Well, I`m not at Buckingham with the queen (yet!), but I`m still at the palace, with as much luxury, elegance, fairytale details. I am struck dumb and I look around, in the lobby of the Palace Downtown Hotel, in Dubai.

And my ecstasy is fully justified, parole!

Once you walk into this hotel, everything seems to be taken out from the photos (which haven`t been retouched at all) with palaces where kings and queens used to live: a sumptuous, royal atmosphere, exquisite and sophisticated pieces of furniture, heavy silk curtains, nuances which make the refined luxury complete, in a wonderful way. Not to mention the surroundings, because a view of Burj Lake and the fountains in Dubai, by your side, in the setup I have already mentioned, can`t be otherwise but WOW!

Therefore, we have all the premises for an afternoon, let`s say, at least interesting. This spot is called Al Bayt, and I`ve chosen the moment for a savory afternoon tea, with a premium and an extremely delicious selection of sandwiches, pastries, juices, coffee and of course, tea!

Al Bayt gives you the opportunity to test an afternoon melange of traditional tea with personalized Arabian dainties, in the so called “Palace Afternoon Tea”. Tea is being served in an extremely pleasant ambiance, from 2 o`clock to 8 o`clock in the afternoon, and the range of snacks and sweets is very generous: sandwich with crab, avocado and wasabi, smoked salmon in Bavarian bread, confit goose with vinegar in bread with cereals, grilled vegetables with olive oil, horse radish and asparagus cream, cucumber with mint and Philadelphia cheese. As for the pastry! mmm, the pastry!! Fresh dumplings with strawberry jam and whipped cream, cake with banana and chocolate with peanuts, caramel tart, mango tart, cheesecake with currants.

And if you fancy some traditional food, you can try shaorma with chicken, kofta sandwich, mille feuille with egg plants and Arabian bread, feta and melon roasted on the spit, scones with cardamom and saffron, served with whipped cream, strawberry and date jam, date cake, lemon and raspberry cake, velvet pancakes (qatayef), cheesecake with rose petals, basboussa, crème brûlée with camel milk and pistachio.

I`m almost finished, I stop now! Oh, I`ve forgotten to tell you about the Dammann tea, it`s extraordinary!...Stop!

THE PALACE DOWNTOWN DUBAI

Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard 
Downtown Dubai, P.O. Box 9770 
Dubai, UAE 
GPS Location: 25.1937,55.275775

T: +971 4 428 7888 
F: +971 4 428 7999 
info@thepalace-dubai.com