Awesome Dubai Restaurants- Arun Panchariya dubai

At.Mosphere
The newest restaurant in the city is also the highest. In fact, it’s the highest restaurant in the world. Located on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building since it opened last year, At.mosphere has its own dedicated entrance at the base, amazing views over the city and surprisingly unfussy but expertly prepared food. The food focuses on simple seafood and steak dishes. A bar to the side serves up pre- or post-dinner drinks, and it’s there you can wonder if it’s vertigo or a few too many that are making you feel giddy.

Okku
Okku suffers from something of a split personality. On the one hand, its sleek black decor, moody lighting, DJ, and cocktails have made it one of the best nightspots in the city. On the other hand, the sushi chefs peering out from behind the counter have also made their mark on the restaurant scene. Considered a Nobu imitator when it first opened a few years back, it has since side-stepped the label, offering excellent, enjoyable Japanese food that is very reasonably priced.

Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire’s Dubai restaurant really is something exceptional. The setting is extravagant and the staff is extremely knowledgeable about the food. This is no mean feat when you consider the number of tiny amuse-bouche-sized morsels on offer and the sheer complexity of each one. Every mouthful here is a sensation for the tastes, with no other restaurant in the city competing on this level. Some may consider it fussy, but the journey taking you via such ingredients as hare, lobster, veal, and black truffle is something to behold.
Asado


It’s not just the chefs here that know their meat. The waiting staff are surprisingly well-trained, bringing over a tray of assorted steaks and cuts and introducing you to each like an old friend. This Argentinean steakhouse offers a number of seafood dishes too, and even goat, and the views are incredible with its location at the base of the Burj Khalifa. Enjoy your meal with a side order of thick-cut garlic fries stacked Jenga-style on your plate, and simply gaze up at the world’s tallest building.

Verre
Gordon Ramsay's first Dubai restaurant opened in 2001 and hasn’t looked back. Perhaps inspired by his Kitchen Nightmares TV show, Ramsay decided to give his own eatery something of a makeover last year, revamping the menu and decor, and appointing a new head chef from his Claridge’s restaurant in London. Opt for a three- or five-course set menu, or go all out with nine courses each at the chef’s table. Every dish offers a chance to experience fine European fare and the slickest service in town.


Reference: http://www.askmen.com
BY ARUN PANCHARIYA

Top Three Beaches In Dubai- Arun Panchariya dubai

It has become nothing less than an unproved fact that if a tourist destination has to attract people from all over the world, it must have a beach.  Beaches are associated with a revered natural beauty and serenity that is unparalleled with any other natural scenic beauty. The roar of the waves rushing in, the fine sand and the breezy ambience are mesmerizing to behold. It has a hypnotizing effect on mortal beings providing an ethereal experience in the mind. Beaches are also home to water sports like surfing and volleyball, entertainments such as speed boats and yacht rides. Beach picnic make up for a wonderful family excursion. Places like the Carribean islands, Mauritius and Goa of India attract millions of tourists each year—all endowed with beautiful sandy beaches. Dubai is not an exception. Dubai has before made headlines with its massive urban projects. The beaches in Dubai have just completed the vision as the world’s premier tourist spot.

The largest and the most popular beach is undoubtedly the Jumeirah Beach. It is only a twenty five minute ride away from the center of Dubai. The blue sea and the wide expanse of silver sand stretch out for a few kilometers for nature lovers to behold. The first beach park of Dubai is scattered with cafes and restaurants where tourists can laze for hours enjoying tea and light snacks and relish the panoramic view. One can view the magnificent Burj Al Arab or the Jumeirah from the beach. Beach Hotel Also, the beach has children’s recreation area for families with kids who have come for beach picnics. The beach waters are quite safe for children, the water being very shallow. There is a games’ section for children and for more adventurous lot, water sports in foamy waves pledge a worthwhile challenge. Lifeguards ensure the safety of those in the waters. The picnic spots in the parks are equipped with barbecue grills and wooden benches. One can enjoy succulent barbecue and watch the horizon where the blue of the sky and the blue of the ocean blends in a horizon. For those who are hesitant to brave the sea waves, there are swimming pools and shower facilities available. A small amphitheatre is there to show live dance or music performances.

The Al-Mamzar Beach Park is a man-made beach but is no short of gloried amusements for the tourists. Covering a huge area of 106 hectares, it comes fully equipped with plush greenery, an amphitheatre, kid’s recreation place, multiple swimming pools, barbecue and picnic spots, lagoons and multiple beaches that are meticulously guarded by expert life guards. Apart from the usual beach amusements such as picnics and water sports, the beach park provides the luxury of relaxing under the canopy of trees, playing footballs and flying kites in all splendors. The beach is open everyday except Thursdays and Fridays while Wednesdays are especially reserved for women and kids.

