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Review: Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre – explore a city of Arabian delights
The Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre is a great base from which to set out on a foodie adventure of the emirate
Most of the hotel’s amenities can be found on the 18th floor of the Burj Daman building (the hotel occupies the 18th to the 55th floors), including the lobby and the Peacock Lounge with its mid-century styling and iconic clock – a feature of Waldorf hotels around the world. The hotel also has a state-of-the-art fitness centre, spa, a rooftop pool and the Bull & Bear restaurant, where I will be eating tonight.
Arriving at the Bull & Bear restaurant for dinner at eight, I’m shown to my table and my order is taken. I opt for the crab sandwich with citrus ponzu (a Japanese sauce) and vintage Baeri caviar, followed by the wild turbot, cooked on the bone à la Grenobloise, accompanied by a glass of prosecco.
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The dessert is berries, yoghurt and black olives, a dish inspired by chef patron Marc Hardiman’s son, who he found one morning eating black olives with his muesli. Dinner comes to £126.
One of the best ways to experience Dubai’s culture is by exploring the city’s diverse cuisine. So, I sign up for an early morning street-food tour with Nadair, from Frying Pan Adventures (from around £90). I meet Nadair outside the Falafel Sultan restaurant in the Deira district of Dubai.
We are shown how to make falafel, which are served straight from the pan, with a freshly made sauce of garlic, oil, lemon juice and salt, called toum. Next comes knafeh, which is a very popular dessert across the Middle East. It is made from ghee, Nabulsi cheese, shredded noodles and sugar syrup. I find it has quite an odd texture and taste; something akin to a sweet cheese on toast.
Our next stop is the Iraqi fish restaurant Miran Erbil. I sample masgouf (grilled carp), served with a popular combination of pickled vegetables (£20).
We round off our tour at Al Samadi Sweets (alsamadisweets.ae). We are offered homemade desserts from baklava to maamoul, a favourite Middle Eastern pastry filled with a selection of walnuts, dates and, my favourite, pistachio.
Also on the menu – I can’t not mention it – the latest craze in chocolate around the world: Dubai chocolate, a chocolate bar filled with pistachio and kataifi (a thin, stringy shredded filo dough). Yes, it tastes good, but I think it’s somewhat overhyped.
Knafeh is eaten across the Middle East
(Image credit: Future/Kevin Cook-Fielding)
In search of the Arabian oryx
The Arabian Desert is less than an hour’s drive from Dubai and I embark on a “desert safari” in a 1950s Land Rover to see the stars and possibly spot Arabian oryx, scorpions, snakes and the elusive Arabian wildcat. My guide, Duncan from Platinum Heritage, picks me up in the evening and takes me to the transfer point outside the city.
On our arrival at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, part of the Arabian Desert, I’m issued with a keffiyeh, a traditional headscarf, and I now feel strong enough to take on whatever the desert at night has to throw at me. We then head off into the desert.
After roughly 15 minutes, we pull over and start an hour’s trek into the wilderness, searching for wildlife. I see some oryx and very small scorpions, but no snakes or wildcats. We return to the Land Rover and drive to a Bedouin camp, gently lit with traditional lamps. This is where I will eat tonight.
Before then, however, I am given the opportunity to go for a short camel ride. Well, I’ve come all this way, so I’m not going to turn it down. After a very shaky mounting, I’m up and it’s a lot higher than I thought.
For about six minutes, the camel driver leads me around a small circuit, after which time I’ve had enough and I’m helped down. The camel driver then tells me very seriously that I haven’t actually been on a camel (two humps), but rather a dromedary (one hump).
Unfortunately, the sky is overcast that night so I don’t see any stars. However, Duncan gives an impromptu talk about how important the stars were for the Bedouin, who used to travel by night, using the stars to guide them.
At the end of the night, we transfer from the Land Rover to the car we arrived in and head back to the city. I arrive back at the hotel at half past midnight.
The Private Night Safari and Astronomy tour costs from £610 per vehicle. It’s recommended that you take something warm to wear for later on in the evening as the temperature in the desert can become quite chilly at night.
That said, when I was there, the temperature dipped to no less than 28°C. One word of caution – there are no roll bars on the Land Rovers and you do get thrown about a bit while riding in them.
The next morning, I visit Dubai’s relatively new J1 Beach to spend a couple of hours before it’s time to travel onwards to Abu Dhabi and I have taken the opportunity to get there by private yacht.
Departing from Dubai Marina, the journey takes just over an hour, although you may decide you want to take your time since you can rent the yacht by the hour. On board, I enjoy an ice-cold beer and snacks, included in the hire fee, as we glide over the Arabian Gulf. (From around £173 an hour.)
Kevin was a guest of Hilton Hotels. The Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre costs from around £170 a night, on a room-only basis. Return flights to Dubai from London with British Airways cost from around £240, departing in March 2026.
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