Revealed: 5 of Dubai's best kept secrets

We’ve all heard the whispers; the urban legend of a tiny little seafood eatery tucked away on Jumeirah Beach, a boutique art hotel emerging from the alleyways of old Dubai.

Emirates 24|7 throws open the door and lets you in on five of the hidden gems this city has to offer, ranging from some of the best meals that could rival five-star dining, to tiny stores that serve up a treasure trove of knickknacks for some designer chic.

Savour history at Bait Al Wakeel

From Dubai’s first office building to restaurant extraordinaire, Bait Al Wakeel serves up a slice of UAE history for those with a distinguishable palette that goes beyond skyscraper central.

Located in a bustling alleyway of Bur Dubai’s Souq Al Kabeer, the building itself is perched at the precipice of old world charm marrying modern day comforts.

A brief history lesson upon entering the rustic restaurant narrates a tale of the city’s very first office building, which was commissioned by none other than the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum back in 1934.

Built at the very banks of Dubai Creek, the building fell into neglect in the ’90s, before Dubai Municipality stepped in to restore the place to its old glory, with a few minor changes that transformed it into a restaurant and a fishing museum to commemorate the city’s rich maritime history.

The restaurant is split into three levels, with the crowd favourite being the ‘living room’ section that houses a cosy couch to sink into with a good read from the bookshelf, or to simply chat up with friends in comfort with a glass of delicious Moroccan tea.

The private room also houses a quaint, rustic dining table to savour classic Arabic fares, including shish tawook, shawarmas, manakish or sampling the delights from the seafood menu.

Shisha is not served in the room for obvious reasons, but, with weather favouring, on the floating deck that is perched on the busy waterway of Dubai Creek.

Spending a quiet evening, watching quaint abras and majestic dhows coughing certainly is a delightful change from the glass and steel of new Dubai.

Word of advice: parking near the Bur Dubai abra station can be a test in patience. The best option is to park the car at the Dubai Municipality lot behind the Central Bank or, if you really want the whole experience, drive into Al Ras and catch the abra that will disembark you a minute’s walk away from Bait Al Wakeel.Call 04 353 0530

Bargain hunters ahoy, it’s a visit to Deepak’s

Dubai’s fashion savvy may hate us for giving this little gem away, but if you happen to be an old timer, chances are, your travels would have brought you to Deepak’s doors at least once in search for a bargain.

Indeed, we have on good notice that some of the city’s top designers have been spotted rummaging through this treasure trove of fashionable accessories, which can range from a random sequenced feather boa to a Viking helmet tucked away in a dusty cardboard box.

The shop also stocks up on fascinators during the horse races, Halloween costumes in October and some funky UAE inspired mementos when National Day rolls around in December.

If you have the time one lazy afternoon, simply pop on down there for a looksee and hear some of crazy tales of stuff that have sifted through the store over the years.

To get to Deepak's, be brave and drive into the bowels of Satwa. The shop is located acorss the DHA Satwa Medical Centre, right before the traffic light. 

Insider's tip: If you want to get a dress made-to-order, there are loads of stores around the neigbourhood. Simply buy your material, head to Deepak's for the added bling and walk over to Dream Girl tailors acorss the road with your nifty ideas. You won't be disappointed.

Something fishy in the air

Back in the day, even before the towering landscape stretched its tentacles towards Jumeirah Beach in the form of the majestic Burj Al Arab, there existed a small ramshackle of a portacabin that had achieved legendary status amongst the whispers that uttered the words Bu Qtair.

Like a family heirloom that has been passed down to the next generation, the legend of Bu Qtair’s famous restaurant secrets have continued to fare with the residents of Dubai over the decades.

Today, that portcabin still remains, albeit, now surrounded by plastic chairs and tables to accommodate the hordes of customers that crowd around until late evenings on most days to sample the seafood delicacies that this hidey hole has to offer.

Be warned, the menu is not extensive and neither is it set in stone. The day’s catch decides whether snapper will make it and the season will dictate if you are lucky to savour the crispy King Fish.

But when you are dining at Bu Qtair Restaurant, one doesn’t really care about what you order, because the dishes will only be delicious or even more so.

Those of you who want to savour this little gem, drive down Beach Road, towards Abu Dhabi, taking a right turn just before the Emarat gas station with McDonalds. At the end of the road, the restaurant is tucked away to your left.

Art decor hotel

If you’ve stayed in the fashionable hotels of Paris or Amsterdam, chances are you may have encountered some funky art deco rooms, designed by some of the art world’s most creative minds.

Few know that Dubai has its very own version very much tucked away in the alleyways of Bastakiya.

The XVA Art Hotel is homed in a renovated traditional majilis-style structure, boasting original architectural motifs and wind towers and three open courtyards, in which one can relax and soak up the exceptional atmosphere of this heritage Sikka.

The hotel boasts six boutique rooms, designed by Zayan Ghandour, Numa, Nada Debs and Karim Rashid (Gaia&Gino).

An insider tip: when venturing out of the hotel, do walk through the maze of alleyways through the old neighbourhood, where community elders still meet up for shisha and Arabic tea late into the night at an impromptu majlis, welcoming strangers to sit awhile and rest their feet.

Chalets at Mamzar Park

A lynch mob could probably be at these offices by end of day today when news of this little gem spreads like wildfire across Dubai’s park enthusiasts.

We debated, pondered and debated some more before finally admitting that it would be a crime not to include these rustic chalets that Al Mamzar Beach Park very quietly boasts on its vast premises.

The single level structure can be rented out for the entire day, from 8am to 10pm, via Dubai Municipality online services.

The large chalet costs Dh200, while the smaller one is Dh150.

In case you are wondering, the chalets were last renovated in 2010 and offer a great day out on the beach, with some ample time to catch in a catnap or simply enjoy some privacy with the entire family.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.