I’m here to admit that prior to my latest, and first, trip to Dubai it had not been on the top of my hit list. Glossy, beachy, dish-laden destinations had obscured my vision. That is, until I realised that Dubai in fact boasts all of these moreish things. In fact, Dubai is now top of my travel agenda, and there’s one main reason for that; the food.
I’m going to take you through my culinary journey over the duration of a day, with a side of relaxation. If you’re partial to a tuna piquillo or salivate at the thought of a chicken sando, followed by a good zizz by the pool and a soggy, chlorine-y novel, please come, join me. But before that, it’s best to start at the very beginning.
I stayed at Atlantis The Royal as part of a press trip. Labelled as one of the world’s leading ultra-luxury experiential resorts, it’s that and more.
Firstly, it’s grand, the scale of it alone is impressive. Propped at the top of The Palm Jumeirah (you know what I mean, that man-made palm display of structural engineering that you stare at, mouth agape, from the plane window as you circle over the city), the hotel stands sentinel alongside it’s relative salmon-pink hotel, Atlantis, The Palm.
I was here for three days and there was a great deal of eating to be done, with a moderate deal of reading and horizontal-ing to be done, too. Let’s tuck in.
The buffet
I’ve tried my fair share of groaning plates, trays and bains in my time. I have tong’d my way around many a morning breakfast spread. But with no ounce of reserve do I tell you that the kit out at Gastronomy, within the hotel, was the best breakfast buffet I’ve ever had. I would fly 14 hours for that alone. In a heartbeat.
The sheer breadth of cuisines on offer was a marvel: pillowy dumplings that were the perfect balance between sticky and sheer, bursting with greens and garlic, literal creamy scrambled eggs with hibachi-style lightly scorched broccolini and crispy streaky bacon (the only worthwhile bacon cut), blonde mille-feuille-style croissants that demand to be enjoyed, layer by layer with butter and jam, and pale salmon atop a generous smear of cream cheese on a bagel, peppered with tart capers, finished with bright orange carrot juice, deafening you with wellbeing after you’ve jammed in your third plate.
There is a lot, and there simply wasn’t enough stomach space. It was one of the greatest sadness-es of the trip, but a joy to look forward to each morning.
A gym-spa intermission
Between meals it was time to work up an appetite. Technogym has fitted out the hotel’s action station, and between erg sprints and the exercise bike, it was a welcome and beautifully quiet space to move my body.
Beyond the gym, the day spa, AWAKEN, offers an array of treatments to zen your jazzed nervous system. There are rooms aplenty: a charcoal sauna, a rainfall water room, a salt cave, a meditation garden, various soothingly tiled plunge pools.
It’s one of those places that you’ll whisper in, lest you disturb the full force relaxation going on. Stop even thinking so noisily, sshhh.
The facials and massages were transcendental. Not simply kneading, but swivelling and doing those things that make you feel like there are in fact five hands on your back, not two. I momentarily, figuratively, left the room.
Dipping a toe, collecting a plate
Sun loungers were calling. Aren’t they always? This time, I answered.
The weather is typically hot in Dubai (shock) and dotted throughout Atlantis The Royal are more pools and plunges than you could possibly name. The one that I was ushered to first is perhaps the most memorable of all, Nobu By The Beach. A world-first where pool meets plates. In fact, while you’re wrinkling your book pages with lagoon water underneath the fronds of a palm tree, you’d certainly have half a mind on Nobu’s menu. Margy or caipirinha? Ceviche or tempura?
Namesake chef Nobu Matsuhisa does not miss. Japanese-Peruvian bites, sharing platters and signature dishes can be enjoyed by the pool or in the sleek adjacent bar.
‘Zest’ is the fitting word. Think yellowtail jalapeno sashimi, scallop and corn ceviche, crispy duck salad, black cod with miso, wagyu beef sandos and broccolini with spicy sesame and garlic. Between plates there’s a list of paired wines, bitey sake and fruity cocktails to cleanse your palette. And then it was back to dipping and sunscreen slapping for me.
