Editorial
Dubai's cocktail scene operates at the high end almost exclusively. UAE licensing ties most bars to hotels, which has produced some of the most polished hotel-bar cocktailing on the planet. The eight below cover DIFC, Downtown and Dubai Marina.
Galaxy Bar is a small DIFC room inspired by the Athenian night sky, and it has climbed the World's 50 Best Bars list into the top 25. The cocktails are precise and the space is intimate, closer to a lounge than a club. Reservations are wise. Best early evening for a seat at the bar. Go midweek to skip the DIFC weekend rush.
Cin Cin sits inside Fairmont Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road, a long, neon-lit room built around Italian aperitivo. The drinks list runs deep and the kitchen sends out oysters, tapas and a Wagyu burger. It works for a group as easily as a date. Best for the early aperitivo hour before the music lifts. The crowd builds after 9pm.
Zuma in DIFC is the Dubai outpost of the global Japanese izakaya group, and its bar ranks among the World's 50 Best, around number 38. The cocktails are polished and the room runs sleek and loud. Expect a dressed, moneyed crowd. Best for a drink at the bar before or after dinner. Book ahead, since the dining room and bar both fill fast.
Asia Asia sits on the sixth floor of Pier 7 in Dubai Marina, a pan-Asian restaurant and lounge with a wraparound terrace over the yacht bay. The cocktails lean theatrical and the view carries the room. It suits a celebration or a date more than a quiet drink. Best at sunset on the terrace. Reserve for weekends, when the lounge turns busy.
Lock, Stock & Barrel at the Grand Millennium in Barsha Heights is the casual end of this list, a New York-style bar with live music and a long happy hour. The cocktails are straightforward and the prices fairer than the DIFC rooms. The crowd comes to drink and dance. Best on a band night, midweek, before the floor fills after 10pm.
Long's Bar sits in the basement of Towers Rotana on Sheikh Zayed Road and claims the longest bar in the Middle East. It is a no-frills pub with a long happy hour, daily deals and a steady expat crowd. The drinks are simple and cheap by Dubai standards. Best for an unfussy after-work round or a ladies' night. Expect it busy early.
Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-Bar runs above Dubai Marina, an indoor-outdoor terrace with a pool and a view of the towers. The cocktails blend Eastern and Western flavours and the kitchen sends Mediterranean and Asian plates. It skews glossy and design-led. Best at sunset on the terrace, before the lounge music takes over. Book for weekends, when the deck fills early.
The Maine is a New England-style oyster bar and tavern, now on Palm Jumeirah alongside Club Vista Mare. The cocktails are classic and well made, the raw bar the draw, the room dark wood and brass. It suits a long dinner that drifts into drinks. Best for an early-evening seat at the bar. Weekend brunch turns it loud and full.
Folly by Nick and Scott spreads over several levels at Souk Madinat Jumeirah, with two outdoor terraced bars over the waterways and a view toward the Burj Al Arab. The kitchen holds Time Out Dubai's Best European restaurant title. Order: a craft cocktail on the terrace. Best time: early evening before dinner service fills the room.
Galaxy Bar and Zuma both sit on the World's 50 Best Bars list, and Cin Cin delivers serious Italian aperitivo. The eight above represent Dubai cocktailing at its peak, almost all of it inside hotels. Most rooms peak between 9pm and 11pm.
Fredrik Filipsson covers flagship-city bars for barsforKings. He rates Galaxy Bar for the most precise drinks in the city and Asia Asia for the Marina terrace.