Insider’s Guide to Dubai

What makes Dubai such a special place to live?
Dubai is a lifestyle destination that outstrips any other city in the world – and the sunshine just makes people happy. There is nowhere better. We have world-class schools, hospitals and infrastructure, the world’s best restaurants and entertainment, and it’s a hotspot for visitors, too.

Who is moving to Dubai these days?
Dubai is multicultural – people are coming here from all over the globe. We’ve got a huge British expat population, people from Switzerland and Monaco – tech types with families, digital execs, entrepreneurs and creatives. It’s a total melting pot.

Which are the best places to live in Dubai?
It very much depends on your lifestyle. At the Palm Jumeirah, you can have a waterfront villa or a luxury apartment with beachfront access and lots of  restaurants and bars on hand – perfect if you want that beachy style. If you love sport, you could live in Jumeirah Golf Estates. You can be sitting in your garden sipping a drink while watching the DP World Tour Championship. Or, if you want the hustle and bustle of urban living, you can be downtown in the Dubai International Financial Centre, right next to Dubai Mall.

Which are your favourite restaurants?
My favourite by some distance is La Mar in the new Atlantis the Royal hotel. It’s by Gastón Acurio, an incredible Peruvian chef. After that it would be Clay at Bluewaters, which is Peruvian-Japanese fusion. I seem to have a thing for Peruvian food. 

Where would you go for the famous Dubai brunch?
I love the brunch at Coya – it’s really fun. If you want to go all out, you’ve got Bubbalicious at The Westin or Jumeirah Al Qasr. Or, if you’ve got children, Into the Jungle at Palazzo Versace is great. It has magicians, a princess show, live music and face painting.

Which are your favourite bars?
February 30 on Palm West Beach is a great spot. It’s right on the waterfront and you’ve got the skyline of the marina in front of you. And Le Toit at Fouquet’s, a roof-terrace bar, has the best views of the Burj Khalifa.

What about cultural attractions?
We’re seeing lots opening up in Abu Dhabi: the Louvre is excellent and there are more museums coming – the Guggenheim and the Zayed National Museum. You can also get out into the desert and go dune-buggy riding, or take a conservation trip to learn more about the local flora and fauna.

What’s your favourite beach in Dubai?
The beach at Atlantis the Royal has an amazing view back over the city. And Palm West Beach, which has only been open a few years, is filled with restaurants and bars that are really cool. 

What do you do for fun?
Golf, mainly. There are at least a dozen world-class golf courses here. My favourite would have to be Address Montgomerie. But Dubai is also great for a staycation, as you have all of these world-class hotels right here. 

What’s your favourite thing about Dubai?
That you can get pretty much anything you want at the touch of a button. I recently ordered a last-minute birthday cake and it came, with my wife’s name on it, within 20 minutes. And we’ve got 10 incredible soft-play centres within 15 minutes of us – perfect for my daughter. We even have Nobu on delivery.

Portfolio recommends…
Alserkal Avenue is a hip enclave in the Al Quoz industrial area. About 90 businesses have moved into the warehouses there, including art galleries (Leila Heller, Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line and Carbon 12), concept stores (Ikonhouse and The Odd Piece), yoga studios and cafes. Visiting for coffee and a slice of manousheh is a wonderful way to start the day. Or you could take a traditional wooden abra boat through Dubai Creek, calling at the textile souk (Ali Bin Abi Talib Street), the spice souk (34th Street) and finally the perfume souk (Sikkat Al Khail Road). Or for something more chilled, the Bulgari Yacht Club cigar lounge is a chic but laid-back spot.

ANDREW CUMMINGS,
SAVILLS HEAD OF RESIDENTIAL MIDDLE EAST
andrew.cummings@savills.me 

Pictures from top: Dubai Mall (Unsplash) and Andrew Cummings; the Palm Jumeirah panorama with Dubai Marina in the background (Getty); Le Toit at Fouquet’s; Jumeirah Golf Estates; and the Louvre Abu Dhabi