Dubai’s Five Best DJ Bars

A Japanese izakaya, record library, music bar, and dancing venue for music lovers, playing everything from EDM to jazz. It is the darling of the local media—Time Out Dubai has named it the Best Bar of 2023. It is also the favorite of our guide’s team. Opened by two prominent regional restaurateurs Khalil Dahmash and Varun Khemaney, Honeycomb is not just a trendy nightlife venue but one of Dubai’s most intriguing contemporary Asian cuisine restaurants. The menu offers traditional appetizers and starters served in classic Japanese pubs along with a large selection of meat and fish cooked on binchotan charcoal, plus a good selection of wine, sake, beer, and designer cocktails. Entrance is through the secret door in the vinyl record store on the second floor of the Pullman Hotel.

One of Dubai’s most popular bars offers a panoramic view of Burj Khalifa and the dancing fountains. It features a kitchen inspired by the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea, one of the city’s best wine collections, and a resort ambiance. Urla is officially downtown’s premier venue for fashionable events and parties with live music and DJ sets, staying open late into the night. The bar’s resident DJ is DJ Mert Yenidunya. The best strategy is to book a table for dinner at sunset, watch the fountain show, which runs daily from 6 pm to 11 pm at 30-minute intervals, and spend the rest of the evening at the bar counter. The bar’s bestseller is the signature Aegean Sea gin-based cocktail with bright notes of yuzu served in an eye-catching medusa glass.

An underground boutique bar decorated like an opulent Bedouin tent is located directly beneath the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine restaurant Alaya, in the heart of the financial district. Bustling and colorful, it features regular DJ shows with a variety of music genres, including EDM, Afro, organic house, and fusion. The bar also hosts Founder’s Night sessions, during which the bar’s founder, restaurateur Evgeny Kuzin personally takes over the DJ console alongside his partners and friends. This venue is the best nightlife project of the Fundamental Hospitality group, which has already opened several speakeasy bars in Dubai, characterized by red velvet, marble, gold, excellent music, and good alcohol.

One of Dubai’s most charming cocktail bars, dedicated to a space theme, is the brainchild of restaurateur Natasha Sideris, who has Greek and South African roots. This lounge, located in the heart of the bustling city, features arched ceilings inspired by Athenian nights and adorned with sparkling stars, an opulent bar counter made of Lemurian blue granite, and accents of velvet and gold. As it is an intimate establishment, advance booking is highly recommended. A creative bar menu boasts many signature cocktails, and starting at 11 pm, the venue hosts DJ sets or special music events that bring together artists from around the world. The neighboring affiliated Greek restaurant, Avli by Tashas, offers meze in finger food format. However, the Galaxy itself does not have food on the menu, so we advise you to have dinner beforehand.

This is a speakeasy bar located beneath Dubai’s premier Greek restaurant, Gaia, and is another intriguing project from the Fundamental Hospitality restaurant group, which focuses on enhancing Dubai’s nightlife. As has become a tradition, the entrance to the bar is through hidden door in an improvised souvenir shop. The menu features signature cocktails inspired by the vibrant Greek culture and the European tradition of digestifs, perfectly complementing the lively atmosphere. At NYX, DJ parties are held throughout the week, attracting Dubai’s trendiest and most creative crowd. Advance booking is recommended.