Mayabay

Positioned alongside the serene turtle lagoon of Jumeirah Al Naseem, MayaBay is a sprawling restaurant offering an indoor-outdoor dining experience.

This Monaco import, with dining room, bar area and terrace, shares the picturesque locale with the likes of Il Borro and Flamingo Room by tashas.

Despite a substantial portion of its space dedicated to the lounge and bar, MayaBay isn’t just about the cocktails (though they are superb). The kitchen, helmed by the experienced Shane MacNeill, ensures food is far more than a side project.

The menu, a 108-page coffee table book brimming with photographs, is as extensive as it is exciting. It tastefully integrates culinary influences of the Asian countries loved by Dubai diners. While the menu leans heavily towards Japanese, Thai and Chinese favourites, diners are encouraged to mix and match for a unique dining experience. The attentive staff are at hand to offer suggestions.

While some dishes are on the pricier side, MayaBay offers good value for money, too. Take the simple yet flavourful yakitori chicken skewer, for example, the succulent chicken and salty-sweet marinade are a delight. The xiao long bao, a mix of chicken and shrimp with expertly seasoned soup, is another standout.

More substantial dishes worth checking out include the beef fillet with Thai basil and grilled sea bass with shiso.

MayaBay absolutely works as a destination for drinks and socialising, but few places manage to make the dining experience as impressive, too.