this windowless, tattoo-themed bar with
stools draped in cowhide and secluded
nooks that are made even more private
with plush draperies. A good choice for
drinks before or after dinner at the Radis-
son Blu’s terrific restaurants.3 EntErtainmEnt
Jules bar liVe MuSiC
Map p208 (le Meridien Dubai, al-Garhoud; cover
incl 1 drink Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat Dh50, incl 2 drinks
Thu Dh100; h11am-3am) The six-piece Fili-
pino house band kicks, twirls and belts out
Top-40 hits, while an odd mix of oil workers,
southeast Asians and European flight crews(especially on Fridays) grind shoulder-
to-shoulder on the floor. Beer’s a bargain at
Sunday’s Corona Beach Party, and on Tues-
day women get admission and one drink
for free. If you need nibbles, there’s a decent
Mexican menu.7 Shopping
deira ciTy cenTre ShoppinG Mall
Map p208 (www.deiracitycentre.com; baniyas rd;
h10am-10pm Sun-Wed, 10am-midnight Thu-Sat)
Though other malls are bigger and flashier,
Deira City Centre remains a stalwart for its
logical layout and wide selection of shops,
from big-name chain stores like H&M and
Zara to independent shops carrying good-
quality carpets, souvenirs and handicrafts.
There’s also a huge branch of the Carrefour
supermarket, food courts, a textile court
selling Indian and Middle Eastern clothes
and fabrics, and a multiplex cinema.al-Ghurair ciTy ShoppinG Mall
Map p206 (cnr al-rigga & omar ibn al-khattab
rds; h10am-10pm Sat-Thu, 2-10pm Fri) If seeing
all those flowing robes has made you want
your own checked gutra (white headclothTiMe for a cuppaThere isn’t a home in India that
doesn’t start the day with a steaming
cup of kadak chai, even in the height
of summer� Pop into any of the Indian-
run cafes or bars in Deira or Bur Dubai
and treat yourself to a cup of this
fragrant sweet tea with green carda-
mom, peppercorns and cinnamon�Mirdif ciTy cenTreOpened in March 2010, the Mirdif City Centre shopping mall has all the high-street
favourites, plus some real gems:
pottery barn (www.potterybarn.com) First to open in the Middle East and an Aladdin’s
Cave of tasteful decor items�
united designers (www.uniteddesigners.ae) Showcases local uAE-based fashion
designers with the aim of supporting young emerging talent�
apple bottoms (www.applebottoms.com) Caters to fashion-conscious women of all
those apple-and-pear shapes and sizes�
balmain (www.balmain.com) Sophisticated stylish menswear from French fashion
guru Cristophe Decarnin�
see by chloe (www.chloe.com) The junior version of this well-known designer brand,
aimed at a younger, more-informal fashionista�
ajmal (www.ajmalperfume.com) A family-owned company since the 1950s, selling
Middle Eastern oils and perfumes that are well priced and exquisitely bottled�Another perk is that you can drop off the kids at the massive playnation (www
.playnation.com), which includes a waterpark, a skydiving simulator, bowling alley
and amusement arcade�
To get here, head southeast of the airport on Airport Rd for around 10km� The mall
is well signposted�d
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