The Sassy Mama Mini Neighbourhood Guide to Jumeirah

Jumeirah resident, mama of 3 and founder of gorgeous handcrafted baby accessory company Little Farasha, Maha Mustafa shares her favourite neighbourhood spots with us – because there’s nothing like personal recommendations mamas (plus a few Sassy Mama faves too)!

What do you love best about Jumeirah?
Jumeirah 2 is the perfect place for us.  It’s a nice quiet residential area and most of the houses have large gardens, which is ideal. We really are so close to everything we need.

Is there anything you don’t like about it?
With the current construction all around us on a new hotel, the expansion of City Walk, another shopping strip and the canal, there are a lot of construction vehicles on the main road and the traffic is heavy. But it’s a small issue that won’t be forever.

Eat

Circle Cafe:
The brainchild of 2 very sassy mamas, Circle Cafe is one of our favourite go-to spots for a bite of brekkie, ladies lunch or family feast. Relaxed and informal, the cafe feels like a home from home (sometimes literally, the kids are so comfortable here and welcomed here that their eyes light up every time we promise a visit). The menu has something for everyone, from NYC-style bagels to fresh salads, sublime sandwiches to decadent desserts and everything between – all homemade and mega delicious – oh and breakfast is served all day, yipeee! Mac & cheese with black truffle oil and gruyere is a particularly favourite but frankly we love it all (and the Eton Mess is to-die-for). We also have to mention the interiors – a little shabby chic,a little ‘candy store’ – we love. Their slogan? ‘simple good food’. Frankly we think they should replace good with great!

psst…want catering for a special occasion, call these guys mamas!
www.circle-cafe.com
Level 1, Beach Park Plaza Centre, Next to Emirates Hospital, Opposite Jumeirah Beach Park, Jumeirah 2

Jumeirah dining in a nutshell, Maha says…

Jumeirah has a great selection of restaurants available. Biryani pot is my current favourite! The quinoa biryani is delicious! The Four Seasons resort has just opened across the road from us too, which has some great options like Coya. There are also a lot of burger options along Jumeirah Beach Road but nothing beats homegrown burger joint Moylos for its New York vibe and delicious patties!

What Are Your Top 3 Family Friendly Restaurants in Jumeirah?

Sapori di Bice at City Walk – the kids can make their own pizza and watch it cook in the oven. They can even choose the shape of the pizza. Mickey Mouse pizzas are my kids current favourite.
Elevation burger is often the kids first choice for a treat. They really like the play area there.
Bystro! They have a great selection of dishes that are super tasty. The small kids corner kept my 3 entertained while we waited for the food to come. And the added bonus? Kids eat free on week days between 5-7pm! Read our Sassy Mama review.

And Date Night Restaurants…

For a really nice night out I would go to The Four Seasons  – Coya (read our full review here) or Mercury roof top lounge which has the most sensational views across the city.

We recently went to Atisuto at the Galleria – delicious Japanese and beautiful interiors.
For a casual and fun date night, Sassy Mama loves Smiling BKK (the original), in the backstreets near Jumeirah Post Office, for delicious inexpensive Thai food and a really tiny quirky environment. We also love the terrace at Flooka, Dubai Marine Beach Resort – fresh fish and the sound of crashing waves – heaven.

Best Places For Brekkie, Lunch and Dinner?

For an early morning coffee spot, Bait al Bahar is my current go to place, it’s so peaceful and right on the beach (mamas this is a fab spot to go to with kids -the outdoor area is vast and leads right onto the sand).

Now that the weather is so good I’ll often grab a coffee from Spill the Bean in Sunset Mall and walk down to the beach. (Read our ‘That Mama’ post on Spill The Bean, Ola Sinno here).

The Sassy Mama team can often be found at BookMunch Cafe in Wasl Square – their chicken and avocado salad is SO good and their kids menu (designed by our very own Fiona Archibold) is a mega Sassy fave. Read our full review here.

Best Place To Go For Sweet Treats?

The Home Bakery in Galleria (we think so too by the way mamas, read our review!)
Spill the Bean has some AMAZING gluten free / sugar free options that are sooooo good!
It’s an oldie but a goodie, the Sassy Mama team are big fans of The Lime Tree Cafe in Jumeirah 1 – the outdoor courtyard and upstairs terrace are the perfect place to hoover up a huge slice of cake al fresco – and it’s super child friendly. If you’re an ice-cream aficionado then Grom at Box Park is amazing  – artisan gelato in all sorts of wonderful flavours, we love the ‘apple pie’ and caramel with pink Himalayan salt. YUM!

