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March 5, 2020 by TravelXena Leave a Comment

High Tea at the Burj Khalifa At.mosphere restaurant

High Tea at the Burj Khalifa At.mosphere restaurant

On my next to last night in Dubai this past Monday I head to the Armani hotel entrance of the Burj Khalifa in order to have high tea at the At.mosphere restaurant on the 124th floor. I figured if I was going to see the views from the Burj Khalifa it should be while enjoying bubbly, tasty tidbits and tea.

After reaching the floor, one of the 3 women there directed me toward the correct entrance. I had a perfect view. It’s amazing to sit in a skyscraper and see the tops of buildings 50, 60, 70 and 80+ floors in their own right.

Looking down from the Burj Khalifa from the At.mosphere restaurant.

Thankfully the weather held up and wasn’t very Sandy or smoggy. I could easily see out to the Burj Al Arab and even to the area of Al Barsha and the towers out that way.

The meal started out with an Amuse Bouche made from Pumpkin. Tasty, hints of sweetness but not too salty.

Pumpkin amuse bouche, At.mosphere restaurant at the Burj Khalifa.

Next came up what I would call Petite Fours and appetizers.

Appetizers at the Burj Khalifa Atmosphere restaurant in Dubai, UAE.

Appetizers at the Burj Khalifa Atmosphere restaurant in Dubai, UAE.

Then there was the main course of Risotto. It was a bit more Al dente than I’m used to but the flavor was spot on.

Mushroom risotto | At.mosphere restaurant, Burj Khalifa, Dubai – UAE

During this time plenty of sparkling wine was poured. Whenever I drank some, it was filled back up. The same was is done with water at standard restaurants. For 503 AED (about $135 USD) this was actually a good value. Amazing views, great food and drinks in a calm yet chic setting. Even though there was a service charge included I added 100 AED as an additional tip. (I’m American, we tip a lot. And I think servers are very deserving of it.)

As a comparison to the cost, my local tea house charges over $60pp for high tea and that doesn’t come with alcohol. The ambiance is nice, but there is no view, and space is very limited.

Sparkling wine at the Burj Khalifa At.mosphere restaurant.

I had a chance to speak with my server, he’d been there 9 years and told me that he loved working there and that the landscape outside constantly changes with all of the new building.

By this time I was nearly full, but the dessert was still to come, and as I barely ate dessert on the cruise I figured I’d at least taste it.

And boy oh boy there was quite a bit to taste. 3 tiers high from a chocolate bonbons, to petite four mini cakes, Madeline’s, macarons, scones, brownie and 3 different sauces of raspberry, vanilla cream and passion fruit, to dip it all in.

I also chose the Jasmine floral blossom tea.

Dessert and Jasmine blossing tea during high tea at the Burj Khalifa At.mosphere restaurant. Dubai, UAE
Dessert and Jasmine blossing tea during high tea at the Burj Khalifa At.mosphere restaurant. Dubai, UAE
Dessert and Jasmine blossing tea during high tea at the Burj Khalifa At.mosphere restaurant. Dubai, UAE
Dessert and Jasmine blossing tea during high tea at the Burj Khalifa At.mosphere restaurant. Dubai, UAE

The views from the ladies room are amazing as well!

Ladies room view 124th floor at the Burj Khalifa.

Before finishing the meal, I asked the server to take photos of me and he did an amazing job. I’ll post those photos soon!

After that I walked over to the restaurant on the other side (where they were prepping for dinner). And took photos on that side too.

It was an amazing afternoon and a good way to end a trip to Dubai and the perfect to get Burj Khalifa views!

Travel Xena at the Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa amidst the palm trees. Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UAE.

All content is copyright TravelXena.com 2020

Filed Under: Asia, Inspiration, Middle East, UAE Emirates Tagged With: At.mosphere, Atmosphere, Burj Khalifa, Emirates, UAE, United Arab Emirates

February 26, 2020 by TravelXena Leave a Comment

Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas not stopping in Khasab or Muscat Oman February 26 2020 update TravelXena

Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas not stopping in Khasab or Muscat Oman February 26 2020 update TravelXena

Due to the latest Corona Virus (Wuhan China Virus/Covid-19) the Royal Caribbean ship Jewel of the Seas is not stopping in Oman since it shares an open border with Iran which has been seeing an uptake in the number of people with the virus.

The ship will stop in Doha, Qatar instead.

Since there will be 2 sea days instead of 1, there will be a refund of 1 days worth of the cruise fare paid.

