The Beach Bar & Grill - The One and Only Royal Mirage, Dubai

The Beach Bar & Grill is a place suitable for a casual beach lunch or a date-like dinner (or any kind of dinner for that matter). Overlooking the Palm from the One and Only Royal Mirage, BBG sits between the green gardens filled with palm trees and the golden sandy beach, set on layers of chocolate brown wooden decking. The mood by day is beach chic - head down for a fresh sea food platter or refreshing cocktail under the shaded terrace or on the beach whilst you dig your toes in the sand, where at night, the place comes alight with flickering candles and lanterns, the dress code becomes a bit more grown up and seafood platters get swapped for steaks and grilled delights.

Like most Dubai haunts, indoor and outdoor seating is available but to capture the real essence of the place, outdoor dining is a must  - the breeze comes in off the beach with fabulous ocean views available even from the terrace. We dined on a selection carpaccio and steaks, however there were a vast selection of grilled fish and meats floating about as well as mezze platters, risottos and the odd pasta dish - something for everyone! Likewise, the service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing and they ensured the flow of wine and frozen daiquiris kept coming all night.

I would highly recommend this place for a quiet/romantic dinner or a great place to take family or friends to show them a part of the 'wow' of Dubai. Not the place for a crazy booze up - its peaceful and private and a definite gem in Dubai.

The Cove Rotana - Ras Al Khaimah

Living in Dubai definitely has its perks, and one is being able to jet off to another Emirate for a night away. Ras Al Khaimah is a mere 1hr 30mins away from Dubai and the vibe definitely differs to the razzle dazzle that is Dubai. The Cove is just off the main road in RAK, however once inside the walls of the grounds, it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, closed in by sea and mountains.

The Cove is vast, dotted with low rise buildings filled with rooms commandeering the slope leading down to the sea followed by villas which lead up to the beach. The villas are surrounded by small lakes making the whole place look peaceful and idyllic. There is an Arabic feel to the architecture and there is something very charming about the location... it felt like I had been whisked away to some remote village location.

The room we had wasnt overly exciting but had everything we needed including a little terrace outside the front door, from a room point of view the value for money was good. The resort is run by a buggy system too which is extremely efficient and a great idea - I am not too sure how much the guests would appreciate hiking up and down the hill every day. So if you are going from the room to the beach, or from the beach to a restaurant, a buggy is no more than 5 minutes away to ferry you off to your location of choice. There are two pools on offer (both infinity), one near the spa and reception which is the louder of the two. Then there is one nestled among the villas which is more peaceful. The beach is vast, covered in sunbed and umbrellas. The tide swings in and out throughout the day, and if you manage to catch it at the right time it makes for a lovely stroll - however, bewear of the mammoth jelly fish - they look deadly!! They also offer massages on the beach for a fairly reasonable price and the best restaurant at The Cove is located by the sea - Breakers - serving up simple beach food and delicious cocktails!

The rest of the restaurants could do with a lot of improvement. We went to Basilico's for dinner and they got the food order completely wrong for the starter and main course... even when they gave us complimentary pudding they got that wrong too! Considering how expensive it was, the food was not overly tasty and the dishes were badly seasoned and proportioned. We also had breakfast at Cinnamon which was slightly better, however the quality of the food was a let down compared to the rest of the hotel.

Overall, it was the perfect place to get away for the weekend. It was extremely peaceful and relaxing and i would be keen to go there again with a group of friends and rent a villa (and probably order room service or cook my own food!).

101 - The One and Only The Palm

Its March, my parents and friends are on route to Dubai for the World Cup and my mother is asking me to think of a suitable restaurant to have lunch. The mandatories? Must be by the beach, not too busy, seafood would be preferable and must be outdoors… So not a lot to ask for really…!

