Best Place For A Beer in Dubai

You might have noticed that the UAE is a pretty expensive place to drink – and if you haven’t, the next round is on you, and probably every other round after that. As well as prematurely ageing your wallet before its time, this also makes venues rather conservative in their offerings, preferring to stock big names and mainstream lagers in order to fully gouge…I mean, make the most profit from their customers.

As such, it can be hard to find a place that offers the kind of craft beers and independent breweries that are taking the world by storm (though, thankfully this is changing fast). That said, there are a few venues doing their bit to expand the craft revolution; so if you’re drinking in Dubai and looking for a homesickness-killing national spot or a refreshing beer on the beach, then here are some of the best bars in the city offering an ice-cold beer with your name on it.

1) Craft Beer

Black Tap

Ignore the juicy burgers and surrealist milkshakes for a moment and you’ll also find one of the largest selections of craft beer in the city. It also has some great locations:

• JBR – It hits the spot for a modern pub, though thanks to its side-street entrance you will feel further from the beach than you actually are. 
• Festival City –  Enjoy a nice indoor-outdoor flow at this creek-side venue, that stops it feeling dark and gloomy like other pubs.
• Al Naseem – With its pretty location inside a fancy five-star resort and on the edge of a turtle pond, this one feels fancier than your usual brew-pub, with an equally appealing beer selection.

2) Belgian Beer Café

There are quite a few Belgian concepts in Dubai, and most of them start well, but soon pare down their selection to only four, or so, more mainstream Belgian beers instead.  The Belgian Beer Café, however, continuously maintains its huge selection of traditional tipples – including Trippels, krieks, and Gueuzes. You’ll find them in the Grand Millennium Hotel in Barsha Heights, Festival City and the Madinat Jumeirah.

3) Beer with a View

Weslodge

This higher-end restaurant specialises in North American cuisine and has the regional beers to match, plus awesome views of the city from its 68^th floor windows.

The Scene by Simon Rimmer

Located in Pier 7, a cylinder-like building with a wrap around patio offering city views in all directions, this lively bar specialises in beer from the UK, along with a few American craft breweries thrown in for good measure.

FireLake

Possibly one of Dubai’s best-kept secrets. The terrace is huge, the prices are good and the beer, food and scenery all hit the mark.

4) Beer on the Beach

Barasti

Hotels in Dubai have a tendency to hold their beach access to ransom, however, this is one institution that welcomes everybody, (well almost everyone, they recently banned children, but ask yourself is this such a bad thing?) Go for a swim, order up a sheesha, catch the game and enjoy their robust beer selection.

The Tap House

Located in the Club Vista Mare beach complex on the Palm, the Tap House lets you enjoy the beach vibe by day and the awesome views of the mainland skyline by night, as well as a wide range of draught from the US, Aussie, Europe and Asia.

And finally…

5) Beer if you’re feeling homesick

Ireland / UK – McGettigans

Call it an Irish pub, call it an English pub, but make sure you call in. The lighting is low, the wood and brass are real and the beer is always cold.  There are locations in JLT, Dubai World Trade Center, The Souk Madinat and, the Hilton JBR – The JBR one is also smoke-free, and actually smells smoke-free for a change.

Australia / New Zealand – Nezesaussi

Now, before you shout and throw things at us, we wouldn’t usually lump these two nations in together, but when abroad they tend to engage in a temporary Anzac truce in honour of getting a pub to prioritise excellent Rugby and Cricket coverage and no-frills vibe.  There is a Nezesaussi outlet at Manzil Downtown, attached to the Vida Hotel, and also in The Adress Dubai Marina.

North America – Perry & Blackwelders Original Pub

Tex Mex food, football Sunday, smokey BBQ brisket, Buffalo wings with actual Frank’s Red Hot (a huge drawcard for us), and of course frosty pitchers of American beer (They even have Brooklyn Brewery beers on tap – US expats, what more do you want?

For more information on beer and wine, as well as upcoming tastings, events and short courses, check out www.thetastingclass.com/events.

 

 

The Wines we tasted