Birthday Day Out in Dubai

If you read my Birthday Cocktails blog post a few weeks ago you will know that it was my birthday on the 18^th March.  For our birthdays, Dan and I usually like to take a day trip somewhere or go to an event or just do something nice together.  It not usually anything too crazy but just something that marks the occasion :).

Given that we have lived in the UAE for almost five years now, we feel as though we have pretty much covered the main Abu Dhabi and Dubai attractions at this stage.  However, things are constantly changing here and there were a few new things that we wanted to check out so off we headed for a day out in Dubai……….

Flamingo Room by Tashas

Flamingo Room by Tashas is one of the restaurants that constantly pops up on Instagram, and given it has a predominantly pink and gold interior I thought it was only right that I pay it a visit! Lol

The restaurant is set amongst the turtle lagoon at the new Jumeriah Al Naseem hotel, which is such a gorgeous location.  It was basically a courtyard of restaurants that has a Turtle-filled river flowing through the middle and views of the Burj Al Arab! I could stand looking at Turtles swimming all day lol – I just find it so therapeutic!  Maybe that’s because I am a Pisces?! Lol.

We went inside the restaurant and sure enough it was pink and gold with a couple of green and marble bar areas.  It sure was very pretty and despite sitting inside it had a really nice airy feel as the room’s outdoor area was connected to the indoor area, separated only by a big glass sliding door which happened to be open, making the whole room feel like an outdoor space which was really pleasant.

We had heard good things about the deserts at this restaurant so that’s what we were there to try :).  Deciding which one to go for was the hardest part.  They all sounded delicious! After some to-ing and fro-ing, I went for the Pear & Pecan Tarte Tatin which came with caramelised pear, pecan nuts, maple butterscotch and mascarpone.  Dan chose the Orange Mille-Feuille which comprised of orange sabayon, orange blossom confit, orange segments and filo pastry.

We were informed at this stage that it would take about 20 minutes to prepare my pear and pecan tarte but we were fine with that as we were just relaxing and enjoying our surroundings 🙂

All I can say is that those deserts were worth every second of the wait and more.  I can hands down say that this was one of the best sweet things I have ever eaten!  Every part of it was delicious.

Dan’s Orange Mille-Feuille was also incredible.  We disagreed over who made the best choice because they were both so good! Lol

The Dubai Frame

After our cake and coffee we headed over to the Dubai Frame.  The Frame is a new architectural landmark in Zabeel Park, Dubai that opened in January this year.  The Frame has been described as ‘the biggest picture frame on the planet’ lol lol……. only in Dubai could they come up with this (eye roll)!  It is also currently marketed as ‘the world’s best new attraction’.  Again, only in Dubai!

The location of the frame was within Dubai was chosen to give visitors the best view of both old and new Dubai, which I think is a nice idea as they are now worlds apart.  The structure is supposed to resemble a huge picture frame, through which Dubai’s modern landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa can be seen on one side, while the other side has views of the older parts of Dubai such as Deira and Karama.  From the top of the frame, you can see that they really have achieved this vision.  The difference is as clear as night and day between the two sides of the city and you get an appreciation for this with a quick head turn from the top of the frame.

Old Dubai

New Dubai

I have taken some facts about the frame from the website to give you an insight about the actual design of it:

• The frame measures 150 metres high and 93 metres wide.
• The two towers are connected by a 100-square-metre bridge, which has a 25-square-metre glass panel in the middle offering a great 360 degree view.
• It was designed by award-winning architect Fernando Donis, who also designed Dubai’s Porsche Design Towers, and the Dubai Renaissance Tower.
• The exterior design of the Dubai Frame was inspired by the logo of Expo 2020.
• There is a museum on the ground floor that showcases Dubai’s transformation from fishing village to metropolis and beyond.
• It is predicted that the frame will become a major tourist destination in the city, like the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab.
• The project cost £50m.

The most impressive part of the entire structure is of course the glass panel which runs down the middle of the top platform, allowing you to see the ground 150m below.  You will either love this or hate it!

The other entertaining bit was the end of the visit when we were directed into a room that was playing a video of Dubai’s past, present and future.  The whole thing was very futuristic and a little bit OTT.  According to this simulator movie experience, we will all be travelling through Dubai in mini flying vehicles in the not-so-distant future… but then again, anything is possible in Dubai… lol.

Of course I tried to take some pictures for this blog post but I feel as though pictures just don’t do something like this justice.

The frame does not have a patch on the Burj Khalifa in terms of height and stature but it is an impressive structure.  Personally, I found it a lot more interesting than the Burj Khalifa as it represents the history of Dubai and you can get such a clear picture of the new and old Dubai from the top of the Frame.  I find it so interesting to look at both sides and get an understanding of just how much the City has changed and evolved over time.

The whole process of going up the frame was very simple and straight forward.  There was no queuing or mad rush to get to the top.  We did go on a week day so I can’t vouch for how it would be at the weekend or when the word gets out a bit more.  It also costs a fraction of the price to go up compared to the Burj Khalifa.  If you find yourself with half an hour to spare in Dubai I think it is well worth a visit.

La Mer

After visiting the frame, we popped into La Mer which is Dubai’s latest leisure destination. This beachfront development includes cafes, restaurants, shops, public art and of course the beach.  The set up is very funky and colourful and it has a very relaxed vibe with container style shops and restaurants and little beach huts as toilets and showers.

We just had a quick walk around the streets admiring the shops, interesting structures and graffiti (planned graffiti not vandalism lol). We then had a quick stroll on the beach before heading back to Abu Dhabi for dinner.

That was it for my birthday day out in Dubai :).  I hope you enjoyed this little personal blog post.

Have a great weekend everyone :).