30 editor picks across United Arab Emirates.
30 bars worth the trip across United Arab Emirates, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All United Arab Emirates guides.
Hidden Bar at Rosewood Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island pours a curated gin collection and house-infused vermouths, open daily from 17:00 to 03:00.
TipSundowners run daily from 17:00 to 19:00: two drinks from the sundowner list with a cutlery-free canape selection.
Mimi Kakushi sits inside the Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach resort in Dubai, a 1920s Osaka styled room ranked the best bar in the Middle East for 2025.
TipThe Kori Kakushi Martini is pre-batched, bottled and frozen in a block of ice, so it arrives ice cold; order it with the first round.
Library Bar is the cocktail bar of The Abu Dhabi EDITION at Al Bateen Marina, its walls hung with art inspired by language and the written word.
TipHead mixologist Ryan Remulta leads the bar, and a Japanese-inspired cocktail menu launched there on 3 July 2026.
Sorso is the bar at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal in Al Maqta, with deep red interiors, dark wood and portraits of Sheikh Zayed's horses.
TipSorso opens an hour earlier on Saturdays, at 16:00, and keeps a cigar menu alongside the cocktail list.
Ray's Bar sits on Level 62 of Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, with signature cocktails, snacks, DJ sets and views over the Abu Dhabi skyline.
TipSeating is split between smoking and non-smoking areas, according to the Visit Abu Dhabi listing.
Honeycomb Hi-Fi sits on the 2nd floor of Pullman Dubai Downtown, billed as the region's first listening bar, with vinyl, izakaya food and a record shop.
TipWeekly listening sessions with resident DJs draw a crowd, so check the schedule before choosing your night.
The St. Regis Bar is the hotel bar at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi on the Corniche, a three-space room styled on New York's Gilded Age, open from 09:00 to 01:00.
TipThe hotel page lists the bar open every day from 09:00 to 01:00 and calls it a destination for an early afternoon soiree through to late evening drinks.
Al Hanah Bar is the lobby-level bar at Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri in Abu Dhabi, with signature drinks, a balcony for sunsets and a cigar lounge next door.
TipGuests under 21 are not permitted in the bar, and smoking and non-smoking guests are both accommodated.
SUSHISAMBA occupies level 51 of The Palm Tower hotel in Dubai, mixing Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian small plates with a cocktail bar menu.
TipTwo lifts take you 230 metres up; ask for a window table for the view over the Palm, Ain Dubai and beyond.
Paradiso occupies the 9th floor of FIVE LUXE JBR in Dubai, a surrealist circus themed rooftop room pairing tapas with cocktails above The Walk.
TipThursday's Queen of Hearts ladies night starts at 19:00.
Nobu One Za'abeel occupies level 24 of The Link tower in Dubai, pairing its Japanese-Peruvian menu with a bar and lounge above Downtown Dubai.
TipAsk for lounge seating rather than the main dining room if you plan to linger over cocktails after the meal.
City Social occupies the 43rd floor of Grosvenor House in Dubai Marina, a Jason Atherton room serving wood-fired European dishes, with a bar above the Palm.
TipThe bar looks out over Palm Jumeirah, a good first stop before dinner.
Glo is the poolside lounge at Rosewood Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island, serving cocktails and wine in the lounge daily from 11:00 to 01:00 with skyline views.
TipGolden Hour runs daily from 16:00 to 19:00, and Sip & Social for Her takes over the lounge every Tuesday from 18:00 to 22:00.
Cooper's Gastrobar is the gastropub at Park Rotana in Abu Dhabi, with a pet-friendly terrace, big-screen sport, live entertainment and a hotel brunch.
TipCooper's was Highly Commended for Favourite Pub Grub and Favourite Hotel Brunch at the What's On Awards Abu Dhabi 2026, per its own site.
The Manhattan Lounge is the lobby-level bar at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi, with an indoor bar and a terrace, open daily 16:00 to 00:00.
TipChoose between the indoor bar and the outside terrace; both look out over Saadiyat Island.
Art Lounge is an outdoor rooftop bar at the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum on Saadiyat Island, with skyline views, drinks and light bites, open Tuesday to Sunday.