Last but not the least is the Jebel Ali beach. Forty kilometer away from the mainland Dubai, this beach is famous for a lot of reasons. Firstly, the beach is home to most industrial zones that are duty free in Dubai. One can take a knowledgeable tour to these commercial zones to know more about the industries of Dubai. It is also well known for the man-made Palm Islands project and is home to luxury resorts, lavish apartments, golf courses and hotels. Of course, the beautiful beach is reason enough for tourists to try out its quarters.
Winter is the best time to flock to these beaches as it is very hot during the day in summertime. Those who plan on a summer trip might explore the beaches in the evening.

Refrence: http://www.dubaishortstay.com

Top 5 Dubai Restaurants- Arun Panchariya Dubai

5. Rhodes Mezzanine
The UK’s other celebrity chef with the "GR" initials, spiky-haired Gary Rhodes, set himself a mission long ago to prove that British food could be interesting, and if you come here, you’re likely to agree with him. The setting is minimalist white and the food is British classic with a high-end twist. Gary’s take on dishes such as herb-crusted lamb and bread-and-butter pudding are hard to beat, and you’ll be served scones with jam and clotted cream to finish even if you didn’t order them.

4. Indego By Vineet
With the amount of construction workers and laborers in this city, it’s no surprise that Dubai has hundreds of Indian restaurants and takeaways, but none are anything like this. Indego is the mastermind of the world’s only Michelin Star Indian chef, Vineet Bhatia, and his concept is Indian food and flavors with a contemporary look and texture. Dishes like the green-herb tandoori monkfish and spice-crusted sea bass are high-end twists on more familiar Indian food.

3. La Petite Maison
La Petite Maison is located in the city’s financial district. While some restaurants in this area find themselves in sterile office blocks or sandwiched between hotels, this newest outpost of the Mediterranean chain, which has branches in London and Nice, has come up trumps, located next to art galleries and boutiques to give a more relaxed, airy setting.
The food is simple but done exceptionally well: beef carpaccio with prawns in olive oil and basil, foie gras with green beans,and truffle pasta and salt-baked filet of sea bass are particular highlights. And as an added twist, most of the staff are actually French (Western staff in restaurants are rarely seen in this city).

2.Armani Ristorante
Dubai is certainly full of firsts: Gordon Ramsay opened his first restaurant outside of the UK here with Verre, and Giorgio Armani chose the city as the first place to launch an Armani-branded hotel. Located within the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, the hotel boasts a number of restaurants at the same level of quality as an Armani suit. Homemade pasta and bruschetta are par for the course, but where this eatery really excels is in its desserts, with each course as memorable in presentation as it is for taste -- just as you would expect from the man who inspires it all.

1. Ossiano
How many Spanish restaurants are there where you can stare into the deep-blue depths of a gigantic fish tank between courses? We can only think of this one, and it’s situated in the Atlantis hotel on the man-made Palm Jumeirah island. The aquarium is one of the major highlights of the restaurant and takes up an entire wall. The late three-Michelin-starred chef Santi Santamaria took this restaurant on as his first outside of Spain, and the menu is something else. Sadly, they won’t cook a shark for you, no matter how much you point at it.

Reference: http://www.askmen.com

Best food of Dubai by Arun Panchariya Dubai

Arabic food is the main type of food in Dubai. However, there are many expatriates came from different parts of the world are working in Dubai. Therefore there are different types of restaurants in Dubai to cater this huge demand.
I would love to try traditional Arabic food while in Dubai. Out of all Dubai food there are few very special items.


Shawarma

Shawarma is made with lamb or chicken. Other stuff goes with that may change based on the restaurant. Generally they will mix tomatoes, pickle, garlic sauce and fries. Then they will wrap the mixture in a small Arabic roti.
Shawarma is a bit closer to kebab. Taste of Shawarma can be different from one restaurant to another. Shawarma is one of the most popular foods in Dubai.

Falafel

Falafel is the Arabic French fry. It looks like a cutlet. They are made out of mixing chickpeas and different spices. Then deep-fry and served as a side dish.

Arabic bread
Arabic bread is the word that they use for Arabic roti. They freshly bake them in clay ovens and serve with different dishes. Arabic roti is very tasty with Indian curries. Arabic bread is a part of all Dubai food.

Fruit juice
You may wonder why I have listed fruit juice as a special item. Go and try fruit juice in Shawarma shops. They have a special taste that you may not find anywhere in the world.

