Last year, when I was here in Dubai, I did the special lunch presentation at the Burj al Arab called the “Culinary Flight”. We dined in four different restaurants in this iconic hotel, one restaurant for each course. It was a truly decadent experience that was a once in a lifetime experience.
In all my recent visits to Dubai, I have never made it to the top of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Rather than just do the typical observation deck visit, I decided that we would have a nicer visit if we dined at the famed At.mosphere restaurant on the 122nd floor. It turned out to be an amazing afternoon.
We had decided to go walk around the Dubai “lake” and the adjacent mall prior to going to lunch. I had never been to this new area of Dubai and it sure is built up. The modernization of the “Souk” was nicely done. The Dubai Mall itself is pretty much like other malls in Dubai.
The fountain show in the lake only happens after 6 p.m. so during the day you can see the maintenance guys keeping things working. Just like the Bellagio lake in Vegas, I can’t help but think of all the evaporation that occurs from the lake in such a dry, hot place. We have a drought now in California and it definitely changes your perspective on water. I know that Dubai uses desalinized water which is a very expensive process.
In my emails from At.mosphere, we had been instructed to enter through the lobby of the Armani hotel which is on the other side of the Burj from the mall. Knowing that we had a large meal ahead, we decided that we would walk. Unfortunately, this was not the correct decision as there is no great way to “walk” to the Armani Hotel. We ended up having to walk all the way around and up the streets to enter the hotel.
The Armani definitely had the feel of the stores. Its cold industrial design isn’t actually what I want in a hotel. While luxurious, it was far from warm. Soon we found our way to the correct elevator and went down two levels to the C level check-in desk. There we were invited into the elevator that would be taking us up many floors.
I love an elevator that serves the 112th to 154th floors
We were 15 minutes early for our reservation so they invited us to have a drink in the Lounge which is just adjacent to the Restaurant. The Lounge is used for drinks and High Tea.
A view at the arrival floor of the restaurant, the 123rd floor
The lounge was set up to serve high tea a bit later
It looks like I’m wearing a funny headdress
A view down to the bottom of the Burj and the fountains
We had some pre-lunch Hendricks and tonics before our meal
The whole place felt warm and I really liked the lacquered wood everywhere. Our G&Ts hit the spot and put us in a great mood for a great meal.
Soon we were sitting at our window seats in the restaurant with a spectacular view out across Dubai. It was great to have a relaxed opportunity to enjoy the view from this high vantage point. Last year I had the opportunity to visit the new observation deck of the Freedom Tower in NYC just after it opened. A friend’s company designed the whole experience. It a must do now in NYC when visiting. Having lunch at At.mosphere is also a great experience but a little more costly.
We ordered and soon our lovely food was coming out:
The amuse bouche
Spider crab
Fois gras
Sweetbreads with truffle shavings
Black Cod
The service was very good and friendly, not cold or robotic like some fine dining restaurants. Several of our dishes had a 100 dirhams supplement but this was well worth it.
I love a bathroom with a view! Kind of reminded me of the bathroom at Felix in Hong Kong
More shots from the bathroom
Crepes Suzette
Tom and opted for the three course meal while I am not a fan of sweets very often especially after a big meal. About half way through his crepes, a plate of petit fours arrives with chocolate and mini-Madeline’s. We were stuffed and barely touched any of it. I would definitely avoid ordering the dessert since they serve so many treats at the end of the meal.
After meal petit fours
A view out after the meal
Happy diners after a lovely meal
In every city that I visit, I try to do one special thing that will help me remember the visit. Our trip to At.mosphere will be forever remembered for the time that Tom and I were on our way to South Africa.