After a few phone calls and a bit of research, 101 at the luxury One and Only Hotel on the Palm sounded like a reasonable choice. Set over the water, with insane views of the mainland, 101 has a diverse Mediterranean menu on offer, serving up mainly fresh seafood but also a mix of meats, light and fresh salads and a selection of delightful looking puddings. This sounded like it was definitely going to tick most boxes.

Even though it’s a slight trek from main land Dubai (the hotel is literally a stone’s throw away from the main land – however by car it’s a fair distance!), its well worth the journey once you arrive. Located by the resorts private marina, this place not only has a casual and laid back dining area, but also a hip and chic lounge, the perfect place for sunny d’s.

On arrival (driven in a buggy from our car to the restaurant..) we were promptly sat, menus appeared, followed by a light snack to awaken the palate. This came in the form of a duck ball.. looked a bit suspect but tasted delicious. As it was lunch time, a light meal was on everyone’s minds, and one by one plates of tuna carpaccio, scallops and salads were ordered. Last but by no means least, my younger brother piped up and ordered the Octopus, definitely coming in as one of the more extravagant items on the menu. Twenty minutes later the food arrived, the table went quiet and ‘mmm’ing sounds could be heard from all sides. I personally went for the Scallops which came with a leek and carrot medley. The vegetables were sliced so slightly that they looked like spaghetti and melted into the scallops, accompanying them perfectly. The portion left me feeling satisfied and after washing it down with some rose, I was left feeling content. The salads and the tuna also went down a treat (from what I hear!), however the real deal was the Octopus. Sprawling tentacles covered the plate accompanied with toasty tomatoes and salsa – not only did it look amazing, it tasted amazing too. Definitely the dish of the day.  

After a lovely long, chilled out lunch, basking in the sun it was time to think about moving. Clean plates, coffees were drunk, rose finished, and no puddings. My brother, who was conveniently shacked up in the One and Only Royal Mirage (the hotel directly opposite where we were), invited the party back to the hotel for a drink meaning that the only thing that was standing between us and an ice cold cocktail was the long (well twenty minute) car journey.. however turns out this was not the only mode of transport on offer! 

‘Why don’t you just take the boat?’ chirped the waiter in response to my grumbling. The boat? Yes, the boat. As it turns out, One&Only provides a ferry service across the short stretch of water between the Royal Mirage and The Palm, meaning our journey back from the 101 at One&Only The Palm had suddenly become much easier. Departing every hour, this is a quick, easy and enjoyable way to travel to and from the restaurant, dropping you directly at Jetty Lounge on the beach of the One and Only Royal Mirage.

Even though its quite an expensive dining experience it is worth every penny. There was an understated class to 101 that I immediately liked and I am very much looking forward to going back again – maybe next time ill try dinner! 

Sunny d's at the One and Only Royal Mirage 

Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, Jebel Ali, Dubai

One of the founding hotels in Dubai, Jebel Ali has become a firm favorite of the Haggas family. Back in 1999, 20 members travelled out into the desert to Jebel and we have never looked back. Since then my Grandparents (especially) make the trip from London to Jebel Ali twice a year (which is great for me now I live here!) and even though they have tried other hotels, they say the service and the atmosphere is the best they have seen. Even though its slightly off the beaten track (about a 20 minute drive from the marina towards Abu Dhabi) it is well worth the trip. If you live in Dubai like me, it’s also a great spot to escape to at the weekends and I would always recommend it to families visiting Dubai too.

