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 Dubai and the United Arab Emirates are of course
Muslim - but expatriates are allowed alcohol
licenses to buy and consume alcohol in their
homes and bars, restaurants, pubs and clubs
also have special licenses allowing them
to sell alcohol to non-Muslim clientele
over the age of 21
In Dubai Alcohol is tolerated, with non-Muslims
allowed to imbibe alcohol in the city's
bars, restaurants, clubs and hotels. Indeed,
it is easy to forget all about the local
attitudes to alcohol when on a wild night
out in a city whose nightlife is increasingly
nefarious. Although non-Muslims are the
only people officially allowed to drink,
often you can find Dubai Arabs enjoying
a pint in one of the many bars.There are
no specific nightlife districts as many
of the best bars are in the big tourist
hotels, which are situated throughout the
city. Many of these are open until 0100
or 0200.
A cheaper and livelier option is the independent
bars that are dotted around town. Happy
hours are common, with Thursday and Saturday
the biggest nights for going out. Tuesdays
and Sundays are often ‘Ladies Night’, with
female revelers receiving free drinks. A
beer is generally in the region of Dh15-20.
The legal drinking age is 21. Licensing
hours vary greatly, as many of the hotel
bars are allowed to open and close whenever
they want. Closing time is normally around
0100 or 0200. The club scene is a curious
one, with nightclubs often delineated along
ethnic and national lines. Increasingly,
big name DJs are being attracted to Dubai,
as a Western-style clubbing scene starts
to develop. By law, clubs must close at
0300. Many clubs are over-25 only. Dress
codes for bars are generally relaxed, although
some bars and all clubs insist on no jeans,
trainers or sandals.
A
more mellow night out can be had at one
of Dubai’s coffee houses, where you can
smoke apple-flavored tobacco from a shisha
pipe. The weekly listings magazine, Timeout,
can be found in many hotels, offering a
full rundown of what is happening at night
in Dubai. Hotel concierges are also often
able to provide guests with the latest nightlife
information.
Bars: One of the oldest ex-pat bars, The Irish
Village , Aviation Club, off Al-Garhoud
Road, is still going strong, with a good
range of beers and an outdoor seating area.
It faces stiff competition from more recent
arrivals, such as Carter's , The Pyramids,
Wafi Centre, a stylish haunt of the 20-
and 30-something brigade. Monday night happy
hour is something of a local institution,
with all cocktails priced at Dh10. Even
more stylish is the minimalist Ginseng ,
Wafi City, with its mood lighting, Asian
themed decor and first-rate cocktails. The
lowest common denominator is catered for
at Rock Bottom , Regent Place Hotel, Bur
Dubai, a rowdy drinking den with three pool
tables, live music and a dancefloor. A new
favourite of Dubai's ‘beautiful people'
is the swish Sho Cho , Dubai Marina Resort,
Jumeirah Beach Road, a bar cum restaurant
with a real buzz, live DJs, great cocktails
and an outdoor jetty for special parties.
The Fatafeet Café , Alseef Road,
has good views of Dubai Creek and is an
atmospheric coffee house in which to try
a traditional shisha.
Casinos: Dubai adheres to the Muslim ban on gambling
and there are no casinos in Dubai.
Clubs: Zinc nightclub on Sheikh Zayed road is one
of the most popular nightclubs in Dubai,
recently winning first place in local magazine
awards. Planetarium, housed in the most
genuine London-style club venue at Planet
Hollywood, Wafi City, is another popular
haunt. Scream , Ramada Hotel, Al-Mankhool
Road, is a warehouse-type venue that blasts
out the latest techno to an appreciative
crowd. Pancho Villa's, Astoria Hotel, Al-Nahda
Street, has become a bit of an institution
on the Dubai club scene, with a mainstream
choice of music, a restaurant and frequent
live bands. For more laid-back R&B, Oxygen
at the Bustan Airport is a more mellow choice.
Amnesia, Dubai Park Hotel, Sheik Zayed Road,
is becoming more and more popular, especially
with its 'Ladies Night' on Thursday. Beach
parties at the Mina Siyahi are continually
popular.
LiveMusic: Planet Hollywood , Wafi Pyramids,
off Al-Qataiyat Road, is a good option,
with an eclectic selection of good bands
and covers outfits. Bordertown , Al-Rolla
Road, is a Mexican theme bar that stages
live bands most nights of the week. For
nostalgia fans and baby boomers, Dubai is
famous for retro chic, with superstars of
the 1970s and 1980s such as the Human League,
Kajagoogoo, Blondie and Kim Wilde - regularly
visiting Dubai. The Irish Village , Aviation
Club, off Al Garhoud Road, also hosts many
live acts. One of Dubai's best cover bands
can be found at Jules Bar, Airport Meridien
Village, where a filipino ensemble belts
out the latest hits, usually better than
the originals
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