Dubai's bar scene operates at the high-end almost exclusively. Bars must be inside hotels (alcohol licensing rule), which has produced some of the most polished hotel-bar drinking on the planet. The 10 below cover DIFC, Downtown and Dubai Marina — the three drinking quadrants. Reservations are essential everywhere; smart-casual minimum dress code applies to most.
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The 10 best bars in Dubai
01 · Dubai
DIFC
$$$$
Restaurant bar · Glass-walled
The bar at Zuma — the cocktails are as good as the sushi, which is saying something. One of the region's most respected programs.
Order: Sake-based concoction off the seasonal menu
02 · Dubai
Burj Al Arab
$$$$
27th floor · Burj Al Arab
On the 27th floor of the Burj Al Arab. The Dubai iconic-view bar. Reservations essential for non-guests. The cocktails are inventive and theatrical.
Order: Whatever's the gold-themed signature
03 · Dubai
Downtown
$$$
Italian aperitivo · Modern
Italian aperitivo-themed bar in Downtown. Negroni-led program, exceptional vermouth list. The most serious aperitivo drinking in the Gulf.
Order: A Negroni Bianco + Italian charcuterie
04 · Dubai
Meydan
$$$
Multi-format · DJ programming
Multi-room entertainment complex. Cocktail bar, garden lounge, club. The Dubai late-night option for serious drinking plus dancing.
Order: A signature on the garden terrace
05 · Dubai
JBR
$$
American-style cocktails
American-style cocktail bar in JBR. Long bar, late-night kitchen, classics-driven menu. The Dubai bar that feels most New York.
Order: An old fashioned at the long bar
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06 · Dubai
Trade Centre
$
Pub · 1996
Operating since 1996 at the Towers Rotana. The longest bar in the Middle East. Casual, cheap by Dubai standards, late hours.
Order: A pint + a dart game
07 · Dubai
Downtown
$$$$
63rd floor · Burj Khalifa view
On the 63rd floor of the Address Downtown. Direct view of the Burj Khalifa fountains below. Polished cocktail program.
Order: A spritz with the Burj Khalifa view
08 · Dubai
Dubai Marina
$$$
Asian-themed · Pier 7
Asian-spirit-led cocktail bar at Pier 7. Sake, soju and shochu programs, Asian-fusion small plates. Atmospheric, themed, surprisingly serious.
Order: A drink built around their reserve sake
09 · Dubai
Grosvenor House
$$$
Marina view · DJ
On top of Grosvenor House. Buddha-Bar offshoot. Strong DJ programming, marina view, Asian-leaning cocktail program.
Order: An Asian-spirit-led signature
10 · Dubai
DIFC
$$$
Speakeasy · Reservations
DIFC speakeasy. World's 50 Best Bars top-25 fixture. Reservations essential. Galactic-theme menus, technically rigorous drinks.
Order: Whatever's on this year's award-winning menu
More Dubai bars by categoryCocktail, rooftop, hidden gem — the full Dubai index.
See the full list
How Dubai's bar scene works
Every serious bar in Dubai sits inside a hotel — that's the licensing reality. Zuma's bar is Dubai's most consistently excellent room. Gold on 27 (Burj Al Arab rooftop) is the iconic-view experience. The new generation (Cin Cin, Soho Garden) brings world-class cocktail technique. Most bars peak between 9 and 11 PM; weekend brunches pour through to 5 PM.
