Going online to search for best things to do in Dubai can be quite overwhelming – there are multiple options, websites, blogs, advertised travelogues etc. and the best things to do differs from one type of traveller to another.

I usually recommend first timers in Dubai to book themselves a hotel or apartment at JBR beach because it is so self-contained – if you are looking for a place where you can stay right on the beachfront and gaze out onto the sea from your hotel window, swim, parasail, jet ski or even sky dive onto the Persian gulf, have daily walks on a promenade, eat cuisine from around the world and shop for local souvenirs or European high street fashion during the day and recline for a sunset mocktail on a beach bar in the evening, then this might be the place for you.

For accommodation, I would stay at either Sheraton or Delta Marriot on JBR. These are mid-priced hotels in Dubai if you are looking for decent quality and reputation with the usual four to five star basics. While Sheraton sits right on the JBR beachfront with its own private beach and has sea view rooms, the Delta is about a three minute walk to the JBR beachfront and is equally accessible to all the amenities of JBR. If you are Marriott Bonvoy members, then you have the added opportunity to collect points, or if you want to redeem existing points to stay here.

I especially enjoyed the Sheraton because of the private beach, where I’ve spent many hours and days sunbathing or swimming. I also stayed at Habtoor Grand Resort, Autograph Collection on JBR once, which is a little more luxurious and the rooms are decked with overtly Arabian themes, also with its own private beach and multiple pools for adults and children, a cocktail bar at the penthouse levels, salons and spas at the lower ground floor and even a spot of fur shopping at the lobby. But I won’t necessarily recommend it as it’s on the other side of JBR so a longer walk to all the more fun shopping and dining called ‘The Walk’.

For breakfast, I recommend Eggspectations for savoury and Bake My Day (a Dutch bakery) for sweets both of which are almost next to each other. Being a creature of comfort I always order shakshuka from Eggspectations and it’s never failed me. The restaurant has an indoor and outdoor option, and faces the beach so a perfect start to the morning.

For lunch, there’s Eat Greek – I’m abit obsessed with the taramasalata (there are some dishes I’ve had around the world that I never really stop thinking about, it’s always in my mind, and Eat Greek’s taramasalata is in the top 5 for me) and I wrote about it here.

For dinner, again you are spoilt for choice as the strip of road on JBR beach is heaving with options – the walk also takes you to the bridge across to Bluwater (basically the building next to the ubiquitous Al Ain ie the ferris wheel which hasn’t been activated since 2022 now but still emanates colourful light formations every evening).

Bluewater has the novel Pan Asian ‘Pods’ where you dine inside individual see-through glass pod and their stylish and tasty Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant Clay (which I wrote about here).

Another option is to walk about 10 minutes behind the beach to Dubai Marina. In Dubai Marina mall there are the usual global franchises such as Carluccio and Wagamama and there are also standalone restaurants in Pier 7, an establishment self described as Dubai’s ‘premiere lifestyle dining destination’. Here I’ve tried Asia Asia and while I’d give it top marks for ambience and view, the food was mediocre (which is noticeable in Dubai when food is usually so good).

In a nutshell these are my main recommendations for a JBR stay in Dubai. It is relaxed, fun and easy to navigate by foot which is perhaps the most flattering way to introduce one’s self to this highly polarising city with her equal share of fans and haters.