If you feel that burgeoning Dubai isn't enough of a theme park already, try Jumeirah Beach's themed restaurants.
Al Mahara
G/F Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai (burj-al-arab.com/dining/al_mahara)
A visit to this showy upmarket seafood restaurant (right) starts with a three-minute theme-park ride in a lift that simulates a submarine. The 'submarine' navigates a multi-coloured ocean bed as marine life races past the portholes. Tables at Al Mahara are laid out around a 360-degree floor-to-ceiling seawater aquarium, complete with sharks. Table decorations continue along the marine theme and while the food is good, this restaurant definitely wins the prize for novelty. A three-course dinner for two (without wine) costs about 1,200 dirhams (HK$2,500).
Zheng He
G/F Mina A' Salam, Madinat Jumeirah (madinatjumeirah.com/mina_a_salam/dining/zheng_hes)
Named after Chinese explorer Zheng He, this restaurant is dedicated to exploring fusion Chinese cuisine. Executive chef Leong Chee Yeng recently published his first cookbook, Zheng He's: A Culinary Journey, featuring a collection of his signature recipes, such as orchid shrimp dumplings and pepper salt-baked eight-treasure duck. Set menus cost from 130 dirhams per person.
