Restaurant Review: Nine course afternoon tea at The Billion Pound Hotel - Burj Al Arab, Dubai

There was a programme on Channel 4 last night called The Billion Pound Hotel. It was about the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, dubbed “the most luxurious hotel in the world.”

Tom and I went for afternoon tea there about two and a half years ago, so I thought I’d write a post about it as there has been a lot of debate about the hotel and whether anyone would actually want to spend £1,000 a night to stay there.

The words vulgar, tasteless, hideous, gaudy and tacky have been thrown around following the programme, which marked the 15 year anniversary of the iconic hotel. Yes, it is brash. Yes, it is OTT. But that’s all part of it. You don’t go to the Burj Al Arab if you’re looking for a subtle and understated hotel/dining experience. We embraced the outrageousness of it all and had an unforgettable evening.

I took this picture from the walkway by Bar 360, the sky is so pretty!

It all started with the reservation, which was confirmed in an email with strict instructions – tables are held for 30 minutes and if you are late or a no-show, you will be charged AED 200 (approximately £38). There was also a meticulous dress code and requests that photographs should be taken discreetly and mobiles set to silent mode.

So, when the day finally arrived, we got our glad rags on, jumped in a taxi and headed to the Burj Al Arab. You can’t actually get anywhere near the hotel without a reservation, which I think is a good idea. The last time we went for tea at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, it was absolutely swarming with tourists, which gave it an entirely different vibe and atmosphere.

Once our taxi had been given the go-ahead by security, we crossed the private bridge, which connects the Burj Al Arab to the mainland. While we were driving towards the hotel, it all felt a little surreal. There we were, right in front of the international symbol of Dubai. We’d seen it from afar, of course, (it’s hard to miss a 321 metre, sail-shaped building!) but it felt quite dreamlike to actually be there.

The taxi pulled up to the lavish entrance, complete with a water fountain and a fleet of white Rolls-Royce Phantom Series IIs for guest arrivals and departures. We were greeted by the impeccably dressed doormen, who were all very tall (there’s a height requirement of at least 6’1) and very friendly.

We made our way into the hotel and took lots of pictures of the striking reception area, which boasts a huge water feature, aquarium and shopping area. It also offers guests an incredible and colourful view upwards to the very top of the hotel.

Spectacular view from the reception in the Burj Al Arab

Excited little faces!

After a wander around, we made our way to the lift (the outside of which was gold!) and shot up the 27 floors to the Skyview bar. 

The inside of the Skyview bar... the colour scheme was definitely not to my taste!

The staff took our reservation and showed us to our table. We were lucky as our table was in a great spot by the window, which meant we had both an uninterrupted view of the beautiful Arabian Gulf and the Jumeirah area. In the distance, we could also see Atlantis and the Palm on one side, and Downtown Dubai, with the silhouette of the Burj Khalifa, on the other side. As our booking was at 4:30pm, we were able to see the impressive view during both day and night, as well as a spectacular sunset in between.

Our view of Jumeirah

Stunning sunset over the Palm and Atlantis

Our lovely waitress brought us both a glass of Louis Roederer Brut NV champagne and a small plate of dates. Then, she talked us through the format of ‘The Ultimate Afternoon Tea.’ We were both really impressed with the lengths they went to when it came to Tom’s egg allergy. We told them about it when we booked the table and our waitress told us that they had actually prepared everything for Tom in a completely separate kitchen!

Champagne and dates to start

After our glass of champagne and delicious dates, we had a huge selection of teas to choose from and were served nine courses:

1. Berry tart
2. Assortment of finger sandwiches
3. Chicken and creamy mash
4. Vegetarian lasagne
5. Sorbet
6. Freshly baked scones, Devonshire clotted cream and homemade preserves
7. French pastries
8. A cake to share
9. Chocolates

Gorgeous berry tart

Delicious finger sandwiches

Chicken and creamy mash

Vegetarian lasagne

The scones and pastries were served on this really cool cake stand that was shaped like the Burj! How fabulous!

Cute little cake!

We didn’t want our ‘afternoon’ tea to end – and dragged it out for as long as we could (it definitely wasn’t afternoon by the time we finally left!) 

From the second we walked into the Burj Al Arab, we were treated like royalty. It was expensive (£160 in total), but it was worth every penny for a magical experience that we will never forget. If I had to sum it up, I would say it felt like we were in a dream. A very decadent, opulent (and pricey) dream.

Our ride waiting for us... (we wish!)

It was definitely 'the ultimate' afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab