Editorial
Dubai's beer scene lives inside hotels, held there by the city's licensing rules, but the good rooms are worth finding. The 5 below are the pubs and gastropubs we could confirm are open and pouring in 2026, the ones built around beer rather than a view or a cocktail list. We dropped several names from the older list that had closed, moved off beer, or could not be verified.
Long's Bar stretches along the ground floor of the Towers Rotana on Sheikh Zayed Road, and for years it held the record for the longest bar in the Middle East. The crowd is after-work expat, loud and easy, with draught lines and a kitchen that runs late. Come for the weekday deals, grab a stool at the rail, and settle in. For drinkers who want an unfussy pint without a dress code.
Lock, Stock & Barrel in Barsha Heights pairs an industrial room with live bands and a kitchen that has been crowned best bar food in Dubai. The seasonal craft beer list and boilermakers are the draw, and the music keeps the late hours moving. Go on a band night, order a boilermaker and the wings. For drinkers who want their beer with a stage and a late crowd.
McGettigan's anchors Jumeirah Lakes Towers with the busiest Irish welcome in the city, equal parts sports screens, live music and a long beer list. The JLT flagship fills with a mixed expat crowd that treats it like a local. Catch a match or a live session, order a Guinness and the fish and chips. Best on a weekend afternoon when the terrace opens up. For drinkers who want community over polish.
The Irish Village has poured pints in Garhoud since 1996, and its garden beside the tennis stadium remains one of Dubai's great outdoor drinking spots. The taps run wide, from Scotland and Japan to the Netherlands, with craft varieties alongside the Guinness. Come in the cooler months, take a table under the trees, and let an afternoon stretch. For drinkers who want history and open air over a hotel bar.
Reform Social & Grill brings a British country-pub feel to The Lakes, with a garden, a fireplace room and cask ale poured the way it should be. The kitchen leans into pies and Sunday roasts built for a long table. Bring friends on a Sunday, order a cask pint and the roast, and stay through the afternoon. For drinkers who want a proper gastropub away from the towers.
Start with the long bars and Irish institutions, Long's Bar and McGettigan's, where the beer list is deep and the welcome is loud. The Irish Village garden is the move in the cooler months, and Reform Social & Grill keeps the cask ale flowing in The Lakes. Most rooms peak between 8 and 10pm.