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On Bluewaters Island, the Arabian Gulf arcs around the curve of Dubai’s skyline, a place where the city’s energy collides with coastal calm. Over the last few years, the island has been gathering momentum; beach clubs, restaurants, and sleek hotels drawing a steady crowd, but the arrival of Delano Dubai feels like the punctuation mark.
For those who knew Delano Miami in its heyday, the name carries a certain electricity. In the ’90s it became a symbol of lifestyle hospitality, all-white drapery fluttering at Rose Bar, a pool that defined an era of glamour, a scene where music, art, and celebrity collided. Bringing that mythology to Dubai could have easily leaned on nostalgia, but instead Delano Dubai does something smarter: it creates an entirely new dining destination, where seven venues knit together to form a resort that feels alive from morning until well after midnight.
A day at Delano might start at Tutto Passa, the hotel’s ode to the Amalfi coast. The glow of golden light, patterned ceramics on the tables, the scent of espresso in the air. It’s a space that adapts with the hours. By lunch, lobster-flecked linguine and blistered pizzas arrive on wide platters, and meals stretch into long, convivial afternoons. A discreet wine cellar hints at what’s next: step through and you’re in Rose Bar, where the atmosphere shifts instantly to velvet banquettes, red-veined marble, and cocktails that demand the evening’s attention.
Rose Bar has always been more than a bar; it was a scene in Miami, and in Dubai it carries the same promise. There’s intimacy in the way the curtains fall, glamour in the way the light glances off marble. The drinks list balances old and new, a perfectly judged Hanky Panky for purists, the more playful New Deal for those chasing invention, while bar snacks run indulgent: lobster and crab brioche, a duck-ham club stacked with Gruyère. Time has a way of disappearing here, and no one seems in a hurry to notice.
If Tutto Passa embodies Italian warmth, then Blue Door grounds the resort with Anatolian fire. Once the culinary anchor of Delano Miami, where models and musicians tucked themselves into booths, it returns to Dubai with a menu that feels soulful and generous. There’s smoky aubergine folded with yoghurt, lamb skewers pulled straight from the coals, seafood bright with citrus and herbs. The setting is pared back and elegant, while a white and blue dining room spills onto lush gardens. What could have felt like a revival instead feels like an evolution.
At the centre of it all lies Delano Pool & Beach. For longtime devotees, the pool is non-negotiable – Delano’s heart wherever it goes. Here, it’s part theatre, part sanctuary. Sunken sofas hover in shallow water, oversized umbrellas ripple in the breeze, sculpted greenery adds whimsy. The pool is never just about swimming: it’s where mornings begin with cappuccinos, afternoons hum with ceviche and cocktails, and sunsets mark the start of another chapter. People-watching here is as essential as the sunscreen.
The pace shifts at La Cantine Beach, the seaside sibling of one of Dubai’s most recognisable restaurants. By day, it’s breezy and sunlit, tables laden with Mediterranean plates; whole grilled seabass, crisp salads, familiar signatures from La Cantine du Faubourg. By night, the energy ramps up. DJs set the mood, cocktails circulate, conversations grow louder, and the atmosphere stays electric. Fold in the adjoining sports club, with pickleball court, volleyball nets, and outdoor calisthenics decks, and La Cantine Beach becomes more than a place to dine.
Gohan, by contrast, is intimate, precise, quietly assured. Inspired by Japanese tradition, the robata grill forms its centrepiece, skewers emerging with deep smokiness. Sashimi is presented with jewel-like clarity, every cut deliberate, every plate considered. The interiors are minimalist; dark woods, clean lines, subdued lighting – a reminder that simplicity can still feel luxurious. By day, it’s contemplative; by night, celebratory. The whisper of the grill, the crisp pour of sake, the restraint of the space: all combine to make Gohan unforgettable.
Maison Revka brings its own blend of Slavic soul and French refinement, already adored in Paris and St. Tropez and now at home in Dubai. Smoked salmon with blinis, Eastern European staples reimagined with finesse, pavlovas that look almost too delicate to disturb. The interiors are equal parts glamorous and familial, the sort of space that invites you to stay for one more course, one more drink, one more story. Beyond the restaurant itself, a boutique of gourmet foods and homeware extends the experience, reminding guests that Maison Revka is as much a lifestyle as a dining room.
Taken together, the seven venues sketch out a resort that is more than the sum of its parts. Delano Dubai remains a social anchor in a city that thrives on novelty but also craves places with identity. From casual mornings to statement dinners and late-night encounters, it has built a blueprint designed not for a season, but for the long haul.
While the city has no shortage of restaurants, few destinations manage to offer breadth without losing character. Here, legacy meets invention, nostalgia meets relevance, and guests move seamlessly from espresso to aperitivo to afterhours cocktails without once feeling the need to leave.
