Business
Al Dawaar
This revolving 140-seat restaurant, atop the Hyatt Regency Hotel, on the 25th floor, has some of the best views of any restaurant in the city. Contemporary and sophisticated, the restaurant revolves over a two-hour period, offering panoramic views of the entire city and out towards the Arabian Gulf. The most popular dining option is the
international buffet, which features dishes from all corners of the globe, including options such as Chinese stir-fries, spring rolls and local Dubai dishes. Early diners willing to give up their tables by 2100 are rewarded with special offers.
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Deira
Tel: (04) 317 2222.
Website: www.dubai.regency.hyatt.com
Bateaux Dubai
Designed by a Parisian company, this sleek modern craft will be no stranger to Paris regulars. The floor to ceiling window format works well in Dubai, allowing diners a sweeping panorama of the Dubai skyline as it sprawls on to the Bur Dubai and Deira flanks of the lifeblood creek. Dinner is available daily and the vessel is also available for private hire functions catering for a maximum of 300 delegates.
Bur Dubai, Dubai Creek, PO Box 49742
Tel: (04) 399 4994.
Website: www.bateauxdubai.com
Casa Mia
Casa Mia is bit of a local secret. Savvy natives know it as the best Italian restaurant in Dubai - far better than the second-rate Italian cuisine that many of the big hotels offer. It is run by an Italian couple who lovingly look after all the cooking and tend to the decent wine list. The décor is authentic too, with an Italian style that just manages to avoid looking kitsch. It is advisable to book well ahead for one of the coveted dinner spots. Starters include beef carpaccio or red mullet and fennel salad, with mains of the likes of potato gnocchi or baked veal cannelloni. They also do excellent pizzas in wood-fired ovens.
Behind Le Meridien Hotel, Al Garhoud
Tel: (04) 282 4040.
Website: www.dubai.lemeridien.com
China Times
For diners tired of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel restaurants, China Times offers arguably the finest Chinese cuisine in town. Some of the spicier dishes, like the Szechwan chicken or pork, might be toned down a touch for the palates of visiting businesspeople but China Times usually hits the spot. The décor is modern and the service polite without being too stuffy. The open kitchen is fun, as diners can see their meals being prepared.
Jumeirah Plaza, Jumeirah Beach
Tel: (04) 344 2930.
Peacock
This modern and spacious Chinese restaurant is located in the Sheraton Jumeirah, at the very end of the Beach strip, so it is a good place for business diners to take clients to escape the city. The etched-glass walls allow for fine views of the garden, pool and beach. The cuisine of both Shanghai and the Hunan provinces, as well as the fiery tastes of the Szechwan region, are explored in a restaurant that caters for those who normally might not like what is conventionally thought of as 'Chinese' food. Service is friendly and efficient, with highlights on the menu being wonton soup as a starter and aromatic crispy duck or the unusual red snapper fillet, Cantonese style.
Sheraton Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Beach
Tel: (04) 399 5533.
Website: www.starwoodhotels.com