The entrance to XVA Art hotel and Café in Al Fahidi

I first discovered XVA in July 2021 when I was staying at the Arabian Courtyard hotel in Bur Dubai and was looking for places to eat. I wandered in and a guy, who I later discovered was the Manager, asked if he could help me.

"I think I came her in 2010 with Mo Steer, were you open back then ?" I asked

"Sir, we are the oldest hotel in Dubai, so yes!" he replied

" Can I have a look around and see the menu, as I am staying nearby for a month?"

" Why aren't you staying here?" he quipped

After I looked round I vowed to come back soon and when I checked their website I decided that next time I was in Dubai I would stay at XVA.

https://www.xvahotel.com/

So here is the back story from their website:

"XVA opened in 2003 to fill a void in Dubai; a place where people could come and spend the day, even stay the night. An art-oriented salon, created as a forum for artists and art lovers looking for a more natural, peaceful setting amidst the bustling city. The historical wind towers and large shaded courtyards create a sense that one has travelled back in time. Located in the heart of the Historical Neighborhood, XVA is uniquely positioned. By combining both art and heritage, our guests gain a special insight into the cultural significance that the original building holds. Since 2003, XVA continues to raise the profile of its artists and the historical Al Fahidi Neighborhood in Dubai through a rich cultural program."

Source : https://www.xvahotel.com/ ( accessed 13.1.21)

Translations are available for those who do not speak PR!

Now for the story...

The food was amazing, vegetarian, indian, arabic and freshly cooked and beautifully presented. Their Mujadara ( pictured above) was so good I found the recipe on line and plan to make it for my Indian friends back in Bahrain one day. According to my research

"Lentils, rice, olive oil, and onions—this Middle Eastern standard is the ultimate pantry recipe. It's also the classic example of a dish that's greater than the sum of its parts. There are literally dozens of recipes for mujadara out there—each country, possibly even each family, seems to have its own version. The one I like best is adapted from Claudia Roden's Book of Jewish Food. The crispy onion topping is the best part, so go ahead and make a lot."

Source : https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/mujadara-51100640 (accessed 20.7.21)

Lunch in the Courtyard at XVA - July 2021

I took lots of friends there back in July for Breakfast, lunch and dinner and all were given a warm welcome. When the Manager discovered we worked in the Hospitality industry he discussed tourism in Dubai, and how the occupancy at XVA and in the Al Fahidi area / Bur Dubai/ Creek varied by season ( quiet in summer , busy in winter). When I returned with MK in January 2022 he asked why I was not staying at XVA as I had promised I explained I had tried to book but it was full. He then joked:

" until next week ( mid January) when it gets a but quieter"

Then I told him I had booked and paid for an apartment at Adagio until Mid February when I would return to Bahrain.

Pogi Erickson and I have breakfast at XVA in July 2021

Labneh, Omlette, Fresh fruit salad and chips

XVA is the perfect place to meet friends, sit and relax, chat, or study the art and buy pasalubong in the shop run by a lovely Pinay. In the heat of the summer it is nice to get inside in the cool . I love to sit and imagine how it would have been when the Seddiqi family , Dubai's Rolex dealers , lived there.

Lunch with my Indonesian Manicurist back in July 2021

The place was beautifully restored by Mona Hauser along with her artist and designer friends to become the beautiful boutique hotel it is today.

Offering 15 individually designed suites or rooms, an award winning restaurant, 3 wind towers, 2 courtyards, and a sultry lounge to its solace-seeking guests, this centrally-located hotspot is the city’s best kept secret.

Condé Nast Traveler featured XVA as the no. 1 place “not to miss” in Dubai. In Wallpaper Dubai city guide, XVA is listed as THE boutique hotel in which to stay whilst visiting Dubai. Qantas In Flight magazine listed XVA high on their “10 reasons to visit Dubai list”.

And now , it's greatest honour yet, a feature in TBK eats - Part three !

So after a week or so making TBK Cooks vlogs in my apartment at Adagio, and with my flight back to Bahrain getting ever closer , I decided on 6 February it was time to get out and about and record more Vlogs in our TBK Eats series. Luckily MK was finishing work at 4.30 pm in Satwa so we agreed to meet at Al Fahidi ( Sharaf DG Metro) at 5.15 pm. I left Adagio at 4 pm and with split second timing, for the second time, we met exactly at 5.15 pm at the ticket barrier! We then walked to Arabian tearooms for tea but it was packed with a long queue outside so we walked to XVA. Here we were given the usual warm welcome by the Manager, and even though he was very busy serving meals in a packed restaurant he took time out to sit and chat with us. He gave us his usually occupancy update- of 15 rooms only one is empty tonight, the end of February is quieter ( as we witnessed with many other hotels discounting rates) but March is looking good ( the final month of Expo 2020 and Dubai's newest attraction, The Museum of the Future, finally opening on 22.2.22. He took our order and the drinks soon arrived, as we started filming the Vlog. I had my favourite XVA's Famous Lemon Mint and MK opted for a Thick Chocolate Milkshake!

Next up were our freshly cooked vegetable samosas with Mint Riata and a tomato and cucumber garnish which were amazing. We then followed that with two healthy salads- Tuna for me ( no anchovies, Richard) and the imaginatively named Creek Salad for MK ( Watermelon and Feta cheese- XVA is near Dubai's famous Creek).

Our total bill came to 180 Dirhams which is 18 bd or 36 GBP or 2509 Philippine Pesos.

After saying our farewells we filmed the restaurant and exterior courtyards and the XVA gallery for the Vlog. By then the Shop had closed ( 6 pm) so we were not able to say hallo to y Pinay friend there or buy any more Pasalubong!

After filling our bellies we decided a walk was called for so walked down to the Creek through the old Al Fahidi Historical District ( covered in earlier Blogs and vlogs) . We walked along the Creek and up by the Hindu temple and the Mosque and Dubai Museum to the Arabian Courtyard hotel for apple pie and orange juice and Lemonade in my Favourite Sherlock Holmes Bar . Our favourite Nepali barmaid gave us a warm welcome there and MK managed to consume Spaghetti Carbonara and 4 shots of Tequila! ( which was 59 aed compared to 55 aed for my orange juice and Lemonade!)

Form there we staggered back to Sharaf DG Metro and said our farewells at BurJaman where I changed on the red line to Mashreq, and MK walked home.

So another very enjoyable meal at XVA, our last, sadly. Special thanks to the Manager for looking after us so well.

You can see the Vlog by clicking below: