Seclusion is hard to come by in Dubai. At least it is for those of us who dare not venture beyond the dunes to the east. Cramped lifts, clogged roads and busy malls forever make you feel like you need some space.

But on the far reaches of the east crescent of The Palm, the new Anantara resort is offering a peaceful place to stay and eat, with the Beach House restaurant in particular giving fantastic views of the city in the distance.

Set on a private sandy shoreline, Beach House serves a predominantly Mediterranean menu at its three spaces: the indoor restaurant, the outdoor terrace and an area of casual seating for drinks. There’s plenty of greenery to keep you shielded from the prying eyes of your fellow diners.

In fact, the serenity is punctured only by the sighs of comfort as another satisfied guest sinks into a wicker chair on the outdoor deck. Meanwhile, a mellow soundtrack beats in time with the waves washing softly on the shore.

Such is the lighting on the terrace – or lack thereof – that menus are presented with a torch attached. The low lighting is in keeping with the deserted island atmosphere, but for those who like to see what they’re eating, it could prove frustrating. Once you’ve tasted, though, any concerns soon pass.

To start, the air dried Wagyu beef with pungent gorgonzola cheese was tremendous, as was the seafood salad. The comically huge cocktail glass of lightly fried calamari raised a smile, after which the flavours impressed. Elsewhere there’s a handmade pizza section, as well as a range of interesting salads, carpaccio and Arabic sharing meze platter, which offer plenty of tasty variety.

The mains, the majority of which came in at a reasonable Dhs140, were equally satisfying. Sea bass en papillote (wrapped in paper and baked) could be smelled before it was seen, and the lamb kofta rivals the best in the city.

Oh yeah, the city, we’d forgotten about that. Time to leave Beach House and return to the bright lights.

Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa, East Crescent, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
Tel: 04 5678888. Taxi: Anantara Dubai, East Crescent.
daily noon to 11.30pm. 
dubai-palm.anantara.com