Dubai food is cheap. In an average restaurant a normal meal for an adult will cost about $5.
Dubai also has international food chains such as McDonalds. There are many Indian restaurants in Dubai and Indian food is the cheapest among all. The other cheap and highly available food in Dubai is Pakistani food.

Reference: http://www.thatsdubai.com

What is special in Dubai by Arun Panchariya Dubai

The Traditional Dubai

 While vast swaths of the city have been demolished in the relentless drive toward the future, one neighborhood harks back to the quiet fishing village that once was. The Bastakia Quarter, which squeezes itself between the Dubai Creek and the buzzing Bur Dubai district, is a mini maze of wind-towered buildings, a clutch of which have been transformed into art galleries and cafés. Start your tour at XVA Gallery, which specializes in contemporary art from across the Gulf region. Continue your appreciation of Middle Eastern art at the Majlis Gallery before lunching on hearty salads and a refreshing mint-and-lime juice in the neighboring Basta Art Cafe's sun-dappled courtyard.

Man-Made Islands

The most audacious of all of Dubai's megaprojects is the collection of reclaimed islands just offshore. First came the palm-tree shaped Palm Jumeirah, which the city bills as the eighth wonder of the world. And there are two more islands, Jebel Ali and Deira, in varying stages of development. In an outlandish stroke, Jebel Ali will feature a breakwater that spells out a line of poetry by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ("It takes a man of vision to write on water"). Last, but certainly not least, is The World, an archipelago of islands that forms a world map in miniature; the islands are for sale, so if you can afford it, you can buy a "country" for yourself.

The Beach

You'll definitely want to see the shore while you're in town. The posher beach hotels have partitioned off the majority of the sand, so if you're not staying on the Jumeirah beach strip, your best bet is Al Mamzar, a public beach near the neighboring emirate of Sharjah. The clogged artery of a road that connects the cities means it's frustratingly inaccessible during the work week. Other good alternatives are Jumeirah Beach Park with its small coffee shop and AED 5 ($1.30) entrance fee, or the free stretch of sand running the length of Umm Suqeim, known as Kite Beach due to its popularity with the city's kite-surfers. If you insist on a more luxurious beach experience, then a few hotels will allow you to sit on their sand for a fee: Try Le Meridien Mina Seyahi (AED 250, or $70).

The Desert

A visit to the desert isn't as peaceful as you'd think. The desolate Sahara this is not. The easiest way to get at the dunes outside the city is on a four-wheel-drive safari. The tours are incredibly popular, but your enjoyment will depend on your tolerance for a) being thrown around the sand in a Jeep, b) touristy BBQs in the desert replete with a belly dancer and henna painting services and c) lots of other tourists. If you can handle all three, then Blue Banana has a number of expeditions on offer. The same outfit also has hot-air balloon flights over the sand at sunrise — a statelier desert experience. If you just want to see some sand without vertigo or nausea, then head out to the plush desert escape Bab Al Shams. Here you can sit on the rooftop and enjoy a cocktail as the sun dips below the dunes.

Golf

Golf is an obsession in Dubai. If you want to rub elbows with celebrities on the green, try the courses designed by Colin Montgomerie and Ernie Els. Better yet, head to the city's most famous course, the Emirates Golf Club, which hosts the annual Dubai Desert Classic (total prize money is a cool $2.5 million). It's a stunning course, whose 18th hole has one of the finest approaches in the world. Almost as impressive is the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, which boasts a challenging par-72 course along with a fun "pitch 'n' putt" course, plus an impressive clubhouse whose architecture echoes that of the Sydney Opera House. Tee times go quickly, so you'd be wise to book in advance, especially if you want to be among the first to take a swing at Tiger's tees: the first holes designed by Woods — the Tiger Woods Dubai, a private golf community and resort — are due to open in September 2009.

Reference: http://www.time.com

5 Things to do in Dubai- Arun Panchariya Dubai

Cheap and Chic Eats
This is a city of the super rich and the super poor. You are unlikely to see a place where the divide between the "have nots" and the "have yachts" is so apparent. The local-born Emiratis, who make up about 12% of the population, are typically extremely wealthy, but the town was built on the backs of a huge working-class population predominantly from the Indian subcontinent and from less prosperous areas of the Gulf. Sitting between the two groups is a burgeoning band of expats, mostly from the West, who are profiting to varying degrees from the city's modern day Gold Rush.


