Dubai’s Luxury Cuisine

There are so many reasons that Dubai is a destination like no other. With its uber-luxurious accommodation, miles of boutique shops and outstanding skyline, its easy to see why the ‘City of Gold’ keeps pulling people back for more. Thanks to its worldwide culinary influences and wealth of exclusive restaurants, one area in which Dubai truly excels is food. To get a little taste of what awaits, we sent our Travel Manager, Myra, for a culinary tour of Dubai.

I’ve been to Dubai loads of times – it’s just one of my favourite places to visit. Each time I go, I end up finding something different to fall in love with or discovering something new that I’d like to try next time I can make it back. When I’m at home in the UK, one of my favourite things to do is to visit fine dining restaurants, so when I found out that I’d be heading over for a culinary tour, I knew this trip was going to be an especially memorable one.

My favourite lunch was at the Pierchic, the Madinat Jumeirah Al Qasr’s celebrated restaurant. Set at the end of a pier extending into the bay directly opposite the Burj Al Arab, there are few places in the city that can hold a candle to the views here. Thanks to the outdoor terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows adorning each wall of the restaurant, you feel as though you’re surrounded by the water wherever you sit.

One of the most memorable parts of our meal was the service. Not only was there an impressive guest to staff ratio, but each of the staff were extremely observant and knowledgeable – they would anticipate our needs before we did! When I told the waiter that I wanted to try something a little bit different, he recommended that I try the seafood tower. When it came out, I couldn’t have been happier with his suggestion. Two tiers of every kind of seafood imaginable: oysters, prawns, crab, langoustine and even some things I didn’t even know existed, all presented over a bed of ice. I was in seafood heaven!

Later on, I also had the chance to try dinner at the Madinat Jumeirah Al Qasr’s steakhouse restaurant, The Hide. Lowly lit and filled with big, old fashioned leather chairs, it was so comfortable and atmospheric – the kind of place you feel as though you can really relax into the evening. As soon as I saw surf and turf on the menu, I knew I had to have it. But this was no normal surf and turf – drizzled over the top of my expertly cooked steak and prawns was a thick oyster sauce. Not only was it delicious and beautifully presented, but it was truly like nothing else I’d tried before! To top it all off, the decadent apple pie and vanilla ice cream came out to us with a sparkler in the top – really putting the shine on what was already a magical evening.

The Rockfish restaurant at the Jumeirah Al Naseem really swept me away. With its distinctive icy silver and blue décor, and stylish outdoor terrace dressed in crisp white fabrics and polished wood furniture, it feels like the epitome of luxury. To accompany our seafood feast, a specialist gin mixologist prepared customised cocktails for us right beside our table. All you needed to do was say what tastes you liked, maybe aromatic, fresh, soft or spicy, and he would prepare something especially for you.

Without a doubt though, the best experience of the whole trip was when we went to Gold on 27, a bar that’s located at the top of the Burj Al Arab, Dubai’s iconic sail-shaped building. Filled with glittering lights, gold-plated furniture, a stunning ornate gold ceiling inside, and floor-to-ceiling windows that perfectly frame the shimmering skyline outside, it’s no surprise that this bar is one of the most sought after and exclusive destinations in the city. If you’re interested in trying it for yourself, our Travel Managers can secure you a booking so that you can enjoy the sensational views and truly unique cocktails.

If you’re feeling inspired to experience Dubai’s culinary excellence for yourself, get in touch with one of our Travel Managers today for inspiration, suggestions and help to tailor-make your luxury Dubai holiday.