A guide to Al Barari

This chic restaurant and lounge offers a more cosmopolitan kind of relaxation, with its art gallery featuring emerging regional talents making it popular with Dubai’s cool crowd. Settle in here to while away an evening with friends, enjoy a delicious Sunday roast or even watch a match or two, with many major sporting events shown at Hideout. There are distractions such as a pool here too, along with plenty of regular events and themed evenings – all accompanied by impeccable service.

The perfect escape for children, Al Barari Playground offers water-themed family fun. Serenity Beach is a play area complete with an exciting pirate ship, where kids can run, splash and build sandcastles – while for even more aquatic fun, Adventure Splash Pad has slides, water-spraying trees and a huge bucket which pours out “endless surprises”. Younger visitors can enjoy the Toddler Aqua Oasis as well as the Treehouses adventure area, both purpose-built for smaller children.

Designed as an educational playground, Al Barari Nature Escapes offers events and courses designed to teach children about nature while having fun in the forest (or the mud). While many packages are designed for residents, there are plenty of individual events including night safari scavenger hunts, nature playdates and nature camps – along with a fab nature fair every two months. All events need booking in advance, so check out the venue’s website, along with Natura Tribe, which runs most of the activities.

One of several themed botanical areas in Al Barari, Woodland Gardens offers trees and plants from across Europe to create a peaceful wooded space adjacent to a small lake – perfect for a stroll after lunch. With so much of the district given over to greenery, there are plenty more green spaces to explore in Al Barari, including areas themed around a Balinese garden, and a space offering contemporary takes on horticulture.

Awarded the coveted Michelin Green Star, famed restaurant LOWE is also located in Al Barari. Widely praised for its imaginative gastronomic creations, it is recognised as being one of the most sustainable restaurant in the Middle East and North Africa. Everything about this contemporary spot with a sleek open kitchen, pared-down aesthetic and a central wooden fire intrinsic to their style of cooking is absolutely spot on. A quick glance at the menu will do a disservice to what lies within. With amazingly creative concoctions, the dishes here blend lots of flavours and genres to produce excellent plates that you’ll want to keep coming back for.