Now split into two parts, you can pick between staying in the main hotel or in Palm Tree Court (the more expensive area). Palm Tree Court is full of small apartments in small white blocks, each either opening up onto a balcony or cute garden (if you are situated on the ground floor of course). The deco is simple but the rooms are nicely turned out – nothing overly fussy, and the beds are huge! Five of us could have slept in there and been comfortable. The rooms in the main hotel are themed similarly however they are probably half the size, but still extremely well turned out and perfectly comfortable for two. The only let down would be the general outdoor appearance of the main hotel – it looks slightly worn and aged (which in fairness it is quite old?!) and could probably do with a bit of TLC.  The gardens at Jebel Ali are lovely, continuing on from the sand, stretching from one side of the bay to the other covered in large sunbeds, lounge areas, and two beach restaurants. Beautiful large peacocks also roam the grounds, and if you are lucky you’ll get to see their gorgeous tail feathers. There are two hotel lobbys, one for each part of the hotel and four pools dotted around the grounds, decked out with sunbeds, water features, in-pool bars and life guards (of course!). In addition to this there is also a lovely spa in the middle of the two hotels (reasonably priced!), there is a watersport center called Watercooled where I spent many an hour learning how to sail, waterski and wakeboard. The staff are extremely friendly, helpful and great when it comes to teaching (they managed to get me up on waterskis which I never thought would happen – Im truly hopeless!). You can partake in almost all watersports at Watercooled including kite surfing, paddle boards, donut rides, mono skiing and wind surfing. They have two different types of specialized speed boats, each tailored to different types of sport on water.

Situated at the end of the resort is a sports center fitted out with tennis, badminton, and squash courts, a sports bar playing all the matches/races of the day, a huge golf course, and a gym so you can fit in a work out if you want! There is also a small marina next to the club so its easy to moor your boats there (if you are lucky enough to own one!) or on the other hand it is possible to rent a boat to either have dinner on, to go fishing or just to have a drive on the sea. Al Boom Diving also has a shop there where they offer 4 day Padi courses with two dives in Fujairah. At the other end of the hotel you will find Animal Corner, another perfect place day for kids. There is also a riding school, fitted out with instructors, ponies (big and small) and a large outdoor ride full of pretty little jumps.

Kids activities run throughout the day varying from camel rides on the beach to mini golf, from outdoor painting sessions to football – there is something on offer for every one every day making it easy for parents to have a few hours of peace and quiet – it is supposed to be a holiday after all!

The hotel is overrun with restaurant options. You can opt for a casual dinner on the beach at the Captains Bar and hunker down to burger and chips, alternatively you can go up market and feast on Thai treats at the White Orchid in Palm Tree Court (my personal favorite!). In the mood for Italian? Why not head to the La Traviata in the main hotel offering a mix of pizza, pastas and meats. There are two buffets on offer every night which are themed depending on the day of the week, perfect if you are unsure what you are in the mood for, or if you are extremely hungry! The Haggas’s spend a lot of time in the buffets – it seemed to be the easiest option when it came to feeding 30 mouths! Both parts of the hotel also offer a fantastically large buffet breakfast, however if you are staying in the Palm Tree Court I would recommend heading to the White Orchid – it may be smaller but the selection is better and there is more pork on offer – a breakfast essential!

I highly recommend Jebel Ali – it’s the perfect place to go for an actual holiday. The beach is the biggest one attached to a hotel in Dubai and the atmosphere is laid back, peaceful and stress free!  The grounds are vast and nothing seems to cramped like it so often does in Dubai! 

The staff are extremely friendly and are always happy to help you with any of your needs from organizing fishing trips to sea planes, medical needs to taxis. They are a caring bunch and take care of their guests more than any other hotel I have been to! It is not overly expensive and they offer great deals throughout the year. Going for Christmas? Well no need to plan what to do.. on big holidays the hotel puts on a ‘do’, whether it be a big lunch on the beach or a party in one of the large board rooms where hotel guests can join in the celebrations. As far as hotels go, it’s definitely the best place to go on a family holiday, especially if you have young kids.  Kids at the hotel are extremely well catered for and all my cousins who stayed at Jebel (aged between 8 and 14) were entertained all day, whether they were at Watercooled or playing some form of sport or game with the other children staying in the hotel. Even though it is 20minutes from the Marina, taxis are very easy to get and also very cheap so as well as having the peace and quiet of the hotel, it is easy enough to pop into town to catch a piece of the action!

It rules – go visit!