Highlight dish: It’d have to be the crispy shiitake mushroom salad with goma truffle. Shardy, full of umami and with a light creaminess that really holds it all together in one bite. I can taste it as I type, and you should, too.
Hypno healing time and a zizz
As massages go, this one had me at ‘make yourself comfortable’. Yes, it has all the essentials: dimly lit room, meandering music, fluffy bathrobe, pillow under the knees (mastery), calming voice. But the technique in this specific hypno healing massage were, well, hypnotic. With a focus on your back, shoulders, neck and head, it was easy to focus on the now. A blend of spiritual meets practical, it was all the right amounts of woo woo.
After de-knotting it was time for but one thing: a healthy dose of zizzology. I slumbered in the world’s biggest, cloudy bed, all the way until it was time to dine – again.
Now because I couldn’t possibly choose between two of my favourite restaurants for dinner, I’ve piled them both in here. Choose between contemporary Asian or Greek Mediterranean but, above all, make metaphorical room for both. Here we go.
Garlic, lemon, salt at Milos
When they say that Milos is one of the world’s best Greek restaurants there’s no GST added. With sibling restaurants in Montreal, New York, Athens, Las Vegas, Miami and London, Milos has more than its fair share of cultural cache. Needless to say, I beelined. Conclusion: go.
In amongst the olive trees and terracotta pots, Costas Spiliadis’s establishment promises fresh fish, cooked perfectly. And, true to form on the day I visited, there was a huge array of dishes; charred octopus, whole fish sashimi, vibrant tomato salad and thick, wide ribbons of pasta with chunks of lobster.
Floor to ceiling windows make it the ideal setting from the day into the evening, and when I wasn’t gazing out at the scale of Atlantis (the restaurant sits in amongst the palms on the ground level), I browsed the fish market, mulling over which type of fish I’d like and how it should be prepared – options are grilled, salt-crusted, raw or fried. (Dover sole, grilled).
Finished with a perfectly zesty lemoniá cocktail (part chamomile, part fresh lime leaf and cucumber, lot of St.Germain liqueur), it was a simultaneously flavoursome and light meal.
Highlight dish: Maybe it sounds a bit obvious, but the Greek salad was the perfect: textural, chunky, boasting only fresh produce. Paired with a glass of crisp Milos white wine.
High tastes and tipples at Ling Ling
Because there’s always more to be enjoyed, next stop was Ling Ling – an Asian fusion dining and ultra-lounge experience perched on the roof of the hotel. Overlooking the Dubai hub skyline, this luxe, modern bar-cum-dining spot is the later-night gathering place for sipping, watching, bopping and dining.
It’s quite a surreal experience. Not only are you so high up that you could scrape the clouds with your finger tips, but the futuristic lights of the city that glare and slide in the distance are reminiscent of a Ridley Scott Blade Runner film. The fronds of the palm, too, put it all into perspective. You’re a long way from home, Dorothy. And there’s no rushing back.
The cocktails are a key feature at Ling Ling. We’re talking Havana 3yr rum mixed with shiso cordial, celery bitters, Thai basil and soda water (Madame Ling Ling’s Sanctuary Of Light, for those taking notes)
Highlight dish: Australian lobster pad Thai for a taste of home. The beautiful fleshy crayfish was soy-slathered, and the spicy, slippery noodles hit the spot. Paired with one of the aforementioned cocktails and you’re laughing.
When is the best time to visit Dubai
Well, I would say book now. There’s no time like the present. If you’re looking for the best season to get sampling, head between December and March when the weather is a little cooler. It’ll make everything a little more accessible and broaden your itinerary.
Above all, though, come with an appetite.
Head to Atlantis The Royal for the latest accommodation packages and info to plan your trip. Keep a special eye out for notable entertainment fixtures, as the hotel hosts some impressive international musical talent.
