If you live in Dubai, you probably know or have heard that Jebel Ali Recreation Club, one of Dubai’s oldest and most popular leisure venues, just re-opened with a fancier look and even fancier restaurants. And as part of that grand re-opening, we were invited to tag along and see what the renewed facilities had to offer; which simply translates to food, wine, and song (or dance).

This new recreational, dining, and entertainment destination is located somewhere in Jebel Ali Village and finding it was not an issue (we just followed the Nakheel banners). There are several dining outlets in the Club, including C House Milano, Ship’s Wheels, Andalucia Tapas, Seafood Kitchen and The Club House. From these 5, you can choose where to have your dinner (or any meal of the day). We chose The Club House, and after getting seated on the terrace, we were attended to quite fast.

Dinner at The Club House

After looking over at the drinks menu, I settled for my usual prosecco, while my good friend went with orange juice (she was the designated driver). The prices are fair and the drinks selection is, well, normal.

As for the food, I was informed that the cuisine was international which means you can order anything from pasta and Aloo Gobi to nachos and the famous mixed grill, which I still find hard to forget. My starter was a very generous serving of salt and pepper calamari in lemon mayo and my ‘mixed grill’ friend went with another huge serving of dynamite shrimps. At that point, we were not sure if we would be touching the main, considering the size of the appetizer, which was quite tasty by the way.

Since we had to at least have a taste of whatever was on offer, we had a few bites of our appetizers then jumped to the main. I decided to go for something a tad bit healthy, along the lines of quinoa. Michael, our ever-smiling waiter, delivered a quinoa and blueberry salad with kale, which I might add, tasted super healthy. My good friend, on the other hand, devoured a Moroccan lamb shank with spiced couscous (that summarizes everything).

Song and Dance at Jebel Ali Recreation Club

While still in the middle of our dinner, someone showed up out of the blue; shirtless with a six-pack to match. I think he was either dancing or performing some sort of ancient ceremony (I never did find out which it was), but he proceeded to the center of the complex, where there were more like him with trombones, timbales, and maracas; not to mention the one playing with fire.

A couple of minutes later, the chicas arrived in Latina regalia oozing some salsa glory and mambo stories. They did their dance at the entertainment stage, then decided to move around and woo the audience (much appreciated). So, you know, the show-stopping entertainment by this Latin troupe of 17 performers takes place at the Jebel Ali Recreation Club from 7 pm to 9:30 pm every Friday until 22nd December 2017 (not much time left, I know).

To top off our spectacular dance and dining experience at The Club House (or Jebel Ali Recreation Club), we shared a melting dessert (chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream), which was suggested to us by Tessa, our other lovely waitress (she kept popping up every 2 minutes to find out if everything was ok, and I’m not complaining).

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Mix of Leisure and Recreation

All in all, I would say that the new Jebel Ali Recreational Club is impressive, considering it has been a landmark social club in Dubai for 40 years. The landscaped terrace comes complete with water features and an entertainment zone, with all the restaurants offering indoor and outdoor spaces.

And spanning at 500,000 sq ft., in addition to the unique dining experience, the Jebel Ali Recreation Club also offers world-class recreational facilities like tennis, squash, and a swimming pool. It is also due to open its first Reel Cinema – making it the perfect hot spot for anyone looking for a mix of leisure and recreation.