Muscat
When it comes to cocktails (try the Samoan Fogcutter or Honi Honi), nowhere competes with this fun and lively Polynesian-style venue. Resident expert…
Must-see nightlife in Middle East
Wadi Musa
It's almost a crime to visit Petra and miss the oldest bar in the world. Occupying a 2000-year-old Nabataean rock tomb, this atmospheric Petra hot spot…
Amman
This cafe goes from strength to deserved strength. There's plenty of excellent coffee on offer, but tea is the thing here: choose from a menu that…
Yazd
This tiny, friendly rooftop teahouse is the perfect place to enjoy soup, or an uncomplicated tea and cake (IR160,000) with one of the best views in town…
Downtown Dubai
The Dubai spawn of the Beirut original did not need long to lure local socialites with high-energy rooftop parties under the stars. International…
Muscat
This novel lounge restaurant, with its giant psychedelic TV screen, serves a spirited cocktail and a fine-dining menu for modest prices, but it's the…
Deira
This always-buzzing pub, with its Irish-main-street facade (complete with post office) and made with materials imported straight from the Emerald Isle,…
Amman
Lively bar in Lweibdeh where you can also grab a bite to eat, attached to La Locanda boutique hotel. The big draw here is the live music, with bands…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Since 1995, Barasti has grown from basic beach shack to top beach club spot for lazy days in the sand, and is often jam-packed with shiny happy party…
Marina Breakwater
For a prime perspective on Abu Dhabi's audacious architectural vision, let the lift whisk you up to this 62nd-floor bar at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers,…
Ramallah
For two decades, Snowbar has been the place to see and be seen in Ramallah. Although it has an often deserved reputation as a late-night party spot, on…
Tel Aviv
Mainstream and counterculture youngsters flock to this sleek, open-air garden bar for their famous colour-categorised fresh juices that can be spiked with…
Iran
Deep within the Sa'd-al Saltaneh caravanserai is this hipster favourite. An English menu reveals heart-starting espressos and lattes, exotic teas and…
Iran
With its barrel seats, bottle scultptures, eccentric sculpture-walls and dangling cocktail glasses, this superb, low-lit cafe feels for all the world like…
Ramallah
Since it opened in 2015, Birzeit Brewery's Shepherds beer has taken the West Bank by storm, challenging years of domination of the Palestinian Territories…
Dhofar
The island may be artificial, only one bar wide and accessible by a humpback bridge so small that you could almost span it in one stride, but the sense of…
Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island
Just the coolest speakeasy-style bar in town. Walk through the front door of Dai Pai Dong and head left to stumble into this secret drinking den, all…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Since opening in 2016, LSB has been racking up the accolades as living proof that there's room in bling-blinded Dubai for keeping-it-real party hangouts…
Doha
Set in a lush garden under trees, and lit with fairy lights, this place has a different feel from the other bars in Doha. It hosts acoustic sets, which…
Doha
One of the few casual pubs in Doha, Belgian Cafe gets packed to the rafters on Thursday and Friday nights. The crowds are here for the imported Belgian…
Tel Aviv
A vibrant, young bar on Nahalat Binyamin St, Bicicletta (Italian for 'bicycle') has one of the best patio gardens in town. The food is great – eclectic…
Tabriz
There are several interesting rooms in this converted subterranean 19th-century bathhouse, though the qalyan-wafting chaykhaneh (teahouse) is the most…
Tehran
A coffee roaster dominates the entrance to the slickest of north Tehran's many fashionable cafes and chief hang-out of the city's privileged. Down your…
Downtown Dubai
This happening joint has ushered the sports bar into a new era. Sure, there are the requisite big screens to catch the action, but it's packaged into an…
Beirut
Self-assured and welcoming, this is a convivial evening spot with a softer musical footprint than most. They do a fine cocktail, the smoked burgers are…
Eastern Province
A dangerous spot for chocolate lovers. Each gourmet cup of coffee here comes with a free chocolate truffle. The cafe is furnished in a classy, elegant and…
Dubai
This chic bar drips with sultry Middle Eastern decor and has a veranda laid with Persian rugs and comfy sofas perfect for taking in magical views of the…
Tel Aviv
Mystical and just downright cool, Kuli Alma is a TLV nightlife institution with an emphasis on art and music. Behind the unimposing entrance, locals and…
Bahrain
With the best sea views offered by any terrace on the island, this cafe is the perfect place to end an afternoon exploring the Bahrain Fort. Sip your…
Iran
Funky laid-back meeting place bedecked with Pink Floyd lyrics and local hipsters listening to '70s Western rock. Yes, you're still in Iran.
Tel Aviv
On the rooftop of the Gan Ha’Ir (City Garden) shopping mall, trendy Kanta has one of the finest outdoor terraces in Tel Aviv. Surrounded by plants and lit…
Deira
Watch the ballet of lighted dhows floating by while sipping cocktails at this always-fun outdoor Creek-side lounge deck where carpets and cushions set an…
Iran
A blanket ban has pushed qalyan-smoking out of Mashhad, but in Shandiz you can still relax puffing on water pipes at various upmarket teahouses. While not…
Tel Aviv
Find refreshing relief from the sweltering Tel Aviv heat here with gazoz, an old-fashioned drink of simple syrup and soda water. Illuminated jars of…
Tel Aviv
For years, this place was one of Tel Aviv’s best-kept secrets: an amazing rooftop bar on the corner of the Nahalat Binyamin Crafts Market. But now the…
Tehran
There's been a teahouse here next to Abdollah Khan Madrassa since 1917, and Haj Kazem's father Ali took over the business in 1962. It's now a stand-up 2m…
Iran
Deep below a conical dome of concentric brick rings, this unique cafe in what was once its greatest underground cistern is the highlight of Garmsar. The…
Tehran
Although it's plagued by cigarette smoke, this large, multisectioned cafe is still well worth dropping by for its wide-ranging drinks and food menu,…
Tehran
Lamiz has several outlets of its Seattle-style cafes around Tehran. This super-chic branch is the most central and boasts a wide range of drinks,…
The Ancient City
Long-term Petra resident Bdoul Mofleh rustles up ad hoc tea for those passing his 'unofficial' cave house on Al Habis. This is the best tea shop in Petra…
