When Waldorf Astoria decides to open up a pool bar, they do it the proper way. St. Trop’, situated on the 18th floor of Burj Daman in DIFC, ticks most of the boxes and boasts views over most of DIFC and Downtown, accentuated by a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ elegance with the sleek pool, aesthetic bar and the DJ’s tunes being spread out into the night. As a cocktail bar, there are a few more boxes to tick, but the bartenders are on a rolling schedule between the sister bars Peacock Alley and Bull & Bear, so quality-wise, the staff leaves little to wish for.
Atmosphere: 6/8
The sweeping views are spectacular, there’s a resident DJ leading you into the night and the cocktails are simple but well executed.
Cocktails: 6/8
It’s quite evident that this is a pool bar first and foremost - plastic glassware (albeit really high-end) and a toned down cocktail list - but they do deliver what they promise.
Bartenders: 6/8
A rota of bartenders and staff coming from the sister bars in-house clearly shows that Waldorf Astoria means business with their new establishment.
Ice: 5/8
Small ice cubes - it should be mentioned though that the bartender kindly offers to pop over to neighbouring Peacock Alley to get the big, clear ice cubes - but the grade is for what they have on offer in normal cases.
Waldorf Astoria
Happiness Street
DIFC