Italian Trattoria on Mina Seyahi Sand
Mare by Bussola is the toes-in-sand Italian beach restaurant at Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort — the long-running luxury resort that sits between Dubai Marina and the Palm on Al Sufouh's private 1km beach (one of the longest hotel beaches in Dubai). The restaurant is the modern reincarnation of Bussola — Westin Mina Seyahi's legacy Italian dining concept that has run on the property for over a decade — relaunched as a relaxed daytime-to-sunset beach concept rather than a formal evening trattoria.
The pitch is genuinely toes-in-sand Italian. The dining room sits directly on the resort's private beach with the Gulf metres away, palm-shaded outdoor tables on the sand, and the evening sun setting over the Marina skyline to the west. Day-pass guests get sunbed-and-towel access on the Mina Seyahi private beach (1km of sand, one of the longest at any Dubai hotel) and use Mare by Bussola as the lunch and evening dinner restaurant. The combination is properly different from competing beach-club concepts — this is a beach with a serious Italian restaurant attached, rather than a beach club with food.
The kitchen runs coastal Italian. Hand-rolled pasta (the carbonara is the most-ordered, the lobster spaghetti is the signature), wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, fresh seafood from a daily market (whole grilled sea bass, crudo plates), antipasti boards with proper salumi and Italian DOP cheeses, plus a substantial pizza section that anchors casual lunches. Drinks lean Italian — Aperol spritz, frozen Negroni, Italian wines (Falanghina, Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino, Aglianico), and Champagne. Compare Mare vs Twelfth Knot →
Where Mare by Bussola sits between Marina and Palm: the most food-led-with-beach-attached, the most Italian-coastal-coded, the most family-tolerant, and the longest-beachfront in the Mina Seyahi cluster. Couples and families looking for a serious Italian beach lunch, food-led visitors wanting a destination-restaurant beach day, and groups looking for a calm Mina Seyahi setting at accessible pricing should anchor here.
Check Availability
Day passes, cabanas & groups
Amenities at Mare by Bussola
Mare by Bussola is genuinely toes-in-sand Italian — outdoor tables sit directly on the Mina Seyahi private beach. The 1km beach is one of Dubai's longest hotel beaches and the venue's defining feature. Westin resort pool access typically included with day pass.
Photo Gallery
Editorial gallery — pending replacement with official venue photography.
Prices & Packages
| Package | When | Price | Min. Spend | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Day Pass | Mon–Thu | AED 200 | AED 200 F&B | Beach + pool access |
| Weekend Beach Pass | Fri–Sun | AED 350 | AED 350 F&B | Beach + pool access |
| Premium Lounger | Any day | AED 400 | AED 400 F&B | Front-row beach |
| Cabana (4 pax) | Any day | From AED 1,200 | AED 1,200 F&B | Beach cabana |
| Restaurant Reservation | Lunch/dinner | À la carte | — | Without sunbed |
| Sunday Italian Brunch | Sun | AED 350+ | Brunch package | Italian family brunch |
Day-pass charges 100% redeemable on food and drink. The beach day pass typically includes Westin Mina Seyahi resort pool access — confirm at booking. Restaurant-only reservations bookable separately. Sunday Italian brunch is the family flagship.
Coastal Italian
Pasta + Pizza + Sea Bass
The Mare kitchen runs coastal Italian — hand-rolled pasta with proper Italian technique, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas (the margherita stays close to the original recipe), fresh seafood from a small daily-market section, and antipasti boards built around proper Italian DOP cheeses (mozzarella di bufala, burrata Pugliese), salumi (Parma, San Daniele, finocchiona), and seasonal seafood crudo. The signature plates are the carbonara (most-ordered), the lobster spaghetti, and the whole grilled sea bass al sale.
Drinks are Italian aperitivo-led. Aperol spritz on tap, frozen Negronis, limoncello cocktails, plus an Italian wine list with Campania producers (Falanghina, Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino, Aglianico) alongside Prosecco di Valdobbiadene and Franciacorta. Service is multilingual, friendly, and used to managing the venue's mixed family-and-couples demographic across long lunches into evening dinners.
Menu Highlights
What to Know Before You Go
Dress Code
Italian-resort. Linen, light dresses, smart sandals. Cover-ups required leaving the beach. Smart-casual at the restaurant for dinner — no swim shorts. The Westin's longer-staying clientele dresses for the photogenic side.
Booking
Sunday Italian brunch sells out 5+ days ahead. Cabanas 5–7 days for weekends. Beach day passes usually walk-in mid-week. Restaurant-only dinner reservations 3+ days ahead.
Getting There
Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort, Al Sufouh Road. Hotel valet parking. 6 min from JBR Tram (Mina Seyahi station). 12 min from DMCC Metro by car.
Children
Welcomed across the day. The Italian kitchen, family-friendly portions, calm-water Mina Seyahi beach, and Westin resort facilities make Mare a properly family-tolerant Italian beach restaurant. Sunday brunch is family-targeted.
Budget Planning
Couples afternoon with Italian lunch: AED 700–1,200. Family of 4 weekday: AED 800 entry + AED 400–800 food = AED 1,200–1,600. Cabana of 4 with full Italian feast: AED 2,500–4,500. Restaurant-only dinner: AED 350–600 per person.
Bussola Heritage
Mare by Bussola is the modern reincarnation of Bussola — Westin Mina Seyahi's legacy Italian restaurant that ran on the property for over a decade. The kitchen retains the original Italian cooking standards while updating the format to a beach-restaurant rather than formal evening trattoria.
What Guests Say
"Genuinely toes-in-sand Italian — outdoor tables sat directly on the Mina Seyahi private beach with the Gulf metres away. The carbonara was hand-rolled and properly made. The wood-fired margherita was Neapolitan-correct. Sunset over the Marina skyline at 18:30 finished the meal beautifully."
"Brought the family — kids fit in, the 1km Mina Seyahi beach gave space to roam, the Italian kitchen kept everyone happy. Sunday brunch was the highlight: family-Italian-coded, the pasta and pizza stations were a hit with the kids. Better value than most Palm Jumeirah family venues."
"Beautiful long-beach setting, Italian kitchen at proper restaurant standard, accessible pricing. The Bussola heritage gives the venue a different food bar from the typical resort Italian. Skip if you wanted high-energy or a pool-club party — Mare is calm and food-led across the day."
Frequently Asked Questions
Toes-in-Sand
Coastal Italian
Mare by Bussola is Dubai's most genuinely toes-in-sand Italian beach restaurant. 1km Mina Seyahi private beach.
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