Amazonico has just opened their third restaurant, following the ones in Madrid and London, located in Dubai. As the very first venue in DIFC, they have done it in a dedicated building, where they have a lounge and bar on the bottom floor, the restaurant itself on the middle floor, and a beautiful roof terrace with a bar on the top floor.

This upscale Indian restaurant is located in the Emirates Financial Towers - a somewhat, for no apparent reason other than being situated a fair bit away from the Gate Village, overlooked part of DIFC.

The Italian restaurant Roberto’s, located in the outskirts of DIFC (but with a killer view nevertheless), used to have a lounge bar with a firm focus on cocktails, but after last year’s renovations during the summer, it feels as if they somehow have lost that ambition.

Doubletree by Hilton in JBR seems to be a destination for the cocktail lovers in search of a genuine atmosphere - Ramusake doesn’t disappoint in that aspect; sightly artworks, gorgeous views from the terrace, and an interior that actually feel Japanese.

The flagship restaurant of the Meat Co in Dubai has newly reopened in a beautiful facility in Madinat - from the tables located outdoors you have an iconic view of Burj Al Arab, but from a cocktail perspective, it’s in the bar you want to be.

Having heard a lot about Flamingo Room - and knowing that they belong to tasha, who is also the mastermind behind Galaxy Bar and Avli, the first visit was not without expectations.

Being one of the currently five restaurants with a license in La Mer, OSH has a lot talking in its favor - location (location, location), a successful predecessing mothership in London and an exciting menu (who else hasn’t tried the Uzbeki kitchen before?) - in other words; expectations set high.

Finally the winter months are here, and with them an array of outdoor bars open their doors yet again. Flair No 5 is situated outside of Ritz Carlton in DIFC and offers plenty of lounge furniture, metropolitan views just by looking up from where you are and a jungle feel thanks to all the greenery.

The maiden voyage to JLT was done with NOLA as destination, and while there for sure are more places in Dubai Marina, JBR or DIFC, it was definitely worth the trip. With a decor matching the music, NOLA should appeal to most of the cocktail die-hards out there - it’s like being transported to New Orleans; food wise, cocktails, interior and music.

Hidden away in the Emirates Financial Towers, this gem deserves attention of the crowd. With a heavy industrial feel and panoramic views over the Burj Khalifa, it’s unlike anything else in Dubai - add to that the fact that the bar belongs to Al Grissino, an upscale Italian restaurant - thereby making delicious Italian nibbles available in the bar, and the combination is a true unicorn.

Asado, located in the Palace Downtown, serves exceptional Argentine dishes, where the meat courses stand out, but from a cockail perspective they do leave a lot to wish for.

Spark, formerly known as Caramel, has been around in DIFC for close to ten years, and it’s actually quite easy to see why - this place is an after work place following the standard book chapter 1A: Decent furniture, good location and the standard range of drinks with prices that don’t scare off too many.

The newly opened 3BK (short for 3rd floor of Burj Khalifa) has a nice setting, but it needs something more - if you want to attract the crowd away from DIFC, you need to have a vision on how to do it. 3BK seems to think that they will do it just by charging a lot of money for some crowd-pleasing menu favorites - but the lack of identity is evident.

Portugese culinary brainiac Jose Avillez opened up Tasca in Mandarin Oriental late spring this year - given the location, the views couldn’t be more astounding; to the east you have Burj Khalifa and the skyline of DIFC to take in, while you to the west have the infinity pool combined with uninterrupted views of the Arabian Gulf.

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.

Akiba Dori is one of those places you truly enjoy once you're there, but you're reluctant to make the effort from the beginning to go there, for one or another reason. From a cocktail perspective, you might as well stay at home, but people - if in Dubai, go here at least once - for the pizza!

Nick and Scott’s strong contender for best rooftop bar in Dubai has been around for just over two years, but during that time they’ve made a deep impression on the scene - Folly is a well-known name, and even though it’s hard to find in the maze of Souk Madinat, it’s always well-visited.

Netsu has been open a little less than a year, and by the looks of it - they are doing a more than decent job to attract the high rollers of Jumeirah - a steady flow of locals and Russians enter the restaurant. One stair up from the open kitchen restaurant is the bar, decorated with graffiti samurais and ninjas, and one long bar counter in black stone.

If BB Social is the bar epitome of a Parisian townhouse, Chez Charles is the back alley bar that everyone wish they'd stumble upon during their visit in the French capital. It's lively, full of catchy people and playing the kind of French music that anyone not being French would never understand. In short - it's wonderfully inaccessible!

This newly opened speakeasy bar in Madinat Jumeirah has a lot of things talking in its favor; it ticks all the boxes for an American diner come cocktail bar, they are trying to take their drinks seriously and they serve food that’s more than decent. But they are missing a few vital things to reach all the way.