What’s the score?
Once upon a time Al Hosn Fort guarded the city’s main water well. Now it marks the beginning of the ‘bling district’. Nestled behind the main artery of Khalidiyah Street, the old fish and veg market may now be a building site and the fort won’t re-open until 2011, but Al Hosn has a plan. Some mistake it for Hamdan (which ends at the roundabout), but an excess of clothing boutiques and diamond peddlers suggests it has dreams of becoming something special. Just don’t forget your wallet.
The history…
Commonly known as The White Fort, Al Hosn didn’t get its whitewash until a renovation in the late ’70s. Back in 1761, it started out as a simple watchtower, defending the only freshwater well on the island. A fort later grew around it, until a major extension in the ’30s (aided by revenues received for granting the first oil license in the capital) turned it into the royal palace now known as Qasr Al Hosn. It was a presidential home until the late ’60s and was more recently home to the Cultural Foundation, but current renovations mean that is now closed until 2011, after which there are plans to re-open it as a memorial and visitor attraction.
Where to shop…
So many jewellers – too small a word count to mention them all. If there is ever a gold shortage in the UAE, look here. Khaled Bin Al Wayeed Street, leading up past the fort, has at least a dozen jewellers in a row. On Nasr Street, Amwaj (circle pic, right) is one of the more impressive outfits; the habitual marble exterior reveals a rather plush cave of jewels inside. ‘We don’t keep the million dirham pieces on the premises,’ the saleswoman brags – the Dhs200,000 versions are glam enough. Further along the street, Watchland is the place to go for your Swiss watches, with prices starting at Dhs40,000 for Pierre Kunz, Frank Moller and Rodolfe timepieces, while just further along, Al Sabeyhe wields the logos of Hugo Boss, Daniel Roth and Jean Richard like a rapper with an inferiority complex. You’ll need to make room on your credit card…
The look…
Chaps will head barefoot to Studio Cardin for their sandals, before trotting back to 6th Street to Luomo for their Giovane G shirts and suits – you can smell the aftershave just walking in the place. Ladies are similarly well catered for: get your, er… ‘Louis Vuiton’ handbags at Blueline Boutique. For the real deal, Lebanese designer Saher Dia has a haute couture branch across the street, with Almimi, which stocks Baldini and Mario Cerutu shoes. Meanwhile, all along 6th Street, boutiques such as the glamourous Nicola Fashions light up the pavement with some truly eye-catching dresses.
The home…
Al Majlis is a typical Arabic furniture and lighting store – it’s dimly lit (ironically), there’s gold leaf on everything and it all seems slightly decadent; but this is restrained compared to Versaille Treasures, where vases and paintings the like of which have not been seen since the sacking of Rome find a comfortable home. It’s well worth visiting – understated is just not in their vocabulary. Equally eccentric offerings are to be found in the slightly kitsch Pieces Of Art, where card-playing staff sat among the baskets and oddities outnumber customers 10-to-one. Elsewhere, All Seasons have some truly dramatic vases, but our true favourite has to be Ramdani Persian Carpet Exhibition. Within 15 seconds of meeting Mr Ramdani (presumably), he was already waving a 200-year-old Arabic knife under our nose and quoting an extortionate price. It really is an Aladdin’s cave of ‘things’, from a stuffed falcon to a glass bug collection to an old ‘His Master’s Voice’ (allegedly) gramophone.
For kids…
Zambini offers a dash of style to those aged two to five, from crushed velvet Little Lord Fauntleroy-esque suits to the latest from Moschino and GF Ferre. Worth a look is their Save the Queen ‘Circus’ collection, especially if you’ve always wanted your child to dress like ‘Ashes to Ashes’-era David Bowie. Just down from here lies Family Park. Not one for the overly cautious, adventurous kids are well catered for with mazes and a huge pirate ship. Probably best to have an ambulance on speed dial, though: the Corniche air feasts on the rotting wooden climbing frames, and surfaces become slippery in the humidity.
The rest…
Perhaps the best discovery on Nasr is All Prints, a surprisingly good bookshop seemingly out on a limb. The selection is more than decent, with a number of study books bulking up the fiction section and a good selection of kids’ books, although it has clearly survived by turning itself into an office supplies store as well. There is a good Panasonic outlet, Istiklal, but the sheer amount of chocolate and sweet shops are enough to drive the casual stroller into a diabetic coma. Of these, Al Rifai is a good choice, thanks to a brilliant selection of nuts and other Arabic treats. Nearby Dolce Amtico specialises in tasty Italian chocolates (and everything else, it seems) while on 6th Street, Hail Wa Zaafaran Sweets do an interesting array of traditional Emirati sweets, as well as tasty birthday cakes.
Food & drink
Not exactly a culinary haven, but there are a few surprises to be found. On Istiklal Street, two of the best sit side by side. Abu Shakra is cheap, clean, Egyptian, open 24 hours a day and does a tasty array of kebabs, meanwhile Panda Panda is a fine Chinese option. It’s good value, the service is friendly and it looks (kind of) stylish inside. The shrimp-stuffed mushroom starters are a syrupy treat, but no, they don’t serve panda (we checked). For lunch, the newly opened Lorenzo does chocolates, pastries and takeaway sandwiches, but for a sit down, best head to Café Firenze. A stylish, if pricey, gaff, the interior is smoky but the Mediterranean food is top class. Meanwhile, night owls should take a short walk to Sheraton Khalidiyah Hotel, where Third Avenue is not only licensed, but does a mean hotpot. Beware though – they’re not above turning away the T-shirt and trainers crowd.
Feeling good
A curious array of villas behind 6th Street hides the brand-new Canadian Beauty Centre and Spa. Set to open at the beginning of this month, it offers a full spa with Jacuzzi and Moroccan baths. We’ve also been promised an array of massages, from Thai and shiatsu to Indian shakra. Elsewhere, Hilton Baynunah has its own spa and gym, but its treatments (Thai, aromatherapy, shiatsu) are pricey, and there are no exercise classes for your Dhs5,800 per year gym membership. Instead, head across the road and join UAE Parkour (contact Steve on 050 721 8169), who practise freestyle running on the Corniche every Friday between 4pm and 7pm. Its way more fun and it’s free.
Need to know…
Taxi: Ask for either the Cultural Foundation or Family Park
Daytrippers: Families will probably head straight to Family Park (although maybe not in this heat), and the restaurants certainly won’t break the bank. Shoppers best be prepared to spend, though; otherwise, Khalidiyah Mall is only a 15-minute walk (or short taxi journey) away
Living there: There is little accommodation around the street itself. Many of the villas have been converted into offices, or are used for office accommodation
