$$$$Cocktail barJumeirahDaily 12:00-02:00
Mimi Kakushi sits inside the Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach resort in Dubai, a 1920s Osaka styled room ranked the best bar in the Middle East for 2025.
TipThe Kori Kakushi Martini is pre-batched, bottled and frozen in a block of ice, so it arrives ice cold; order it with the first round.
$$$$Listening barBusiness BaySun-Thu 19:30-02:00, Fri-Sat 19:30-03:00
Honeycomb Hi-Fi sits on the 2nd floor of Pullman Dubai Downtown, billed as the region's first listening bar, with vinyl, izakaya food and a record shop.
TipWeekly listening sessions with resident DJs draw a crowd, so check the schedule before choosing your night.
$$$$Cocktail barPalm JumeirahLunch Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00, Sat-Sun 12:30-15:30; dinner Sun-Thu 18:00-02:00, Fri-Sat 18:00-03:00
SUSHISAMBA occupies level 51 of The Palm Tower hotel in Dubai, mixing Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian small plates with a cocktail bar menu.
TipTwo lifts take you 230 metres up; ask for a window table for the view over the Palm, Ain Dubai and beyond.
$$$$Cocktail barJbrSun-Wed 17:00-02:00, Thu-Fri 17:00-03:00, Sat 16:00-03:00
Paradiso occupies the 9th floor of FIVE LUXE JBR in Dubai, a surrealist circus themed rooftop room pairing tapas with cocktails above The Walk.
TipThursday's Queen of Hearts ladies night starts at 19:00.
$$$$Cocktail barDowntown DubaiSun-Thu 17:00-00:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-01:00; lunch Fri-Sun 12:00-15:30
Nobu One Za'abeel occupies level 24 of The Link tower in Dubai, pairing its Japanese-Peruvian menu with a bar and lounge above Downtown Dubai.
TipAsk for lounge seating rather than the main dining room if you plan to linger over cocktails after the meal.
$$$$Cocktail barDubai MarinaDaily 18:00-01:00
City Social occupies the 43rd floor of Grosvenor House in Dubai Marina, a Jason Atherton room serving wood-fired European dishes, with a bar above the Palm.
TipThe bar looks out over Palm Jumeirah, a good first stop before dinner.
$$$$Cocktail barBusiness BaySun-Wed 12:00-00:00, Thu-Sat 12:00-02:00
High Society is the 30th floor bar of The Lana hotel in Business Bay, facing the Burj Khalifa, with a menu of light bites by chef Jean Imbert.
TipBook a table facing the Burj Khalifa, which the bar looks straight onto from the 30th floor.
$$$$Cocktail barPalm JumeirahDaily 17:00-04:00
The Penthouse tops FIVE Palm Jumeirah on the 16th floor, a rooftop lounge and nightclub with a terrace that looks across to the Marina skyline.
TipIt opens at 17:00, well before the club crowd, so come for sunset on the Marina terrace.
$$$$Cocktail barDowntown DubaiMon-Fri, Sun 12:00-03:00, Sat 12:30-03:00
CE LA VI spans the 54th floor of the Address Sky View hotel in Downtown Dubai, combining a restaurant, sky bar and pool deck above the skyline.
TipThe terrace looks straight onto the Burj Khalifa, so ask for it when you book.
$$$$Cocktail barUmm SuqeimDaily 18:00-00:00
Bahri Bar looks out from the Jumeirah Mina A'Salam hotel in Dubai over the waterways of Madinat Jumeirah, pouring Silk Route spiced cocktails.
TipCome for sunset: the bar pairs its Silk Route cocktails with live music and burgers in the evening.
$$$$Cocktail barDifcMon-Wed 18:00-02:00, Thu-Sat 18:00-03:00, closed Sun
Alma Bar sits inside Sucre on the DIFC Podium Level in Dubai, a Soho-born cocktail room with live bands, resident DJs and digital art behind the stage.
TipLive music starts at 21:00 on Wednesdays.
$$$$Cocktail barBusiness BayDaily 09:00-23:00, afternoon tea 15:00-19:00
S Bar sits on the 71st floor of SLS Dubai in Business Bay, pouring cocktails behind floor to ceiling windows, with a non-alcoholic menu and afternoon tea.
