Meeting spots

With around 130,000 people expected to attend GITEX this year, it's probably going to be quite difficult to find meeting spot away from the crowds. Hotel lobbies, the usual preserve of the business crowd, are be heaving as is the local Starbucks. So, why not go to one of these joints instead?

XVA Café
Café, European/Arabic
XVA's clandestine hiding place in the middle of old Bastakia makes it one of the city's hidden gems.
Bastakia, Bur Dubai (04 353 5383). Open Sun-Thu 9am-9pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-9pm. All major credit cards accepted. Average price of a meal for two with soft drinks Dhs100-200.

Chocolat-Thé
Café/Restaurant
Perfect for sweet-toothed colleagues and business partners, and just stones throw away from the convention centre, Chocolat-Thé's 70s inspired décor and eclectic menu will certainly break the ice. And, despite the name, the menu does have a number of non-cocoa option.
Ghaya Residences, Sheikh Zayed Road, behind Dusit Dubai (04 321 1098). Open daily 7.30am-11pm. All major credit cards accepted.

The ONE Café
Hidden in a trendy furniture sure, this small café with its comfy seating and great coffee and tea, is sure to go under the radar of the uninformed GITEX visitor.
Beach Road, next to Jumeirah Mosque (04 345 6687). Open daily 9am-9pm. All major credit cards accepted.

LeNotre Paris
While everyone else is lining up for the nearby Lime Tree Café, LeNotre is likely to have a free table or two. Not because it has a bad reputation, but because most people aren't aware that it's there.
LeNotre Paris, Spinneys Centre (04 349 4433). Nr. Jumeirah Mosque, Beach Road. Open daily 8am-12 midnight. All major credit cards accepted.

Zone Lounge
Tucked way on the top floor of the upmarket Burjuman shopping complex, Zone is a surprisingly spacious café and restaurant that's the perfect place to plot your next business move.
Burjuman, Bur Dubai (04 355 8011). Open daily 10am - midnight. All major credit cards accepted.

Cigar Lounge
Leave everyone else behind at in the Jumeirah Emirates Towers lobby lounge, and head to the Cigar Lounge on the 10^th floor. You don't have to smoke, and the area is wide open to the towering hotel above it, so the air is clean. If you do feel like chugging on a stogie, however, there's an impressive selection available.
Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road (04 330 0000). Open daily 9am - midnight, except Fridays when it opens at 3pm. All major credit cards accepted.

Piano Bar
Tip-toe past the chop-stick wielding diners at the Crowne Plaza's Sakura, and through the double doors on the Japanese restaurant's far side, and you'll find yourself in a world of live jazz music and comfortable furniture. A night time oasis.
Crowne Plaza, Sheikh Zayed Road (04 331 1111). Open daily 6pm - 1.30am. All major credit cards accepted.

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