Shop

Imaginarium
There are toy stores and then there are toy stores – and while we want to fill our playrooms with pretty things, we also want to make sure that our kids are playing with things that will not only capture their imaginations but withstand the test of time. This is where Imaginarium is a step above some of the other toy shops out there, offering a carefully curated selection of items specifically chosen to inspire and intrigue. All child development experts agree that play is crucial in the process of learning and the Imaginarium products are picked to provide children with development and social values and are of the highest quality and safety standards? Sounds good right mamas? We definitely think so. From fancy dress to arts & crafts, outdoor games to classic puzzles – Imaginarium has something for all the littles whether they enjoy being active (wait, isn’t that all of them?!) or want to indulge in a little imaginative play. Oh and there are no war-themed products. Perfect.
Opening soon in Box Park mamas!

Where do you shop for clothes/home accessories in your neighborhood?

Mercato is definitely our go to mall for the basics – for clothes there’s a Mango, Reiss, Top Shop, Diesel, Massimo Dutti, GAP, Mamas & Papas and Noa Noa there (sadly no Zara though!)

Are there any cute boutiques or local stores we should know about?

Candella is a beautiful boutique in the Village that stocks collections by different UAE based designs – everything from dresses to bags and jewellery. For more serious shopping I usually head to Dubai Mall.

Sassy Mama loves Garderobe for pre-loved designer gear at reasonable prices (their sales are amazing).

What grocery stores do you have nearby?

Spinneys in Mercato or down by Lime Tree Cafe and Carrefour in Wasl Vita on Al wasl road (Sassy Mama loves this new little Carrefour – amazing produce and it’s never too busy – plus there’s a little cooking studio onsite for classes AND the most delicious fresh sushi counter!). Organic Foods & Cafe in the Village Mall is fab for picking up organic staples and The Farmers Garden in Wasl Square is perfect for gourmet deli items.

Play

Which parks/outdoor playgrounds do you love in your hood?

Sadly our usual parks are under construction due to the canal project. But we love Safa 2. There is also a new park opening up opposite City Walk called Al Khazan Park which I can see becoming our regular hangout. I love our neighbourhood. There are always kids and families walking. The roads are quiet so it’s safe for the kids to scooter and cycle.

Are there any soft play areas or kids clubs/classes you can recommend?

Hands down Caboodle in City Walk is our favourite play area (mama can get pampered here too – read about it here). Adventure HQ, Galleria Mall is also a favourite with the kids (read the Sassy Mama Dubai review mamas!).

Learn

Which school do you send your children to?

Ayah (6) goes to Latifa School and Faisal & Zayed (3) go to Cocoon Nursery.

Jumeirah Baccaleurate School is very close by as are The Childrens Garden  Nursery and Small World Nursery. There is no shortage of nurseries in Jumeirah plus some really good schools too mamas (Horizon, JBS, JPS and lots more). Read our nursery guide here for some inspo.

Treat/Pamper/Health

My Dental Clinic
A visit to the dentist is never a particularly appealing thought – but we can honestly say that My Dental Clinic makes the whole experience completely bearable (and dare we say it, actually quite pleasant?!). Dr Eva Gorton is so amazing that our very own Sassy Mama Katy refuses to see anyone else and has even travelled back from Hong Kong specifically to get on her chair – now if that’s not convincing then we don’t know what is! From emergency procedures to aesthetic work, you can get it all here – and you won’t be ripped off mamas (a common complaint with other clinics in Dubai). Swedish/Scandinavian with over 40 years of dentistry experience, Dr. Gorton is just as popular with the kiddos as with their mamas – Eva is actually her middle name but she realised that her first name, Ingegerd, was just too difficult for patients too pronounce in Dubai so uses Eva instead – this pretty much sums her up- friendly and totally approachable. A member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the Swedish Dental Association, Dr. Eva believes firmly in the importance of continuous education and frequently attends courses and conferences to make sure that she can offer the very latest treatments and technologies. So there you have it mamas, there’s no need to be scared of the dentist anymore!
www.mydentalclinic.ae 
Telephone: +971 (0)4-33 88 939

The Sassy Mama team swear by pediatricians Dr. Rania Hawayek or Dr. Mike Loubser at Infinity Clinic – sensible, approachable and not overly keen on prescribing antibiotics for every little cough.
For family doctors, go to Dr. Casper Joubert at Infinity or Dr. Susan Norton at the Dubai Physiotherapy & Family Medicine Clinic.

Is there anywhere for mama to get pampered?

For hair, nails and all things grooming I always go to Sisters either in the Village, City Walk (inside Caboodle) or Dubai Mall. For the ultimate pampering Sensasia Urban Spa in The Village is truly amazing!

Sassy Mama loves The Nail Spa in Mercato Mall for all things nail and beauty. Sashas on Umm Al Sheif is a no-frills but really good place for nails and all the other stuff too!

So there you have it mamas, Jumeirah living in a nutshell! Let us know if you have any secret spots we should know about!