Spending a Day in Downtown Dubai Written by Arpan Ghosh

Downtown is the heartbeat of Dubai. It is one of the city’s main commercial hubs and also houses some of the very best attractions and iconic landmarks. This is how you can expect to spend a typical day in Downtown Dubai.

Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard

Encircling the heart of Downtown, Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard is the main thoroughfare of the district and the ideal place for a morning or evening stroll. It is a gastronomic hub, dotted with popular fine dining restaurants such as La Serre, along with several eclectic cafes including fashion-inspired I Love F Cafe and the exquisite Maison Bagatelle. You can access all of the main areas of Downtown via the boulevard, including the lovely Burj Lake where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Burj Khalifa rising above clear blue waters.

Burj Khalifa

What better way to enjoy lunch than at the world’s tallest tower, overlooking the entire city as you tuck into a sumptuous meal prepared by a world-class culinary team? At.mosphere, the signature restaurant of Burj Khalifa, is the highest restaurant in the world and an unmissable experience. If you’re not too comfortable with heights, then you can always opt for Armani Lounge, part of the Armani Hotel and located along the lobby level of the tower. Armani Ristorante is another exceptional dining option, but it is only open for dinner.

The Dubai Mall

This could be an entire entry by itself for spending a day in Downtown. There is an excellent selection of cafes, from the more casual coffee shops to more elaborate affairs, and a wide selection of restaurants serving cuisines from every corner of the globe. You also have over 1,200 retail outlets to choose from, including an entire section devoted to fashion, appropriately named Fashion Avenue. You can explore one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world, peruse the city’s largest bookstore, or enjoy a new dimension of interactive entertainment at the VR Park. The list of things to do is quite simply endless.

Dubai Opera

Add some excitement to your evening in Downtown with a live show at the Dubai Opera. The opera house has a full calendar of events running throughout the year, including Shakespearean plays, musical performances, and, as one would expect, operas. The auditorium is one of the most unique in the world, able to transform itself into a traditional theatre or a concert venue as required. After the show, you can enjoy a charming dinner at signature restaurant The Loft or at the very exclusive Kohantei, which offers a refined Japanese dining experience.

Souk Al Bahar

If you prefer a change of venue for dinner after the show, then you can head over to the nearby Souk Al Bahar. Sitting adjacent to Dubai Mall, this waterfront shopping centre has a traditionally Arabic style of architecture that stands in stunning contrast to the contemporary buildings that surround it. Even the interiors have the look and feel of a traditional ‘souk’, or Arabian market. Souk Al Bahar is also home to some very fine restaurants covering a variety of cuisines. Most of them have outdoor terraces, where you can enjoy views of the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Opera and the majestic Dubai Fountains.