The 6 Best Bars & Nightlife in Dubai

The beating heart of Dubai's underground electronic scene, a small, unpretentious room with a serious sound system that draws respected house and techno DJs plus a Wednesday live-jazz night. Come for the music and the crowd of genuine heads rather than the frills, and there is no dress code. The caveat: it is dark, sweaty and only really comes alive on club nights, so it is not the spot for a polished cocktail or a quiet chat.

A proper British gastropub and a genuine neighborhood local, with a wood-panelled bar, a big garden terrace and one of the better craft beer and Sunday-roast offerings in the city. Come for a relaxed pint, pub quiz or fireside cocktail away from the towers and tourists. The caveat: it sits in a residential suburb with no metro access, so you will need a car or taxi to get there.

Dubai's most reliable live music venue, an intimate supper-club room that books genuinely good local and touring jazz, soul and funk acts most nights of the week. Book a table near the stage, order cocktails and pizza, and enjoy a real performance rather than background music. The caveat: the PizzaExpress name undersells it and the food is casual, but you are here for the music and the ticketed shows, which sell out for bigger names.

An intimate, jewel-box cocktail bar in DIFC seating only around 30 guests, with a domed ceiling designed to mimic the night sky over Athens. It is an industry darling and past World's 50 Best Bars entrant, so come for precise, produce-led signature cocktails and impeccable service. The caveat: the tiny capacity means reservations are essential and walk-ins are usually turned away, and prices match the exclusivity.

The Dubai outpost of the globally celebrated izakaya, where the bar in its own right is a destination for polished sake-forward and Japanese-inflected cocktails. Grab a seat at the bar or terrace for a martini and robata bites without committing to the full dinner. The caveat: it is a long-standing corporate and tourist favorite, so it is loud, busy and priced accordingly, with weekend evenings especially heaving.

A rooftop bar and restaurant perched 14 floors above the Palm, serving Peruvian-Japanese Nikkei plates and pisco-based cocktails with sweeping views over the Marina skyline and Burj Al Arab. Come for sunset, order a pisco sour and the ceviche, and settle in as the DJ warms up. The caveat: it is a proper rooftop scene that gets busy and buzzy, so it is better for atmosphere and views than a quiet conversation.