The smart and sleek beach club wows with its dishes and drinks.
Beach clubs come and come in Dubai, and many sink before they can swim. BCH:CLB has opened in W Dubai – The Palm, and we were swept away by the sophisticated spot. Bringing together art, entertainment and music, we loved the chilled yet classy Mediterranean vibes.
W Dubai – The Palm is already home to the brilliant WET Deck. To avoid confusion BCH: CLB’s entrance is via a smart shop selling swimwear and accessories, and the stairs lead to a sleek space.
BCH:CLB looks like it has come straight out of Miami Vice. The clean and contemporary design boasts whites with pops of colour and plenty of personality. The décor sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it actually succeeds. The white floors, sun loungers and cabanas were punctuated by rainbow colours, chairs and tables, as if we’d entered a Rubik’s Cube. Plus, there were dashes of orange across the towels and umbrellas.
BCH:CLB includes two spaces with floating beds across the infinity pool and loungers by the bar. We sat in a prime position on the floating beds, soaking up the sunlight and stunning views of the Arabian Gulf, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah. We could literally dip our toes into the water from the bed, and perch with piña coladas and plates. Note: the floating beds currently do not have umbrellas.
The staff were friendly, fast, and knowledgeable about the menu. BCH: CLB’s menu is inspired by the Mediterranean, and incudes fresh, flavourful dishes. Vegetarian and non-alcoholic options were covered, and they were happy to go off-menu with creative concoctions.
At most beach clubs, the focus is on drinks rather than dishes. BCH: CLB’s food was so impressive, it got us talking about our next trip. Superb for sharing, the dishes included salads, skewers and sliders.
The Watermelon and Feta combined juicy orange chunks with cool mint. The Mountain Toast was a decadent delight, and came with three pieces of brioche topped with caviar, truffle and Wagyu beef. We even finished the sides of Crispy Potatoes and Broccolini – if broccoli tasted this good, with a seasoning of soft spices, we would have no trouble finishing our greens.
BCH: CLB’s drinks span cocktails, pitchers, beer and wine. The spritzes range from the Bittersweety with Aperol and Processo, to the Gummy Bear Pool Party with Beefeater Gin. Plus, the classics include the Naughty Colada, which is served in a coconut with the brand’s logo.
As we visited on a Sunday, the vibe was calm yet cool. Thanks to BCH: CLB’s adults-only policy, it balanced the party atmosphere without being pretentious. While we did spot a few influencers in the wild, the crowd was more mature.
So many beach clubs in Dubai have the same soundtrack, but BCH: CLB’s music was perfectly on point. It felt like we were transported to Ibiza during the day. The DJ played remixes of The Weeknd and Whitney Houston, while the live entertainment included drummers and dancers.
BCH:CLB is swimming to success.
Entry to BCH:CLB starts from AED 300 on weekdays, and AED 350 on weekends.
GO: Follow @bchclbdxb on Instagram for more information.
