United Arab Emirates
Best restaurant in town. Try the salmon carbonara and tiramisu. Superb service too.
Da Vinci's restaurant, airport hotel
My tip for a hotel is the Marriott in Deira. Away from the glitz so that you can concentrate but close enough to everything that you want, first class business facilities and a rooftop pool. The best restaurants are the Sphinx at the Pyramids and Shabestani Iranian restaurant at the Hyatt.
Oriental, seafood restaurant at the Grand Hyatt in Deira. The restaurant location and setting are ideal for meetings, the staff are quietly efficient and knowledgeable about the food, they have a great selection of wines while the signature dish, Pepper Crab, is truly outstanding.
Grand Hyatt, Deira
Moet Champagne brunch that, in my opinion, is the best Friday brunch in Dubai. More expensive than most, but worth it. Food cooking stations of all types from Indian to Thai to Japanese, plus oyster shots and a cheese room. And the Champagne just keeps flowing... and flowing. I've been several times now and I never get tired of it. Plus the desserts are to die for. It gets very busy, so reservations are a must.
P.O. Box 97555, Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
P.O. Box 97555,
T.(971) 4-332-5555
F.(971) 4-332-4555
email:dubai@fairmont.com
This is a very ex-pat establishment where you'll instantly feel comfortable if you're from the U.S. I love the communal table stacked with magazines. Wi-fi access is a plus. The menu is varied and extensive: I enjoyed both my breakfast and lunch here. Has outdoor seating. Visit Bliss Spa (one hour reflexology: $35) right around the corner. Full description of each (with photos) at:
www.travelmusings.net
They don't have a website, but Time Out Dubai and Luxe Guide Dubai both have listings for it.
Shk Zayed Road
Tel: 971 4 343 3779
A cozy Lebanese restaurant and cafe. While most Arabic restaurants in Dubai are either cafe-style dens full of screaming teenagers or cliched Arabic restaurants, Layali provides the perfect antidote to the "Disneyland"-style food offerings in Dubai.
First things first: the food is excellent. Authentic and tasty Lebanese food, not too expensive, and their Saj bread (steaming, freshly baked thin Arabic bread) is unforgettable. The sheeshahs are very good, and the staff are excellent.
Very reasonably priced, about AED 80 each (11 pounds) for a very big meal and a sheeshah.
It's located on Sheikh Zayed Road, at the back of Saeed Tower (the building with Pizza Hut and Nando's). Just ask a taxi to take you to "Sheikh Zayed Road, Crowne Plaza side", and count off 12 buildings past the Crowne Plaza. It's open until 2 or 3 every night.
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