The best lounge bars Dubai

Two levels below the public observation platform, the Lounge offers a few armchairs for an early-morning drink or coffee. Our verdict: at such a height, unless you're glued to the glass with binoculars, you can't see anything clearly. But you're in the highest restaurant-bar on the planet, so for that reason alone, how could you not go for a drink? And if you can't get a ticket to the top, making a reservation for a coffee or a drink is an alternative away from the crowds. Reservations required.

At the heart of the Park Hyatt lies this Middle Eastern lounge on the banks of the Creek, illuminated by the yachts. As the sun sets, you can enjoy the intense fusion of nature and chic on the terrace while smoking a hookah. It's a little detour that's well worth taking after an intense day in old Dubai, wandering through the souks and neighborhoods of Shindagha and Al Fahidi. Just take a cab and you'll be there in a quarter of an hour. Small mezze menu.

On the 63rd floor of The Address Downtown Hotel, this cocktail bar flirts with vertigo. We love the climb that forces us to change elevators for the last step, and suddenly projects us in front of the spectacle of Burj and his vassals. A slight tingling sensation in our legs as we approach the bays over the deep emptiness, but the space with its Art Deco decoration, architecturized by astonishing pillars encircled by silver rings, immediately calms us down. It is often crowded in this mythical bar of the city. Portioned kitchen for small appetites.

The Buddha Bar, invented in Paris just after the Barfly by Raymond Visan, and its tintino-zen maze décor under red chandeliers, is also in Dubai where it offers a superb view of the marina via large bay windows. Oriental atmosphere, a bit ethereal, prolonged by very good cocktails. As far as the clientele is concerned, it's flash-bimbo and hype lovers will not be disappointed. Address still in sight in this district after several years of opening, which triggers the arrival of sensational DJs. You are sure to find always people.

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.

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.