For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
Famously gilded with a seven-star hotel – the iconic Burj al Arab – this rags-to-riches boom town is said by some to have ‘no culture’: not so. This ancient landmark on the spice-trading route may have grown from tiny port and pitstop for desert-roaming tribes to cosmopolitan city with all mod cons, but Dubai hasn't forgotten its heritage. Camel-racing, falconry and horsemanship are still passionately enjoyed in the Emirates; traditional wind towers still stand in the Bastakiya quarter; and working dhows still cruise the creek. There aren't many places on earth where you can snorkel, ski, sunbathe and shop at the world's biggest mall in one day – but hey, this is Dubai…
Dubai is known for its extremes (world’s tallest building; world’s first seven-star hotel, world’s most cranes, world’s biggest mall, world’s first rotating tower block, world’s richest horse race – I could go on), but you have to admire the tenacity and vision of the Emiratis; after all, even New York was an unspectacular low-rise location once upon a time… So embrace change and marvel at the feats of engineering on display rather than expressing colonial dismay at imagined and forever-gone 'olden times'.
… an armful of gold bangles; a few diamonds; an interest in modern city planning; a Persian rug; your best tan ever; a comedy camel souvenir; a revived interest in eco issues.
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and romantic boutique hotels in Dubai
Desert Palm is a stylish retreat from the thrilling buzz of sun-soaked Dubai, an elegant Euro-Arab estate offering boutique-hotel rooms and spacious villas with more mod cons than the Starship Enterprise – oh, and world-class polo facilities.
Showing admirable restraint among its blinged-up neighbours, and boasting an award-winning sky bar on the 63rd floor, Dubai's Downtown Address hotel is fast becomingthe address on everyone's lips…
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
Check out three-floor 'lifestyle store' Boutique 1 (+971 4 330 4555) at The Walk, JBR – Dubai's answer to Colette and X Corso Como – for fashion-forward lifestyle labels; and Sauce at XVA Gallery for kitsch-inspired fashion and accessories. Don’t tell anyone we told you, but you’ll find Prada-like purses at Al Karama shopping centre; hang around if you don’t see what you like and you might get invited into a secret Aladdin’s cave of fake Mulberry, Chloé and Hermès bags round the back. Haggle for all you are worth! If you want cheap electronics, go to Al Fahidi Street.
Late January–February Credit cards and handbags at dawn for huge discounts during Dubai Shopping Festival. February The Dubai Jazz Fest brings the world’s top brass to town to jam jazzily in city-wide venues. Wooden sailing boats plow the waves for the Traditional Dhow Sailing Race at Mina Seyahi. February–March New balls, please: the Dubai Tennis Championships serves up ace sporting action from Federer and co. March Tiger comes to tee off at the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament. Dubai society puts on its fascinators and glad rags to watch the nags at the thrilling Dubai World Cup, the regional equivalent of Royal Ascot. Late October The UAE Desert Challenge: a wheely exciting cross-dune rally race. November Start of the horse racing season at Nad al Sheba race track. The end of the month sees scrums in the sand for the legendary Dubai Rugby 7s event.
Combine a trip to the Bastakiya with a little cultural browsing and a caffeine kick in XVA Gallery’s pleasant riad-style courtyard. Great vegetarian snacks and home-made fruit smoothies. Closed Fridays.
XVA Gallery, Bastakiya, Bur Dubai, PO Box 37304
Popular local street-food joint; it's right on the road, so you can watch Dubai's young heirs and wannabes (and normal folk) pull up in blacked-out Hummers and 4x4s late into the night. Order Arabic shawarmas – chicken or lamb with garlicky sauce in flatbread wraps – and fruit cocktail smoothies to wash them down with. Cheap, fun and tasty.
Al Diyafa Street, Al Hudaiba/Satwa, Dubai
Set in a windtower house near the Creek, this is a good family-friendly spot for a quick snack, mint lemonade or healthy lunch if you're checking out the Bastakiya district, Al Fahidi Street, Majlis Gallery or Dubai Museum.
Al Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai, Dubai
PG is the triple-starred chef of Sketch restaurant fame, and here he pulls out all the stops to impress Dubai's discriminating diners with his fine and fancy French food. The service and setting are fantastic – pop into Eclipse first for a few champagne aperitifs, or Vista for a after-dinner cocktails with a view…
InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai
Chic by name and chic by nature, this see-and-be-seen dining destination is also one of Dubai's most romantic and accomplished. Over the sea at the end of a private pier, this seafood restaurant has fantastic views of the Burj. Make reservations well in advance, and ask for a table at the edge of the terrace to make the most of the views.
Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai
Slick Gordon Ramsay outpost with dark decor; the tasting menus are out of this world, and prices are generally lower than Ramsay's UK eateries.
Hilton Dubai Creek, Beniyas Road, Deira, Dubai
Asian Fusion in a striking, moody setting with open kitchens making Chinese, Thai, Indian and Italian dishes. Watch the river of traffic from high above Sheikh Zayed Road if you've a window seat. Book ahead – this is a stalwart of Dubai's dining scene.