TipGo for the afternoon tea seating first, then stay on for cocktails once the sun drops behind the towers.
$$$$Cocktail barDubai MarinaMon-Thu, Sun 18:00-01:00; Fri 18:00-02:00; Sat 13:00-16:00, 18:00-00:00
Attiko sits on level 31 of W Dubai Mina Seyahi hotel in Dubai Marina, a high energy rooftop for sundowners that runs into a late Dubai night out.
TipFloor to ceiling windows frame the Palm Jumeirah; come for sunset before the DJs take over.
$$$$Cocktail barPalm JumeirahDaily 16:00-02:00
Above Eleven sits 14 floors up at the Marriott Resort on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, a Bangkok-born rooftop pairing Nikkei fusion food with cocktails.
TipAsk for a rail seat facing the Marina rather than the bar side, since the purple-lit terrace is the main draw.
$$$$Cocktail barDifcDaily 17:00-03:00
Luna sits on level 8 of the Four Seasons Hotel DIFC, an Adam Tihany designed rooftop lounge with Burj Khalifa views and the Churchill Club cigar room.
TipThe Churchill Club cigar lounge sits just off the main terrace if you want a quieter corner after a drink.
$$$$Cocktail barUmm SuqeimDaily 17:00-01:00
Rialto Bar at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Dubai is a 1950s inspired Italian bar for aperitivo before or after dinner at the hotel's Rialto restaurants.
TipPair a pre-dinner spritz here with a table at Rialto next door.
$$$$Cocktail barDubai MarinaDaily 16:00-01:00
The Red Leopard Room hides behind burgundy curtains off the W Dubai Mina Seyahi lobby, a House of Negroni speakeasy tracing the drink to modern twists.
TipAsk the bartender to start with a classic Negroni before moving on to the contemporary twists, so the comparison makes sense.
$$$$Cocktail barDubai MarinaMon-Fri 17:00-01:00, Sat 13:00-01:00, Sun 14:00-01:00
Asia Asia occupies level 6 of Pier 7 in Dubai Marina, Dubai, an Ancient Spice Route styled restaurant and bar with a terrace over the yacht bay.
TipBook the terrace for the view over the Marina; weekend afternoons bring a Saturday brunch.
$$$$Cocktail barPalm JumeirahTue 17:00-01:00, Wed-Sat 17:00-02:00, closed Sun-Mon
Barfly by Buddha-Bar tops the Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah hotel, a neo-baroque Dubai rooftop pairing Asian fusion plates with signature cocktails.
TipThe rooftop looks over the Palm Jumeirah land and seascape; come for sunset.
$$$$Cocktail barUmm SuqeimMon-Thu 17:00-02:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-03:00, Sun 12:00-02:00
Trader Vic's Madinat has poured Mai Tais at Souk Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai since 2004, a Polynesian room with live music and tiki carvings inside.
TipThe Cuban band plays most evenings, so ask for a table near the small stage rather than the quieter back room.
$$$$PubSheikh Zayed RoadDaily 08:00-03:00
Fibber Magee's is a Sheikh Zayed Road Irish pub behind Saeed Tower 1 in Dubai, with Guinness on tap, live bands most nights and sport on big screens.
TipMatch days fill the screens fast, so book ahead if you want a table rather than standing room at the bar.
$$$$Cocktail barJbrTue 16:00-22:00, Wed-Fri 16:00-23:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-23:00, closed Mon
Swingers pairs crazy golf with craft cocktails and food from Club Sushi, Mateo's Pizza and The Grill on Bluewaters island in Dubai, with live DJs.
TipWalk-ins queue at peak evening hours, so book a tee time online rather than turning up without a slot.
$$$$PubJltMon-Thu 12:00-02:00, Fri 12:00-03:00, Sat 10:00-03:00, Sun 10:00-02:00
McGettigan's JLT is the Cluster J branch of the Irish pub group in Jumeirah Lake Towers, with Irish and American pub food and live sport on screens.
TipTuesday brings a quiz night from 20:00 alongside taco specials.
$$$$PubSheikh Zayed RoadDaily 12:00-03:00
Long's Bar runs the length of the Towers Rotana hotel basement on Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road, home to the longest bar found in the Middle East.
TipFootball days pack out the 20 screens fast, so book a table if you want to sit rather than watch from the bar.
$$$$PubDubai MarinaSun 12:30-23:00, Mon-Thu 16:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-00:00
The Croft runs from the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel on the Marina waterfront in Dubai, a British gastropub with a garden terrace out the back.
TipThe terrace overlooking the Marina waterscape is the better seat than the tables near the open kitchen.