Hotel Review: Ibn Battuta Gate, Dubai, fine dining paradise

The famous fourteenth century Arab traveller Ibn Battuta would be proud of the new luxury hotel named after him in Dubai, and particularly like the food which attains high standards worthy of local as well as global visitors.

Ibn Battuta’s travelographer and historian Tim Mackintosh-Smith, also an ambassador for this modern hotel, tells us that his subject always liked to stay in the very best places and enjoy the top food.

Battuta suite

You only have to step into one of the eponymous Buttuta suites in this hotel to feel Arabian luxury hospitality at its best. The marble bathroom is like a miniature spa with a separate massive tub and huge walk-in rainfall shower, twin sinks and separate restroom, plus another off the living room.

The decor depends on the floor of the hotel, and there are 10 themes styled to the countries that Ibn Battuta visited in his decades of wondering the world. ArabianMoney stayed in Russia with a rather heavy brown, burgundy and cream interior.

Apart from the usual luxury touches like the Nespresso machine and flat-screen TV hidden by a wall panel, there is a large terrace with space enough both to relax and have a meal. The bedroom is very comfortable with a wooden floor and super large cupboards.

Doubtless Ibn Battuta would have put his servants in an adjoining room, and you can still do that today, or call room service. We would have expected a butler with this sort of room but sadly he never appeared.

Culinary heaven

However, the real joy of this hotel are its many restaurants on the ground floor, itself a soaring lobby filled with what seem to be a thousand giant Arabian lanterns. We chose the Sicilian Italian restaurant and the Shanghai Chinese both charmingly run by natives of these places, and with equally authentic cuisine.

The Sicilian is gaining a reputation locally for top quality food at reasonable prices. The signature octopus we avoided but other diners raved over it. The beef carpaccio was a superb melange of flavors, and the tagliatelle ragout something special. But leave space for desserts crafted with real skill such as the layered apple cake and ice cream.

Then again you will also be really impressed by Shanghai. The menu is long and the choice extensive. You have every permutation of Chinese food from duck in pancakes or marinated in wine to freshly steamed fish, dim-sum or the signature pork belly.

At breakfast in the also excellent international buffet restaurant we could see visitors from the four corners of the earth enjoying their food, and indeed it was their food with every variety of cuisine available first thing in the morning. Try the free Prosecco on the Maroc terrace bar from 6-7 pm each evening if you just want to see this fabulous new hotel!