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Home - City Guide - Dubai - Nightlife | ||
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Nightlife Nightlife Contrary to popular belief alcohol is available in Dubai, unlike in many other Gulf states where drinking a pint of beer could land you in prison. Officially non-Muslims are the only ones allowed to drink, but often you can find Dubai Arabs enjoying a pint in one of the city's bars. Many of the best bars are in the big tourist hotels; many of them are open until 0100/0200, but you pay through the roof for drinking in these hotel bars. A cheaper and livelier option are the independent bars that are dotted around town. Happy hours are common, Tuesdays and Sundays are often 'Ladies Night' with female revellers receiving free drinks. The club scene is a curious one, with clubs delineated along ethnic and national lines. Dress codes for bars are generally relaxed, but 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 smoke apple-flavoured tobacco from a shisha pipe. Bars: One of the liveliest bars is the Irish Village, off Al-Garhoud Road, with a good range of beers and outdoor seating. Harry's Place, Renaissance Hotel, Salah Al-Din Street, is a tribute to Hollywood with a nice twist - the portraits of the stars on the walls are police mug shots. Uptown, Jumeriah Beach Hotel, Al-Jumeira Road, has a great terrace where you can soak up the views along a wide stretch of Jumeira Beach. For an even better view, Up on the Tenth, Dubai Intercontinental Hotel, Beniyas Road, is a slick piano bar with views back over the creek. The Fatafeet CafÉ, Alseef Road, has good views of Dubai Creek and is an atmospheric coffee house in which to try your first shisha. Casinos: As Dubai adheres to the Muslim ban on gambling, there are no casinos in Dubai. Clubs: Nightclubs are increasingly popular in Dubai and are starting to attract big-name international DJs. The Cage, Avari Dubai International Hotel, off Baker Al-Siddiq Road near the Clock Tower Roundabout, is a club that transcends the usual ethnic socialising divides. 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. Live music: Planet Hollywood, Wafi Pyramids, off Al-Qataiyat Road, is a reliable option with an eclectic selection of mediocre to good bands and covers outfits. Bordertown, Al-Rolla Road, is a Mexican theme bar which stages live bands most nights of the week. The current en vogue music in Dubai is retro throwbacks to the 1970s and 1980s, with stars that are considered washed up in the rest of the world, such as the Human League and Kajagoogoo, regularly trooping into Dubai. |