Dubai
Hanging Out
Cafes, bars, cool locations to wander about in

The glitzy cavernous lobby of the Grand Hyatt for delicious mint tea and apricot cookies

  •   The Samovar Room of the Royal Mirage hotel, which you can also book
       for a private tea or coffee party, with its over-stuffed cushions and
       wonderful Orientalist feel
  •   Pan Quotidien in the Mall of the Emirates –the hazelnut flute bread sticks
      are divine, and the café au lait is served in a bowl like in Paris
  •   Shakespeare’s, for brunches, light “ladies lunches”, patisseries, tea and
       coffee stops.  Many outlets – opposite MacGrudy’s on the Jumeirah Beach
       Road, as well as in Emirates Hills….just ask for the one nearest to you.
  •   Zaatar o Zeit – youthful contemporary Beirut café on Shaikh Zayed Road
  •   Paul, in the Mall of the Emirates (MoE) next to the ski slope, for Parisian
       pastries and recovery time (from the impact of the monument to
       consumerism that is the Mall).
  •   Sezzam in the MoE, for super-fresh dim sum and Thai papaya salads, and
       a great gourmet deli section for take-homes - (even open behind darkened
       curtains at lunchtime during Ramadhan)
  •   The Four Seasons Golf Club’s terrace overlooking the creek is a great
       place to be at sunset as well as for a visit to the Spikes Bar, which has
       great views, and a great atmosphere.
  •   Bar 44 at Grosvenor House Hotel which has a fine collection of
      champagnes and a great view of the Marina area
  •   The Sky Bar of the 7-star totally “OTT” (over the top) Burj al Arab for a
      full-on champagne tea – (check out the leaping “fish” in the fountain
      alongside the main escalator to the first floor) but remember – you have to
      reserve at least a month in advance (seriously).  Or go for drinks – reserve
      for that, too!
 

Photo by Azlin Ahmad

  •   The C-Bar in Al Murooj Rotana Hotel, owned by the same people who
       brought the fabulous Cristal bar to Beirut. Tel 04 307 3482
  •   The Buddha Bar in the Grosvenor House Hotel, Marina area..  Fantastic
       cocktails, gorgeous two-tiered bar, great ambiance and food. Tel (971)(4)
       3998888
  •   The 1897 bar in the Kempinski Hotel in the Mall of the Emirates
  •   The Bahri Bar in the Mina a’Salam Hotel (one of the three that comprise
       Madinat Jumeirah), for Arabian tapas and innovative cocktails
  •   Vu’s Cocktail Bar on the 51st floor of the Emirates Towers, with
       staggering views of the Gulf.  Go there late.  (Great food, too if you go
       earlier). Tel 04 319 8088
 
And of course Emirates Business Class Lounge in the new terminal, where you always bump into every other globetrotter you know.
 
(Actually THE hangout joints in Dubai are the Malls – more a way of life than a shopping expedition - but ChI prefers targeted shopping expos to Mall marathons.)
  

Author: Emma Hooper