“My butler … “

There I’ve said it. Growing up in a post-Jeeves-and-Wooster egalitarian world, I never thought that I would utter those words. But Jumeirah’s Dar Al Masyaf, DAM to returning regulars, at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah, thrives on personal service.

Well lucky me. I’d found a cosy hideaway in the top floor Royal Club Lounge giving me a front row bird’s eye view of the Arabic Dhow boats setting off up Deira Creek on their evening dinner cruises. “Must book one of those for tomorrow night” I thought to myself as I sipped a smooth scotch and contemplated a chocolate dipped date. Such is life at the Radisson Blu Hotel Deira Creek, a world away from the razzle dazzle Dubai of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim.

Well this was a first; a whiskey cocktail with real smoke pouring out of it. You can call it theatre, but I called it genius.  It was a little number entitled “as good as it gets”  the signature cocktail at Pier Chic, the celebrated seafood restaurant at Madinat Jumeirah set at the end of a pier jutting out into the warm waters of the Persian Gulf. Just us, the moonlight and The Burj for company. It was romantic for sure, but wait a minute, this was Dubai.