-
Gold Class
The ultimate way to see a movie, Gold Class is more of a small screening room than a cinema, but you'll hardly care. The seats are enormous recliners, and waiters bring you blankets, popcorn in silver bowls and drinks in glass goblets. Best of all, everyone pays attention to the film. Reservations essential.
-
Grand Cineplex
At this hi-tech 10-screen multiplex showing the latest English-language movies, you'll also find an array of cafés, DVDs and music, and an ATM to get cashed-up after spending all your dirhams.
-
Harry Ghatto's
Grab a posse of friends and belt out your favourites at this shoebox-sized karaoke bar. Drinks are expensive and service gruff, but we love the odd mix of people drawn here, including the occasional dishdasha -clad local.
-
iBO
With its laidback attitude, mixed crowd and chic retro interior - disco ball, velvet sofas and shagpile rugs - iBO remains our favourite Dubai club. It keeps regulars coming back for some of the most interesting DJs from around the globe, along with indie movie nights and special events.
-
Ikandy
Wear white to Ikandy and your clothes will glow in the diffuse hot-pink light reflecting off the diaphanous fabric hanging from the palm trees. Think Ibiza pool party, only it's set on the 4th-floor pool deck of the Shangri-La hotel instead of the Balearics. Stellar views of the Burj Dubai. Note: open October to March only.
-
Irish Village
The beer garden at this Irish pub with its kitsch façade is popular with expats. The after-work crowd packs the place on Thursday nights, but the weekend sees a more relaxed bunch lazing on the grass by the 'lake' with the ducks and a Guinness or three.
-
Issimo
Illuminated blue flooring, black-leather sofas and sleek chrome finishing lend a James Bond look to this sports-and-martini bar, popular with middle-aged men. If you're not into sports - or TV - you may find the giant-screen TVs distracting. Good for drinks before dining at Verre.
-
Jam Base
Early in the evening, Jam Base is a moody supper club, with low lighting, hearty Creole-inspired cooking, and jazzy music beginning at . At it becomes a dance club. Tables are cleared away and the over-30 crowd shimmies to live soul, R&B and Motown hits. This is when it's most fun, though you may have to endure getting your foot stepped on by a drunken harlot or her beefy banker boyfriend. Biggish-name bands sometimes play here, too.
-
Jambase
This stylish venue is the place to head for live jazz, R&B and soul, as well as fresh fusion cuisine (they also offer a pre-theatre menu). The bands know how to work a crowd and the dance floor jumps on weekends.
-
Jules Bar
The six-piece Filipino house band kicks, twirls and belts out top-40 hits, while an odd mix of oil workers, southeast Asians and European flight crews (especially on Fridays) grind shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor. If you're over 40, you'll hate it - unless you're as hammered as everyone else. Dig those charcoal portraits of Whitney and Mariah. The outdoor terrace is way mellower and charges no cover.
-
Advertisement
-
Kasbar
Kasbar can be inconsistent - one night it's packed, the next it's dead - but we highly recommend you check out this sexy three-storey Moroccan-themed club, with glittering crystal chandeliers, a coffered ceiling, and big black-and-white-tiled dance floor. Call ahead to reserve a table on the mezzanine and take in the scene from above.
-
Keva
Keva's Eurasia-meets-Ikea decor goes a bit overboard with fake grass walls in the ladies' toilets, but the low-slung seating, moody lighting, live DJ and big menu of surprisingly great bar nibbles make it ideal before twirling on the dance floor of the adjoining Lodge.
-
Koubba
Score a candlelit table on the outdoor terrace overlooking the Madinat and Burj, and you'll instantly know you've found one of the most tranquil and romantic spots in all Dubai. The interior is nearly as compelling, with plush red velvet and Oriental cushions to lie against as you chill out to live Arabian-lounge music. Too bad it's illegal to lock lips in public.
-
Ku-Bu
A DJ spins funky tunes at this small, dark, sultry bar with African-inspired interiors and secluded nooks made private with plush draperies. If you're single and come alone, you may get hit on by a working girl. Still, it's a good choice for drinks before or after dinner at the Radisson SAS's terrific restaurants.
-
Lamcy
The two-screen complex is one of the few remaining theatres showing Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil films. If you've never seen a Bollywood movie on the big screen, do it in Dubai on a Friday, the only day off for most Asian expatriates. You're in for a memorable experience.
-
Left Bank
We love the waterside tables, with abras floating past, but the real party is inside the dark bar, where moody lighting, giant mirrors, leather club chairs and chill beats create a dynamic lounge scene. Put your name on the list for a table; expect to wait. Good food, too, especially steaks.
-
Library Bar
When you're craving a Glenfiddich and a Cuban cigar, steer your luxury sedan to the Ritz-Carlton. A pianist and singer play easy-on-the-ear jazz standards to set the mood. If you're under 50 and still have your vision, you'll be in the minority.
-
Lime Tree Café
Second home to Dubai's Stepford Wives on weekdays, this bright green villa (head for the terrace) is in a state of perpetual 'coffee morning'. Although the coffee is excellent, the service could be better. Still, it is a fascinating expat-institution-cum-'expat-in-a-bubble' sociological experiment.
-
Long's Bar
The longest bar in town, live bands, cheap drinks and a late closure keeps this American-style bar-and-grill hoppin'. Number-one bar choice during Ramadan. Happy hour, noon to , till midnight Friday.
-
Lotus One
Sitting on Lucite stools over glass flooring or in the '60s-throwback swinging chairs may throw off your equilibrium by your third round, but fret not: you wouldn't be the first to stumble out of this Asian-inspired scenester bar with a cosmo spilled down your pant leg. Wear black, not white.
-
Advertisement
-
Madinat Theatre
A regular programme of crowd-pleasing entertainment from the Russian State Ballet to Broadway musicals keeps Dubai's culture-starved residents happy. Performances may take place in the gorgeous theatre, the big arena, or outdoors at the enchanting waterside amphitheatre.
-
Maharlika
The black-box cabaret feels like a speakeasy at this all-Filipino club, revealing a glimpse of the culture of service-industry expats that cook your hotel breakfast. The vibrant floorshow is awesome - think nine-piece high-energy bands with wacky names like Elvis Presley Asia.
-
Mai Tai Lounge
The tiki bar at Trader Vic's mixes lethal cocktails served in pineapples with paper umbrellas - the ultimate in kitsch. It's great fun once you've downed your second round and the salsa band gets going, usually at . Unlike its sister branch at the Crowne Plaza on Sheikh Zayed Rd, here there's room to dance.
-
Malecon
Tequila is the essential drink at Malecon, an important stopover for the party crowd. Tipping its hat to Havana's graffiti-walled Bodeguita del Medio, this Latino-inspired bar is the place to hit late - do shots and twirl with a Cuban heel. Look sharp; though unpretentious, the crowd appreciates nice gear. Inquire about the ever-fun salsa classes.
-
Maya
Dubai does al fresco bars so well and the rooftop bar of Dubai's best Mexican restaurant is no exception. With cushioned banquette seating, sea views, and Mexican touches like the tiled fountain, you could be forgiven for thinking you're at Puerto Escondido or Play del Carmen, especially with a margarita in hand, but that's what's so refreshing about it.
