s
Namesake of Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle, Asha’s packs a see-and-be-seen crowd of rich Indian expats into its sexy, low-light, tandoori-orange dining room, with ethnic-fusion dance music playing in the background. The menu focuses on contemporary northwest Indian fare, which translates into such palate-teasers as spicy-ginger-garlic marinated prawns and muscat gosht (tomato-and-butter-braised spicy lamb) – both Asha’s personal recipes. It’s a fabulous place to party; if the tots are tagging along, they’ve even got their own play area.
reviewed
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Vu’s
As the name implies, the views are stellar from this formal white-tablecloth dining room popular with the Rolex crowd celebrating the inking of a deal. That said, given the state of the economy, this place has certainly seen buzzier times, especially at night when it’s so quiet you’ll want to speak in a hushed voice. The current chef is heavily into culinary alchemy, weaving dishes from seemingly incongruous ingredients. A recent menu featured slow-roasted pork belly paired with pan-fried scallops. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.
reviewed
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S*Uce
This is the original store of women-owned S*uce (pronounced ‘sauce’), a pioneer on Dubai’s growing indie fashion boutique scene. Join the style brigade searching for top-tier denim, flirty frocks, sassy accessories, sexy sandals and deluxe tees. Look for such key contemporary designers as Karta, Tsumori Chisato, Vanessa Bruno, Isabella Cappeto, Alice McCall and Philip Lim, as well as local labels such as Essa, Bil Arabi and Sugar Vintage. There’s another branch in Dubai Mall.
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Bombay
It’s worth a detour deep into Deira for Bombay’s orthodox North Indian cooking. Come hungry and start with the kebab sampler (mutton, chicken, fish) then move on to mint-marinated fish cooked tandoori style, or a cardamom-rich saag gosht (lamb and spinach). There’s lots for vegetarians. The French-style service by tuxedo-clad waiters is a surprise at this price, but we’re not arguing. We’re just happy they serve beer.
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Gazebo
You’ll forgive the unexciting interior when you taste the brilliant North Indian cooking. Standouts on the huge menu include a great tawa lobster masala, with succulent chunks of lobster, black pepper, tomato and rich masala sauce; Banjara Gosht, mutton in masala gravy, rose petals, cashew nuts and tomato; and Gosht Achari, mutton in coriander, tomato and pomegranate. Good value. Note: vegetarians should hop next door to Kamat, its sister restaurant.
reviewed
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Sumibiya
At the first Japanese yakiniku-style restaurant in Dubai, every stone table has a recessed gas grill where you cook your own meat then pair it with a selection of sauces and condiments. Though the Wagyu beef and seafood run high (Dh100+), the set menus of various meat-and-veggie combos are a relative bargain. There’s nothing romantic about the narrow windowless room, but it’s great interactive fun for families or groups of foodie friends.
reviewed
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Magnolia
Dubai’s only high-end vegetarian restaurant, Magnolia overlooks the canals at Madinat Jumeirah, and if you make reservations, you can arrive by abra (water taxi). The so-called ‘well-being’ cooking takes itself a bit too seriously in its emulation of haute cuisine and lacks resonance on the palate, but the elegant presentations, romantic setting and top-end ingredients (organic whenever possible) make up for the pretence and price.
reviewed
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Zuma
One of a new crop of contempo Japanese restaurants, this dramatic bi-level den draws go-go executives for power lunches and the sexy crowd for low-light dinners. Tables are in full view of a massive bamboo sculpture and the two kitchens; one a sushi counter, the other a robata grill. Choice picks include barley miso marinated baby chicken, marinated black cod and salmon teriyaki. Immensely popular Friday brunch, too.
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Maria Bonita’s Taco Shop
Location, location, location…is definitely not what lures people to Maria, Dubai’s only authentic Mexican restaurant. It’s the tacos, stupid! And the quesadillas, burritos and other faves brimming with spot-on flavour – spicy, smoky and deep. Okay, so the squawking parrots are a bit much without any cerveza to soften the edges, but it’s fun coming to this neighbourhood-adored snack shack just the same.
reviewed
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Sensasia Urban Spa
Detox treatments, facials and massage from Bali, Japan and Thailand are the specialities at this women’s indie day spa done in sensuous Far East–meets–Middle East style. The menu includes such highly original options as warm cocoa butter stone therapy, chocolate body buff, fennel colon cleanse and pro-collagen quartz lift. For the ultimate indulgence, become ‘Queen for a Day’ (Dh1500).
reviewed
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Kan Zaman
While on a trip to Heritage Village, stop by this Creekside favourite to munch on mezzes and grills (the tangy lamb shwarma is delish) or fresh saj manakish (pastry topped with cheese, thyme, meat or other ingredients). During the cooler months, sit on the big outdoor patio and watch the passing parade of boats against the backdrop of historic Deira and Bur Dubai.
reviewed
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Coconut Grove
Fragrant curries and biryani pack in regulars who love the authentic Keralan and Goan cooking – the Goan fish curry is thick, creamy and spicy, with hunks of supple and tender fish. Alas, waiters are pushy, always trying to upsell and force more beer on you. Overlook this in favour of the stellar rooftop views and reasonable prices. Call early to book a window table.
reviewed
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Thai Chi
We’re generally sceptical of restaurants that serve two differing cuisines, but Thai Chi does Thai and Chinese right – probably because it has two separate kitchens. The extensive Thai menu does great things with prawns; the Chinese menu stands out for its irresistible Peking duck and wok specialties. A solid choice for a midrange meal at Wafi.
reviewed
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Lemongrass
If your belly’s longing for the taste of Thailand, take it to Lemongrass’ soothing lime-coloured dining room for brightly flavoured cooking and solicitous service. Pad Thai is presented in an omelette wrapper – a nice touch – and curries have marvellous depth of flavour. If you like spicy, say so; the kitchen is shy with the heat. Good for vegetarians.
reviewed
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Pai Thai
A boat ride, a waterside table and candlelight are the hallmarks of a romantic night out and this enchanting spot at the Al-Qsar hits on all cylinders. If your date doesn’t make you swoon, then the beautifully crafted Thai dishes should still ensure an unforgettable evening. Or come for Friday brunch (with/without alcohol Dh240/190).
reviewed
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Rock Bottom Café
Bask in the vintage vibe of this ’70s-era American roadhouse, while a cheesy cover band blares Top-40 hits. While it’s a regular pub by day, no self-respecting woman would come here alone at night. But with a mob of friends and a bottle of tequila gone, it’s the quintessential ending to a rollickin’ night on the town.
reviewed
