Dubai's cocktail scene rewards drinkers who know where to look. The cocktail bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

What unites the ten? The bartenders care. The rooms feel right at the time of night they are designed for. The drinks list reads clearly without showing off. We rate classic cocktails and seasonal house creations and the small things that turn a one-and-done visit into a regular's habit: an unhurried welcome, a warm room temperature in winter, a cool one in summer, and a bartender who remembers your name on the second visit.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Dubai or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten cocktail bars that any serious drinker in Dubai would tell you to put on the list.

The list

01

100 Anvers

MARINA · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

100 Anvers draws a steady local crowd in Marina. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
02

1701 Sheesha Lounge

JBR · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

1701 Sheesha Lounge draws a steady local crowd in JBR. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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03

40 Kong Dubai

THE CENTRE · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

40 Kong sits on the 40th floor of the H Hotel with one of Downtown Dubai's most direct views of the Burj Khalifa fountain show. The horseshoe terrace wraps the . Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

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04

Anasa at Saadiyat Beach

JUMEIRAH · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Anasa at Saadiyat Beach draws a steady local crowd in Jumeirah. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

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05

Asia Asia

MARINA · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Asia Asia draws a steady local crowd in Marina. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
06

Bistro Des Arts Bar

JBR · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Bistro Des Arts Bar draws a steady local crowd in JBR. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →
07

Bla Bla Beach Club

JBR · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Bla Bla Beach Club draws a steady local crowd in JBR. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Full review →
08

Cassette Lounge

MARASI BAY · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Cassette Lounge draws a steady local crowd in Marasi Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

Full review →
09

Cin Cin Dubai

WELCOME WEEKDAYS PRICE RANGEFull review →
10

Cle Dubai Dubai

THE CENTRE · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Cle is Greg Malouf's DIFC restaurant-bar with a long late-night programme that pulls the finance crowd off-shift after 10pm. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →

By neighbourhood at a glance

Centre: 40 Kong Dubai, Cle Dubai Dubai. JBR: 1701 Sheesha Lounge, Bistro Des Arts Bar, Bla Bla Beach Club. Jumeirah: Anasa at Saadiyat Beach. Marasi Bay: Cassette Lounge. Marina: 100 Anvers, Asia Asia. welcome weekdays Price Range"You'll know which of these ten cocktail bars matches your night within the first sip."

Want more Dubai? Our full Dubai bar guide covers every neighbourhood and every category. For the broader category index, see all cocktail bars worldwide. And if you have a recommendation we missed, tell us — our editors review every reader submission.