Phileas Fogg in Emirates Hills has closed: Here’s why this local gem meant so much to its community residents

Dubai: Phileas Fogg at Emirates Hills, the ultimate family-friendly sports lounge, has switched operators — but for those of us who found comfort there, in athleisure or in silence, it still feels like a real goodbye.

For those of us living near The Springs, The Meadows, The Lakes or The Greens, Phileas wasn’t a place you booked a table — it was a place you landed. You didn’t dress up for it.

It was the rare Dubai spot where you could walk in alone and not feel alone. A place where you could be invisible if you needed me-time, or instantly part of a community if you were in the mood to engage. It was lived-in. Familiar. Local — in a city that usually prides itself on being global. And that’s exactly what made it irreplaceable.

A Place that grew with us, but never outgrew us

Phileas Fogg’s began as a cosy 4,000-square-foot nook, the kind of neighbourhood refuge that felt cosy. Then it expanded—dramatically—into a sprawling 40,000-square-foot destination. It added terraces, quiz nights that became legendary, brunches that turned into rituals, and sports nights where strangers would high-five each other like lifelong mates. But despite the evolution, it never lost its heartbeat.

Their farewell letter captured this spirit perfectly: “You made this more than a venue. You made it a pure heart in Dubai’s ever-evolving F&B world.”

And that’s exactly what it was—a heart. In a city that often feels like it’s designed for the next big thing, Phileas was that rare constant. It gave Dubai something money can’t manufacture: warmth.

More than memories

There were no velvet ropes here, no pressure to post your location or tag your presence. You could come in athleisure or a linen suit and be treated exactly the same. It was a leveller. A melting pot. A place where golfers came to toast a good swing, where new arrivals made their first Dubai friends, where groups returned week after week to compete in quizzes that became the stuff of local legend.

The reactions on social media this week say everything. People aren’t just sharing favourite dishes—they’re sharing eras of their life.

“If I had to pick just one special memory, it would be E23—53 teams, whole terrace full, people sitting indoors and in the bar, orange tree blooming behind us. Those were the nights.”

Sample this: “My local for two years when I lived in The Springs. This place saw every chapter of my Dubai story.”

“We walked in on 20th February like any other day. Now we realise it was the last time. Places like this aren’t supposed to close. They’re supposed to stay in your life forever.”

Ironically, their official statement was poetic, emotional, and raw: they spoke of building this venue from the ground up during the pandemic, of the dream team that poured their hearts into it, of the joy it brought. The line that stood out: “We may not have dotted every ‘I’ perfectly, but the memories are etched in gold.” They are.

As the keys pass to a new operator, the founders wrote not with bitterness, but with grace—acknowledging that life moves on, but memories must be honoured. Rarely does a business closure read like a love letter. Phileas Fogg’s exit does.

And the best bit? Phileas Fogg’s didn’t try to be iconic. It became iconic by simply being there—through our celebrations and our quiet Tuesdays.

As their farewell note ended: “Here’s to you, our explorers and dreamers. Thank you for flying with us. Up, up and away.”

But for many of us, a part of us will remain right here—on that terrace overlooking the greens, coffee in hand, heart full, knowing that in a city built for the extraordinary, sometimes the most extraordinary thing of all… is belonging.