Tea at the Burj Al Arab

The best value for dollar at the iconic hotel
Talk of the town: Tennis stars Roger Federer and Andre Agassi once played a friendly game of tennis on the hotel's helicopter pad.

Before the Burj Khalifa came to town, the Burj Al Arab was the city’s largest architectural achievement. Designed by architects Tom Wright and Said Khalil to mimic the shape of a dhow, the self-proclaimed seven-star hotel sits out on a little man-made island off the Jumeirah Madinat. Only guests of the hotel or those holding a restaurant reservation are permitted inside, and alas, many of the Burj’s establishments proffer sky-high tabs (often for sub-standard grub).
A notable exception are the myriad tea options. The most reasonable is the Asian Tea at Junsui, which comes with a seven-course menu, though the super extravagant Sky Tea offers a pristine view of the Palm and World Islands, plus enough pastries and tea sandwiches to cause a coronary. Both leave patrons feeling like VIPs.