Nightlife

Bars, rooftops, lounges and live music, with the rules stated plainly. Alcohol is legal in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates in licensed venues — which in practice means hotels, and a growing number of standalone licensed restaurants — and it is not available at all in Sharjah. Entries note the venue type, the rough spend, whether there is a dress code that is actually enforced, and which nights have live music or a deal. Public drunkenness remains an offence everywhere in the country, and that is worth knowing before rather than after.