Hotels

Premium
Zabeel Saray
The Palm Jumeirah
+ 971 4 453 0000
jumeirah.com

Dependable chain
Shangri-La
Sheikh Zayed Road
+ 971 4 343 8888
shangri-la.com

Independent and easy
Bonnington
Jumeirah Lakes Towers
+ 971 4 356 0000
bonningtontower.com

Dining

Business breakfast
MAKE Business Hub
Al Fattan House Tower, Dubai Marina
+ 971 4 392 9216
makebusinesshub.com

On the tiles
Armani Prive Club
Burj Khalifa
+ 971 4 888 3060
dubai.armanihotels.com

Late bite
Zaroob
Sheikh Zayed Road
+ 971 4 327 6060
zaroob.net

Drink after dinner
The Agency
Madinat Jumeirah
+ 971 4 366 6730
jumeirah.com

Big dinner with partner/clients
Toro Toro
Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina
+ 971 4 399 8888
grosvenorhouse-dubai.com

Private dinner
Rivington Grill
Souk Al Bahar, Old Town Downtown Burj Khalifa
+ 971 4 423 0903
rivingtongrill.ae

Dinner with colleagues
Al Hambra
Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah
+ 971 4 366 6730
jumeirah.com

Afternoon tea/drink
Sahn Eddar
Burj Al Arab
+ 971 4 301 7600
burjalarab.com

Lunch on your own
The Pavilion Downtown Dubai
Emaar Boulevard Downtown Dubai
+ 971 4 447 7025
pavilion.ae

Need-to-impress clients lunch
Zuma
Gate Village 06, Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC)
+ 971 4 425 5660
zumarestaurant.com

Working lunch with colleagues
La Petite Maison
Gate Village 08, Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC)
+ 971 4 439 0505
lpmdubai.ae

Mid-morning coffee
Circle Cafe
Dubai Media City
Dubai Media City
circle-cafe.com

Business breakfast
The Glasshouse
Hilton Dubai Creek
+ 971 4 212 7551
hilton.com

Fast breakfast
More Cafe
Mall of Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Road
+ 971 4 395 0967
morecafe.biz

Reading

Books and CDs
Kinokuniya
The Dubai Mall
+ 971 4 434 0011
kinokuniya.com

Shopping

Something for the kids
Camel dolls by The Camel Company
The Dubai Mall
+ 971 4 330 8117
thedubaimall.com

Something for yourself
Bespoke
DIFC, The Gate
+ 971 4 363 7237
bespoke.ae

Something for someone you love
Bambah
142 Jumeirah Beach Road
+ 971 50 674 1754
bambah.com

Lost luggage - where to buy shirts
Bloomingdales
The Dubai Mall
+ 971 4 350 5333
bloomingdales.com

Something you can't get anywhere else
Mosque alarm clock
Classic City, Satwa
+ 971 4 349 1012

Thank yous

Dates and delicacies
Bateel
Burjuman Centre
+ 971 4 355 2853
bateel.com

Two hour tour

01
Aerial city tour Seawings, Jebel Ali
+ 971 4 807 0708
seawings.ae

02
Al Serkal Avenue Al Quoz
alserkalavenue.com

03
Bastakiya Historical District Bur Dubai
dubaitourism.ae

Transport

Taxis
Opt for taxis rather than renting a car (though Hertz has branches across the city, hertzuae.com, +971 800 43789). Some hotels provide guests with airport transfers in addition to their own services. When taking a taxi to destinations outside of mainstream malls, it makes good sense to jot down the telephone number of where you’re headed to give to the driver for directions. The cheap and clean Metro now has two lines, servicing the downtown area and stretching to the major malls, Dubai Marina and Jebel Ali. Use whenever possible, as Sheikh Zayed Road is often reduced to a crawl during rush hour.

Fitness

Good gym
U Energy
Gate Village Building 4, Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC)
+ 971 4 422 8721
uconcept6.com

Alternative diversion

Ski Dubai
skidxb.com