Filed Under: Cruise Ship, Inspiration, Middle East Tagged With: jewel of the seas

February 26, 2020 by TravelXena Leave a Comment

Burj Al Arab Sky View Bar for Drinks and Nibbles

Burj Al Arab Sky View Bar for Drinks and Nibbles

A friend made the suggestion of having drinks at the Burj Al Arab to be able to see it while not having to spend $1500 a night to stay there. She visited Gold on 27 and my initial plan was to go there. However I read up on the Sky Bar which was on the same floor and decided to head there instead.

By this time I had already checked into the Jewel of the Seas that started out with an overnight in Dubai. So after a brief lie down where I published an audio blog I put on the one suit that I brought added a pretty blouse, some dangly earrings and head out.

I called an Uber and made my way over. Upon arrival at the gate the driver opened my passenger window so that I could show my reservation code to security. They waved the car through and I alighted.

Once I walked in I went to a desk and said I had SkyBar reservations, they told me it was straight up the escalator to the back and someone would assist me to the bar.

I was about 10/15 minutes early (7:00pm reservation) and gave my name to the woman who was waiting there, she asked me to take a seat for a minute, I sat down for about 3 minutes and then she said “ma’am I’ll show you up now.” She opened the elevator doors wherein I stepped on board, road up, stopped out to another lady who said “Welcome Ms. ______” and pointed me out to a Maitre’d that showed me in. She walked me toward one lounge table and then said “You should sit here, it has a nice view of the city.” And readers, it had the best view of the city than any other space in the bar! In one area you can see the water, which is probably nice during the day, but at night you want to be seated to the left (from when you walk in) in order to see the city glint and shine! (Note: I requested a window seat when I made my reservation. I also arrived early at 7pm before the bar became busy.)

Each area near the window had a small lounge table and 2 lounge chairs.

I sat down and perused the menu switching off to absorb the lovely 27th floor view.

View from the Burj Al Arab Sky Bar on the 27th floor.

The wait staff was attentive and friendly. They noted that I mentioned I was a vegetarian in the booking, and clarified what I would eat, in order to make sure that what I ordered would be in line with my food choices.

They then asked if I’d like some water and I ordered a small bottle (about 43aed) and brought over a tray with snacks consisting of seasoned olives. (Not sure what seasoning, but it was delicious!) Coated cashews and wasabi peas. I then ordered my first drink a ‘Blood and Sand’.


Cabbage rolls and Potato Wedges

I then placed my appetizer order and had Cabbage rolls and Potato wedges. Everything was tasty and the drinks had a decent amount of alcohol and considering how much it cost it ought to! Minimum spend was 300 AED which is about $80 USD. Drinks started around 115 AED. The appetizers were about 60 AED each. I finished off with a Hemmingway Daquiri. All toll I spent 438 AED which is about $115-120. Pricey but about what you’d spend in an upscale NYC hotel bar for drinks and bites, and certainly less than what it would cost for the experience of staying at the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah.

Menu page at the Sky View bar of the Burj Al Arab

When everything is said and done, I’d probably go back to experience Gold on 27 and perhaps even book a night or two there to see what it’s like. The experience was nice, the staff was wonderful and it was a great way to end my last evening in Dubai.

Tip: Switch to your stilettos in the Taxi cab/Uber/Careem. I wore a pair of low wedges before my arrival and after I left in order to do more sightseeing.

Tip: Always account for traffic in the time it takes you to get anywhere in Dubai. Especially in the evening.

Note: Like most places (and many cars, tour buses etc) in Dubai, there is free WiFi at the Burj Al Arab, so feel free to connect and post on Instagram, your blog or connect with friends and family without running up your mobile data bill.

Copyright TravelXena.com 2020 | All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Cruises, Inspiration, Jewel of the Seas, Middle East, UAE Emirates

February 24, 2020 by TravelXena Leave a Comment

United Arab Emirates and Oman 2020 – part 1

So I’ve decided that instead of a written account, this blog is going to contain audio and images. Because it’s a lot easier! I’ll create separate posts on what to wear and bring and will have the audio files transcribed if possible.

So here it is, Dubai 2020! Part 1

Dubai2020_1_why_dubaiDownload
Dubai2020_2_deciding_to_goDownload
Dubai2020_3_packing_for_dubaiDownload
Dubai2020_4_flight_comfort_dubaiDownload
Dubai2020_5_arrive_airport_to_hotelDownload
Dubai2020_6_at_hotel_first_dayDownload
Dubai2020_7_desert_OscarKnight_tourDownload
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Dubai2020_8_AbuDhabiDownload
Dubai2020_9_Arriving_cruise_portDownload

Filed Under: Inspiration

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