Shopping Malls
The thing about shopping in Dubai is that the actual shopping is average, but the experience is intriguing. If you've shopped in New York or Paris, Dubai's malls will be a disappointment. Most of the shops are familiar and no cheaper (though you may find the odd bargain on electronics) than in other places in the world. But store trawling is only the tip of the Dubai shopping experience. Malls in this city are realizations of unrestrained fantasy, offering surreal attractions to lure you (and your credit card) in.


The Gold Souk
Dubai is known for really cheap gold — but you'll have to haggle for it. Whether or not you're ready to buy, a stroll through the dazzling Gold Souk is a must. The stores also offer platinum, diamonds and occasionally silver, and the government keeps tight control over the quality of all the merchandise, so rest assured that your purchases will be genuine. (The same cannot be said, however, of the street vendors outside hawking "genuine fake" watches and "Guuci" handbags.) If something in the window catches your fancy, be sure to barter — persistent protest capped with a walkaway will get merchants to drop their asking price by as much as half.


Champagne Brunch
This is a Muslim state, but alcohol flows liberally. By law, it can be served only within the confines of a hotel, but with an estimated 450 hotels in the emirate, some with up to 26 bars, restaurants and clubs, you won't be left thirsty.If your stay in Dubai takes in a Friday (the first day of the Arabic weekend) then you can experience first-hand the city's strange relationship with the bottle. While it is the holiest day of the week for Muslims, many of the city's restaurants throw their doors open for "champagne brunch." This brunch is not the sedate culinary experience it is elsewhere; in Dubai, it is an exercise in excess, with free-flowing booze and heaping buffets that would have even the most indulgent glutton begging for mercy.


Burj Al Arab
Truth is, there's no such thing as a seven-star establishment; you can't officially go higher than five. The Burj Al Arab's seven-star rating may be an urban myth that got out of hand, but nothing dominates the Dubai skyline and tourists' imagination quite like it. It's the world's tallest hotel, and probably its least subtle — gold-leaf is applied as liberally as undercoat, there's a fleet of white Rolls Royces on the forecourt and dancing fountains in the foyer, and fireworks launch from the bridge to announce the arrival of VVIPs (very important doesn't cut it here) — but nobody ever came to Dubai in search of understatement. The only way to get inside without paying for a room is to book a table at one of the hotel's costly eateries. Al Muntaha is on the top floor but its bafflingly bright interior prevents you from seeing the views outside; Al Mahara is an expensive fish restaurant with an aquarium larger than most people's apartments; and Sahn Eddar serves afternoon tea. Best of the lot is the beach-based Majlis Al Bahar. From here you can admire the Burj's impressive exterior (the hotel's beauty is on the outside) before instructing the maître d' that you'll be taking your nightcap in the top-floor cocktail bar, where you can gaze at the city's garishness.


Refrence: http://www.time.com

5 Tips for safe travel in Dubai by Arun Panchariya Dubai

Located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the city of Dubai is a stunning blend of nature and technology. Situated on the Arabian Gulf, visitors can enjoy the sandy beaches, head out towards the desert, or simply explore the city that is quickly becoming one of the most prominent in the world.

Purchase Health Insurance

Most health insurance companies won't pay your expenses when traveling out of country. Check with your own carrier before you leave to make sure you have coverage. If not, purchase some travel insurance. While in Dubai, it is generally easy to get medications from pharmacies, but if you end up hospitalized the costs of treatments or getting you back to your own country can add up very quickly.

Check Your Visa

Will you need to have a visa on hand before visiting Dubai? Citizens from some countries are allowed to enter the United Arab Emirates by purchasing a tourist visa upon arrival. Others must have a visa in hand at the time of arrival. Check with your country's embassy before you embark on an international journey to ensure you have the right documents in hand.

Driving in Dubai

There are plenty of public transportation options available in Dubai, but if you plan on driving you will need an international drive's license. If you plan on taking up residence in Dubai, you'll eventually need to get a permanent Dubai driver's license. Don't panic if you are in an automobile accident. Simply remain with your vehicle, without moving it from the place where the accident occurred, and wait for the police.

Think before You Click

Never take a photograph with a person not in your traveling party in it without asking for permission first. Unless you are in a tourist area where photography is expressly permitted, avoid taking pictures of government buildings, airports, docks, military installations, and other locations of similar nature. Never, ever, take a picture of a Muslim woman without permission.

Avoid Public Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol itself is not banned in Dubai, but can only be purchased at a few Duty Free Shops on your way into the country. No one person may have more than four bottles on hand at any time. As a tourist, you will not be able to purchase alcohol in a local liquor store as Dubai residents must have an alcohol license. You can purchase drinks in restaurants and bars, but be careful. Public drunkenness is strictly prohibited, as is drinking and driving.

Reference: http://www.hotelclub.com