TipBarrière Group operates the lounge, which stays open after 18:30 according to Visit Abu Dhabi; Maps and Visit Abu Dhabi both list it closed on Mondays.
High Society is the 30th floor bar of The Lana hotel in Business Bay, facing the Burj Khalifa, with a menu of light bites by chef Jean Imbert.
TipBook a table facing the Burj Khalifa, which the bar looks straight onto from the 30th floor.
The Penthouse tops FIVE Palm Jumeirah on the 16th floor, a rooftop lounge and nightclub with a terrace that looks across to the Marina skyline.
TipIt opens at 17:00, well before the club crowd, so come for sunset on the Marina terrace.
CE LA VI spans the 54th floor of the Address Sky View hotel in Downtown Dubai, combining a restaurant, sky bar and pool deck above the skyline.
TipThe terrace looks straight onto the Burj Khalifa, so ask for it when you book.
Bahri Bar looks out from the Jumeirah Mina A'Salam hotel in Dubai over the waterways of Madinat Jumeirah, pouring Silk Route spiced cocktails.
TipCome for sunset: the bar pairs its Silk Route cocktails with live music and burgers in the evening.
Alma Bar sits inside Sucre on the DIFC Podium Level in Dubai, a Soho-born cocktail room with live bands, resident DJs and digital art behind the stage.
TipLive music starts at 21:00 on Wednesdays.
Bridges Bar at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi pairs live sport on screens with drinks and pub fare, and it is open daily from 16:00 until 02:00.
TipHappy hours run daily from 16:00 to 20:00, the first four hours after the bar opens.
PJ O'Reilly's Irish Pub is the poolside pub at Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi on Khalifa Street, open until 02:00 and until 04:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
TipPJ's lists its Longest Happy Hour daily from 12:00 to 20:00, with drinks from AED 30.
Hamilton's Gastropub is the pub at Saadiyat Rotana Resort and Villas on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, serving burgers, ribs and sharing plates with a terrace.
TipChef Ilya's approach centres on fermentation, and the outdoor terrace suits relaxed evenings under the stars.
WET Deck is the adults-only rooftop pool bar at W Abu Dhabi on Yas Island, with cocktails and resident DJs, and it is open daily from 08:00 until 01:00.
TipThe deck is adults only, and resident DJs provide the beats at the rooftop pool.
S Bar sits on the 71st floor of SLS Dubai in Business Bay, pouring cocktails behind floor to ceiling windows, with a non-alcoholic menu and afternoon tea.
TipGo for the afternoon tea seating first, then stay on for cocktails once the sun drops behind the towers.
Attiko sits on level 31 of W Dubai Mina Seyahi hotel in Dubai Marina, a high energy rooftop for sundowners that runs into a late Dubai night out.
TipFloor to ceiling windows frame the Palm Jumeirah; come for sunset before the DJs take over.
Above Eleven sits 14 floors up at the Marriott Resort on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, a Bangkok-born rooftop pairing Nikkei fusion food with cocktails.
TipAsk for a rail seat facing the Marina rather than the bar side, since the purple-lit terrace is the main draw.
Luna sits on level 8 of the Four Seasons Hotel DIFC, an Adam Tihany designed rooftop lounge with Burj Khalifa views and the Churchill Club cigar room.
TipThe Churchill Club cigar lounge sits just off the main terrace if you want a quieter corner after a drink.
Rialto Bar at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Dubai is a 1950s inspired Italian bar for aperitivo before or after dinner at the hotel's Rialto restaurants.
TipPair a pre-dinner spritz here with a table at Rialto next door.
Water activity · 3 hours
Indulge in an Omakase sushi menu aboard a luxury superyacht cruise in Dubai. Enjoy free-flowing bubbly, premium drinks, and cocktails while taking in breathtaking view...
2.5 hours
Experience romance on the stunning Palm Jumeirah in Dubai with a sunset beach dinner for two. Indulge in a 3-course menu and prosecco, with the city's skyline as your ...
Private tour · 5 - 6 hours
Discover Dubai’s top sights in a premium business-class vehicle on a private guided tour, including the Frame, Burj Khalifa, Blue Mosque, Bluewaters Island, Old Town, ...