A guide to the coastal spot in Old Dubai
Heads up cool cats: there’s a new (old) destination that deserves to be on your radar. As Mina Rashid continues to undergo its transformation into a world-class marine hub, there are restaurants, shops, cafés and sports venues ready and waiting to be experienced and enjoyed right now.
Scroll on for our pick of all the things to do at Mina Rashid.
Check into The Canvas Hotel
The rooms are certainly nice and we’ve heard good things about the food at Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor, but it’s the lure of the sun lounger-surrounded rooftop swimming pool, with its uninterrupted views out over Port Rashid and Downtown Dubai, that make a staycation at The Canvas Hotel really very appealing.
The Canvas Hotel MGallery Hotel, 23 Kuwait Street, Port Rashid. www.thecanvasdubaihotel.com (04 386 8111).
Enjoy Emirati food at Tent Jumeirah
If you haven’t yet paid a visit to the Tent Jumeirah at Mina Rashid, now is the time to do so. Authentic, welcoming and decidedly unflashy, a meal here offers a tasty ode to old Dubai. Visit for breakfast and feast on golden balalet (a bargain at Dhs10) or stop by later in the day for the likes of machboos and harees.
Mina Rashid, tentj.ae (055 454 8254).
Explore a Japanese market
Step into Emirati-owned, Japanese-themed store Kirakua and you’ll instantly feel like you’re in downtown Tokyo. This place is packed with quirky and kitsch bits and pieces – kids’ toys, perfume, beauty products, Tamagotchis and more – but the real reason we find ourselves returning time and time again is the super-fun selection of Japanese candy, chocolates, milk tea and soft drinks.
Open daily; 10am to 11pm; shop 14, Marina Cubes Street, Port Rashid, Dubai; www.instagram.com/kirakuya.ae
Get your skate on at Rolldxb
The coolest roller-skating venue in town has something for every skater, whether you’re a seasoned pro well versed at pulling tricks or are rather more Bambi-like in your approach to being on wheels. Check out Rolldxb website for more info on private lessons, disco nights, skate jams, roller hockey and the like.
Shed 3 Marina Cubes Street, Dubai Maritime City, Port Rashid, Bur Dubai, rolldxb.com, [email protected] (04 238 6206).
Party at FLOAT
The famous 13-deck ship-turned-hotel that is the QE2 happens to be home to the world’s largest floating docked nightclub, Float Dubai. Open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with fab views, a 1,000-person capacity and a packed calendar of events, this place is a clubbers dream.
Thu-Sun, 10pm-3am. QE2, Port Rashid, @floatdubai, floatdxb.com (054 711 1171).
Play padel tennis
Try your hand at one of the fastest growing and most fun sports in the city at Just Padel’s Mina Rashid location. Prices start at Dhs220 (plus VAT) for a 45-minute session on one of their tip-top indoor courts.
justpadel.ae (05 5992 8022).
Savour a taste of Thailand
If you’re fan of Thai food Siam should be on your to-visit list. This place comes recommended by those in the know for its authentic cooking, friendly welcome and great views from the upper deck of its bright red ‘cube’. Standout menu items include the tom yum soup, pad Thai and mango sticky rice.
Marina Cubes Street, siam-restaurant-dubai (050 209 4666).
Sip coffee in the sunshine
Set yourself up well for the day by snagging an alfresco table out on the terrace at The Coffee Lab. From there, you can enjoy a locally roasted craft brew and a homemade pastry while watching the world go by (and the ships bobbing along).
Shop 4, Marina Cubes, Port Rashid. thecoffeelab.ae
Take afternoon tea on the QE2
For a rather more genteel QE2 experience than an evening spent at Float, you can enjoy afternoon tea on the iconic ocean liner instead. Served at the Lido Restaurant, the quintessentially English spread includes an array of teatime favourites from dainty finger sandwiches to homemade cakes and pastries, as well as the essential warm scones with clotted cream and jam. Best enjoyed washed down with lashings of tea (or a glass of something sparkling if you’re treating yourself).
Prices start at Dhs145. Daily 3pm-5.30pm. Queen Elizabeth 2, Port Rashid, www.qe2.com. (600500400).
Wander around the marina
An hour or so spent ambling around the impressive riviera-style marina, lapping up the sunshine and drinking in the views of those seriously impressive yachts is a lovely way to spend a morning or afternoon. Warning: you may well decide that you too need a private boat in your life. We can all dream.
