This is OLD (OLD).
The recommendations below are years old, from the time we were in Dubai, was created for friends.
· Flamingo Room (Jumeirah Al Nassim)
European/South African, in Jumeirah Al Nassim (one of my favourite places in Dubai)
· Il Borro (Jumeirah Al Nassim)
Tuscan (sister restaurant of the Il Borro (Ferragamo) estate in Tuscany, in Jumeirah Al Nassim (one of my favourite places in Dubai)
· Il Risorante/Il Café (Bulgari Hotel) – kid friendly
Italian at the Bulgari Hotel (the restaurant is a little more formal and the café mostly serves pizzas and less formal food – very good and nice outside atmosphere on the marina!)
· Pier Chic (Al Qasr, next to Jumeirah Al Nassim)
Occidental/European food in a nice setting (restaurant is at the end of a pier with a view of Burj Al Arab)
· The Maine Land Brasserie (Business Bay)
Lively “American” eatery (famous of oysters, but also good meat, seafood, etc)
· Carine (Emirates Golf Club) - kid friendly
Modern French, nice atmosphere but definitely okay for kids
· Tasca (Mandarin Oriental)
Portuguese by a famous chef (Jose Avillez) (he’s also my neighbour in Portugal, so I can book for you if you go to ensure a good experience!)
· Bleu Blanc (Renaissance Downtown Hotel) kid friendly
French-inspired restaurant, really good food and less pretentious than most Dubai places
· Avli by tashas (DIFC) – adult place
Greek restaurant by the same owner as Flamingo Room. One of my favourites, but I don’t know if I would prioritise going to DIFC (there will be other business occasions for that!)
· Shimmers (Al Qasr, next to Jumeirah Al Nassim) kid friendly
Relaxed Greek restaurant on the beach with a nice view of Burj Al Arab
· COYA (Four Seasons)
Sister restaurant to London one, so probably of less interest!
· Al Nafoorah (Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm) kid friendly
Allegedly Sheikh Mohammed’s favorite Lebanese restaurant, opulent setting (suggest location on the Palm as opposed to Emirates Towers)
· Torno Subito (W Hotel) kid friendly
Surprising casual and kid-friendly restaurant by Massimo Bottura
· Thai Kitchen (Park Hyatt) kid friendly
The Park Hyatt is a bit far, but it’s a nice atmosphere and quite low key. Probably my favourite Thai place in Dubai.
· Amazonico (DIFC) – adult place
Sister restaurant to original in Madrid (and now London). Quite vibey and nice atmosphere (with a rooftop view of the KKR office!)
· Nammos (Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach) – adult place
Sister restaurant of Nammos Beach Club in Mykonos, quite lively (avoid weekend afternoons, which are rowdy!)
· Sal (Burj Al Arab)
Spanish/Portuguese restaurant @ Burj Al Arab. I just opened, and I haven’t been yet but it looks like a nice outdoor atmosphere.
Kids/Activities
· Wild Wadi
Water park next to Jumeirah Al Nassim
https://www.jumeirah.com/en/wild-wadi
· Platinum Heritage Tours
There’s countless “desert tours,” but this is probably the best and highest quality. You can do more niche experiences as well (i.e. stargazing) in addition to the classic desert experience
https://www.platinum-heritage.com/platinum-collection-luxury-desert-safari/
· Ski Dubai
Indoor skiing/snow activities at Mall of the Emirates. Recommend going earlier in the day, since it sometimes gets busy (and “fresh tracks”!)
· IMG World
Large indoor amusement park. I haven’t been, but it’s on my Christmas bucket list
· Water Sports
I can recommend a few venues, but I would be shocked if your hotel doesn’t have equipment available
· At the Top (of Burj Khalifa)
https://tickets.atthetop.ae/atthetop/en-us
I think that you need to book in advance (I haven’t gone to the top myself in ages!)
· Bounce
Indoor trampoline park