charm of the former souq, one of the oldest
in the city, is largely gone. Let’s just hope
the traders, who have had their rent dou-
bled, do not follow suit.5 Eating
deira has a great street scene: snag a
pavement table beneath flickering neon
and soak up the local colour� This is where
many immigrants live, and there’s a wealth
of restaurants here – chinese, arabic,
african and especially indian� With several
notable exceptions, deira lacks upmarket
restaurants� for a white-tablecloth dinner
with wine, head to downtown dubai or
dubai Marina� if you’re on a budget, you
can do well for under dh20 (see the boxed
text, p56)�TraiTeur Fren Ch $$$
Map p208 (%04-317 2222; http://www.dubai.park
.hyatt.com; park hyatt Dubai, mains Dh130-190;
h7pm-midnight) A meal at Traiteur is pure
drama, both on the plate and in the strik-
ing 14m-high dining room with origami
wall features and theatrical lighting. Watch
a small army of chefs in the raised show
kitchen toil over classic French brasserie
fare. Ask the sommelier to help you choosefrom the 4200-bottle wine cellar, one of the
largest in Dubai. Reservations essential.Xiao Wei yanG ChineSe $
Map p206 (baniyas rd; hotpots from Dh26, in-
gredients from Dh10; hnoon-2am) For hotpot
novices, this is how it works. Choose a herb-
based or spicy hotpot base which bubbles
happily on a hotplate on the table. Next, fill
a small bowl with a delicious combination
of satay, garlic, coriander, chilli and vari-
ous spices. Then, choose around three in-
gredients such as raw fish balls, crab, tofu,
shitake mushrooms, young spinach, spicy
lamb and eggs, which you cook in the caul-
dron before dipping into your spicy concoc-
tion. Delicious! There’s little atmosphere or
English spoken: you’re here for the food.shabesTan p erSian $$$
Map p206 (%04-205 7333; http://www.radissonblu
.com; radisson blu hotel, baniyas rd; mains
Dh90-155) Shabestan is Dubai’s top Persian
restaurant. At dinner time, the window-
lined dining room reveals a panorama of
glittering lights over the Creek. Start with a
smoky mizra ghasemi (aubergine dip with
tomatoes and egg), move on to fesenjan-
ba morgh (roast chicken in a pomegranate
sauce) and save room for the vermicelli ice
cream with saffron and rose water. Reser-
vations essential.GeT losT: deiraSometimes it pays to rip up the script and improvise� Some of the most fascinating
parts of town aren’t home to a single tourist attraction worth recommending, but
are brimming with the soul the city is so frequently accused of lacking� Dubai is a
safe city – there aren’t any no-go areas and even the scariest-looking alleyways will
be quite harmless� Be adventurous and spontaneous� Put away the maps and follow
your instinct� But before you hurl this guidebook into the Creek, read our suggestions
of the best areas in Deira in which to get hopelessly, joyously lost�
naif (Map p206) The area between Naif Rd and Al-Khaleej Rd is a labyrinthine
muddle of slim, cluttered streets, and one of the best places in town for urban pho-
tography� It’s not always pretty, but here you’ll find old men smoking sheesha and
playing backgammon on the pavements; pockets of Ethiopia and Somalia; hilariously
awful fake Rolexes; games consoles; heady perfumes; blindingly bright shop facades;
and the occasional goat, walking nonchalantly down the centre of the street� You just
don’t get this on the Palm Jumeirah...
al Mateena (Map p206) Despite its out-of-the-way location, Al-Mateena St is one
of the most enticing walk streets in town, with wide pavements, palm trees and a nar-
row park-like strip running along its centre� In the Iraqi restaurants and cafes you’ll
see masgouf – a whole fish sliced in half, spicily seasoned and barbecued over an
open flame� And the sheesha cafes have to be seen to be believed: check out the rock
gardens, dangling fronds and artificial lakes� Nearby Al-Muraqqabat Rd brims with
superb Syrian and Palestinian eateries�d
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