Towers Rotana Holte, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
On the 51st floor, this smart bar has fantastic views of Dubai’s skyline to enjoy while you sip cocktails (unless you suffer from vertigo, in which case you’ll be downing them). On the floor below, Vu's restaurant continues the high-roller theme with contemporary interiors, interesting Modern European menus and stunning cityscapes.
Hotel Tower, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
Another über-romantic seaside dining destination. This at-the-pool venue is all flickering candles and summer breeze, and the seafood-heavy menu has wry Asian leanings; try spiced hammour baked in lotus leaves, or tender duck with pak choi and quail's eggs.
Arabian Court, One & Only Royal Mirage, Al Sufouh Beach Road, Dubai
Great little spot for casual lunch or a snack near the old textile souk and Bastakiya district; grab a table on the decking and watch dhows chug along the Creek while you fill up on tasty seafood or Thai noodles, or smoke a hubbly bubbly. The main restaurant is set in a restored merchant's house.
Al Kabeer Souk, Creekside, near Al Fahidi/Bank of Baroda abra station, Bur Dubai
Vietnamese cuisine with a French colonial twist, served in an elegant and relatively small dining room. Dishes are delicate and aromatic – particularly the light broth-style soups – and inventive in their ingredients and preparation. Reservations essential.
Level 1, Shangri-La Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
Mod Med/Italian favourite at the Egyptian-themed Wafi centre (we don't know why either; www.wafi.com). Ideal for a quick lunch or supper; there's a small patio if you prefer to eat outside. We like the thin-crust pizzas, too. Booking advised.
Wafi Pyramids, Wafi Centre, Bur Dubai, Dubai
If you really want that 1,001 Nights/Midnight at the Oasis experience, you may as well go the whole hog: this desert restaurant near Bab al Shams is an all-singing, all belly-dancing Arabic tent-fest with a huge buffet, camels, falcons and horse displays. Arrange your own transport rather than going with a group, so you can leave when you like. Reservations (and sense of fun) essential.
Bab al Shams Desert Resort, near Endurance Village, Dubai
Michelin-quality food in jaw-dropping surroundings; two-floor Traiteur wears its French credentials with pride, boasting a whopping wine cellar of 4,000 bottles. You'll love or loathe the decor, but you'll certainly have plenty to talk about. Book ahead.
Park Hyatt, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Deira, Dubai
Atmospheric multi-room restaurant in turn-of-the-century building in the Bastakiya area; ask for a table on the roof terrace. Location rather than cuisine is the main draw here – the menu features Arabic/Lebanese staples. NB alcohol is not served anywhere in the Bastakiya.
Bastakiya, Bur Dubai, Dubai
Laid-back lunch spot right on the beach – you'll still need your power shades, though; this is where ladies who lunch sip soup and nibble salad (or have low-key dinner and drinks with their Mr Smith). Bring an appetite for the hearty steaks and succulent grilled fish, too.
The Palace, One & Only Royal Mirage, Al Sufouh Beach Road, Dubai
As the name suggests, the views from this Gulf-perched alfresco rooftop bar are panoramic. Warm evenings spent lounging have a Balearic feel; arrive early for sundowners and shisha, or show up later to groove to chilled house with Dubai's bright young things.
Marina Restaurant, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai
Stylish, laid-back vodka bar with sail-like awnings and gorgeous views of the Creek and the 'look at me' yachts in the marina. Also has a seafood bar with caviar, smoked fish and oysters if you fancy a decadent light lunch. Chill out and people-watch before hitting Traiteur or the Thai Kitchen for dinner.
Park Hyatt, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Deira, Dubai
Tongue-in-cheek wine bar with fondue nights on Mondays and Fridays, and a selection of cheese and charcuterie sharing plates to match with by-the-glass wines.
Wafi Pyramids, Wafi Centre, Oud Metha Road, Bur Dubai, Dubai
Chic and shiny cocktail haunt at the new Festival City InterCon, with an impressive drinks menu, floor-to-ceiling windows and equally impressive views over the Creek and towards the silhouetted skyscrapers on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Level 26, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai
DJ bar cum jazz club with daily changing music events. Thursdays' playlist is largely house; Fridays is reggae, hip hop and Motown. Purists will prefer the Saturday night jazz sessions. Open 9pm–3pm, Tuesdays–Saturdays; free entry on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai
Grown-up wine bar where you can have a conversation over a good list of 'grape beverage' (as wine is often euphemistically termed in the UAE). There's one in the Emirates Towers, and a buzzier, more atmospheric sister bar at Madinat Jumeirah.
Hotel Tower, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
The pioneer of Dubai's alfresco-among-the-windtowers trend, this open-air bar is still one of the best locations for romantic after-dinner drinks or cocktails (there's a brief menu of Arabic bar snacks such as houmous and tabbouleh to keep hunger at bay if you want to linger longer).
Top Floor, Arabian Court, One & Only Royal Mirage, Beach Road, Dubai
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