The best bars and cafés Dubai

Having tea at the Aspen Café, to the sound of the harp, with a view of the ski slopes in the middle of the desert - no, it's not a bad movie or a dream, it's Dubai, the city of all possibilities, and you have to experience it to believe it. So why not take a well-deserved break in the Kempinski lobby to recharge your batteries? Between the mini sandwiches, scones and all the pastries (everything is delicious), you'll have more than replaced the lunch you forgot to take... absorbed in shopping in this sprawling mall!

Among the more than 30 stops at the Madinat Jumeirah lake resort, this is our first answer to the question: "I'm looking for a chic and charming bar, with a few tapas to nibble on, clever cocktails and above all a view of the sea and the Burj Al Arab." The Bahri is where James Bond has his dry martini prepared by a Persian barmaid with Persian eyes. It is in a colonial decoration back from Asia, that comes to relax a peaceful and distinguished clientele to sip a last cocktail and to take full sight.

Admittedly, the waiters are a bit over the top, but this small, simple and very inexpensive cafeteria is very well located on the banks of the Creek. If you come here in the late afternoon or after dinner, it's the ideal place to smoke a little shisha, while admiring the ballet of abras on the water, the wind towers of the Shindagha district and the blue dhows loaded with household appliances on their way to Iran. A well-deserved break before perhaps heading off to the spice and gold souk for some final shopping.

One of the best Levantine patisseries in the emirate is located on lively Muraqqabat Street in the middle of Deira. Customers order by the kilo what they will take home to complete their Friday lunches. Those nostalgic for real Oriental pastries will have a field day. Don't hesitate to tell them you'll be traveling with them, and they'll not only recommend which ones to take, they'll wrap them up just right so that they're still fresh on your return.

LookUp is located in the City Walk area, in this charming hotel by the pool: a full-length bar offering a panoramic view of the Burj Khalifa and the skyscrapers of Downtown, and for that alone, it's really worth the detour, as the view is spectacular and breathtaking. It's often crowded and it's a chic and casual clientele, loyal, who meet especially on weekends to enjoy the evening breeze. You can also order some snacks to accompany your cocktail.

Once past the rather bizarre entrance, which is via the Oberoi hotel's parking lot, you arrive at Iris, on the ^27th floor. Overlooking the urban jungle of Business Bay and the Burj Khalifa, this indoor-outdoor bar-restaurant is one of the current successes in terms of parties. A DJ entertains a beautiful and chic clientele who come to enjoy perfectly mixed cocktails from sunset until closing time. On weekends, a band is in charge of the animation. An address a little expensive, but worth the detour.