A dinner that is not rushed
The best evenings are the ones nobody is watching the clock in. A long table, a second bottle that was not planned, a conversation that goes somewhere neither of us expected. That is what I am there for.
If it is a business dinner instead, I know exactly how to be: present, warm, interested, and entirely unremarkable in the retelling.
Restaurants and settings
I know the rooms in this city well. Somewhere high and quiet in DIFC, a terrace on the Palm when the weather allows, the old-fashioned comfort of a Jumeirah hotel dining room. Tell me what kind of evening you want and I will suggest three; book whichever you like.
What to expect of the evening
I arrive on time and dressed for the room. We have dinner. We talk — about your work if you want to, about anything else if you would rather not. The evening ends when it ends, and nothing about it is assumed in advance.
Dress and etiquette
Dubai dining rooms are more formal than people expect: a jacket is rarely wrong. I dress to suit the table and never to draw attention to it. A little on companion etiquette if you have not done this before — it is simpler than you think.
Arranging a dinner
Write through the meeting request with a date and a part of town. A week ahead is comfortable; a few days is often possible. I reply within about two days.