Riva beach club has been an old favourite of mine since I first moved to Dubai. One of the quieter spots being on the Palm, it plays hosts to white sandy beaches, a pool, a lovely restaurant and lots of water activities should you want them. Stand up paddle boarding is a nice one to try there.
Despite the food always being surprisingly excellent for a beach club, it did used to be a little on the shabby chic side of decor, with plastic chairs and not much thought to design. Recently though, Riva beach club has received a huge revamp on the restaurant side of things and now resembles something out of the French Riviera with a splash of Bali thrown in. It’s lovely, to say the least.
^Workout battle bruises!^ Bikini by Sabo Skirt .
One of my best girlfriends was in Dubai last week so we head to Riva to check out the changes. It was far busier than I ever remember it being, so clearly the overhaul has worked wonders. We managed to pinch a spot in the ‘palm residents’ section (as everywhere else was full) and set up camp for the day.
Note; the sun does disappear relatively early because of the tall buildings that surround it so aim for morning / midday sun!
It always takes a friend impatient to get into the sea to remind me of how lucky we are living in Dubai to have these types of places on our doorstep.
Mental note … Take advantage whilst it lasts!
Dubai weather is currently at it’s best, so you really don’t need long to pick up some colour! Post sunshine, I was eager to try the menu in hope that it was as good as the last! Ianthe is vegan, and whilst there wasn’t dedicated vegan options, the staff was super accommodating and she was happy with the vegan nachos and quinoa superfood salad she ordered.
Naturally, being British, we chose to sit outside to soak up every last minute of the sunshine!
The inside of the restaurant is where you can really see the changes they’ve made. It’s a beautiful open space and somewhere I’d come to work for the day for a change of scenery it’s that pretty!
For starters; olive tapenade with toasted bread and half vegan / half not-vegan nachos! (Carb loading HELLO).
Then, a slightly healthier goats cheese, bresaola and strawberry salad for me along with root veg, quinoa and pomegranate salad for Ianthe. I also ordered the tuna and salmon tartare to try, not quite expecting it to be so large – never a girl to complain about generous portion sizes though!
Food was all fantastic, as I anticipated.
Riva beach club is a brilliant spot if you want something relaxed but still with a good atmosphere, somewhere that serves good food and nice vino and is far more reasonable on the wallet than most beach clubs in Dubai.
Entry on weekdays and weekends are as follows;
This gives you access to the beach club, a bed and towels.
And for the ladies – Wednesday is ‘ladies day’ which means you go free and can have 3 free drinks :)
I hope you enjoyed this post! Please do comment below with your thoughts, they are always welcome. And of course – any questions you might have about Riva beach club or other places in Dubai let me know.
Until next time.
LLG x
