Inside Dubai’s latest beach club: SoulBeach at JA The Resort

Swim, dance and dine the day away at the adult-only venue, which opened in February

SoulBeach DXB opened at JA The Resort on February 4. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National

The pool is flanked by a 26-metre sunbed.

There is a sprawling private stretch of white-sand beach, with loungers and colourful cushions galore.

Beach-side seating at SoulBeach.

Cabanas look out onto the yacht-lined marina and the venue’s central infinity pool.

The Mediterranean-inspired menu includes burrata and fresh salads.

Lobster salad with avocado and blackened cherry tomatoes.

The adults-only beach club is open from 10am to 10pm.

Even in the bright winter sun, it’s hard to take in SoulBeach at a single glance.

The 3,000-square-metre space, which opened in Dubai on February 4, is the sum of many vibrant parts – as any day-to-night beach club worth its salt ought to be.

Comfy cabanas look out onto the yacht-lined marina of JA The Resort on one end and the venue’s central infinity pool on the other. At the poolside is a 26-metre sunbed.

There is also an airy indoor seating area to the right of the pool and to its left is a sprawling private stretch of white-sand beach, with loungers and colourful cushions galore.

Two bars – one of them by the beach – can cater to as many as 3,500 guests at full capacity.

The vibe

Come sundown, resident DJ Shehzad K, perched high above the beach, turns up the volume and pace of house music, all the better for patrons to appreciate SoulBeach’s daily sunset ritual.

This concept takes its cues from Ibiza’s popular party hot spots and involves a host of flamboyant performers entertaining and enthralling guests.

On the night we visit, grinning fire breathers, Maori poi dancers and Rapunzel-esque aerial artists swaying from sky to earth in gravity-defying contraptions personify SoulBeach’s founding philosophy: where everything comes to life.

The venue is also set to host a midweek ladies' day out, Saturday pool party, Sunday brunch and so on. Regular visits will cost from Dh150 per person, of which Dh100 is redeemable on food and drink for the duration of your stay.

The food

If you are planning on making a day of it, all that sea breeze, swimming and dancing is bound to whet the appetite. Unlike many of its beach-club contemporaries, SoulBeach has a ginormous menu prepared by French chef Fredie Fouad, who has worked at various Michelin-starred kitchens in Gstaad, Monaco, Paris and London.

Offering nearly 50 dishes, Fouad aims to channel flavours of the Mediterranean, specifically the South of France via his offerings.

Start with fougasse bread with a choice of flavourful dips – from paprika-smoked feta and olive tapenade, to labneh and tzatziki – followed by light bites that take in burrata, ceviche, salads and meatballs. The chef recommends the French Riviera tuna salad (Dh50).

Mains range from Dh60 to Dh270, and are divided into freshly grilled meats and seafood, the catch of the day served by the kilogram and other hot options such as pasta, roasted baby chicken and smoked short rib.

The evening may wind up early, by a regular Dubai partygoer’s standards, at 10pm, but end yours on a sweet note with Fouad’s classic desserts – Eton mess, chocolate mousse and peach Melba are all on the menu, for Dh45 a pop.

SoulBeach is open daily from 10am to 10pm. Entry is for people aged 21 and above, at Dh150 per person from Monday to Friday, of which Dh100 is redeemable on food and drink; and Dh200 on Saturday and Sunday, with Dh150 redeemable. Cabanas have a minimum spend of Dh500 on weekdays and Dh2,000 on weekends. To make a booking, call 04 814 5126