2 days ago
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- Time Out Dubai
8 (really nice) places in Dubai to go to between 5pm and 7pm for drinks and bites
So, you've finished work for the day and have some time to kill?
With the summer season almost in swing and life slowing down a little bit, it's quite tempting to meet up with friends for after work drinks and nibbles.
In Paris, they've got this concept called 'cinq à sept' – five to seven. It's when you've finished work for the day and the sun is starting to set, so you've got a golden window of opportunity where you can boost your mood after a day at work.
Typically, people here use this time to commute, to run errands or to stick around in the office.
But if you decide to do it like the French do, you can use this time to brighten up your day with a little tipple at a really nice restaurant bar.
With that in mind, here's a list of our favourite fancy after-work spots.
Eugène Eugène
After work drinks in Dubai. Credit: Eugène Eugène.
Available daily from 4pm to 7pm, you can take advantage of the L'Apéritif d'Eugène, a French-inspired offering, where for Dhs110 per person, you'll get a curated selection of two mixed drinks or mocktails, complemented by the chef's assortment of gourmet appetizers. Definitely the place to be for evening drinks.
Dhs110. Daily from 4pm-7pm. Kempinski Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha (04 379 8963).
Isola
After work drinks in Dubai. Credit: Isola.
Looking for a picturesque sundowner spot to unwind? The menu there has a selection of creative mixed drinks and cicchetti bites you can order.
Thu 5pm-8pm. Jumeirah Islands Clubhouse, Jumeirah Islands (04 583 3124).
La Petite Maison Restaurant & Bar
After work drinks in Dubai. Credit: La Petite Maison Restaurant & Bar.
LPM Restaurant & Bar is doing exactly what the Parisians do with its Cinq à Sept bar programme. Here, between 5pm and 7pm, you can choose from a selection of beverages with glasses of grape each priced at Dhs44 and mixed drinks at Dhs48. Then you can pick one complimentary bar bite from a pretty stellar selection of small dishes, including smoked burrata dip with crispy zucchini flower, crudités and beef cecina. The best part is you can walk in without having to make a booking.
Mon-Fri 5pm-7pm. Gate Village, DIFC (04 439 0505).
Tapasake
After work drinks in Dubai. Credit: Tapasake.
Embrace sunset vibes at Tapasake on weekdays from 5 pm to 8pm at the Terrace Bar and Pool Bar. There will be a special Japanese Nikkei offering with beverages and tapas. With drinks starting from Dhs55 per person for a glass of Italian sparkling, Dhs56 for a glass of pink grape and Dhs50 for a glass of draught hops at the pool bar, you can sip in style for less.
Sun-Thu, 5pm-8pm. One&Only One Za'abeel, Trade Centre Area (04 666 1617).
Onda by Pierchic
After work drinks in Dubai. Credit: Pierchic
Wander up the pier at Jumeirah Al Qasr for a sunset drink and you'll have some pretty magnificent views of the Arabian Gulf and Burj Al Arab. The bar is open to everyone, whether you're dining at end-of-the-pier Italian restaurant Pierchic, or just in the mood for a bit of sea air with your drinks.
Either way, if you're after pre-dinner drinks with your date, or on the hunt for a spot to unwind as the sun sets, this open-air deck suspended above the water should be your next go-to.
Sun-Thu 5pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 5pm-1am. Pierchic, Jumeirah Al Qasr (800 323 232).
Sucre
After work drinks in Dubai. Credit: Sucre
Sucre also has a special aperitivo menu available from Monday to Friday between 4pm and 8pm. Here you can choose from a selection of mixed drinks, hops and grape for Dhs38. Each drink on the menu comes with a paired bar bite. These include stuffed olives, anchovy bruschetta, pickled pepper croquettes with goose ham and burrata fig bruschetta.
From Dhs38. Mon-Fri 4pm-8pm. Gate Village, DIFC (04 340 0829).
Tagomago
After work drinks in Dubai. Credit: Tagomago
Head to Tagomago right after work and you'll catch the quiet period before people start arriving for dinner. There's no better place to enjoy the sunset on Palm Jumeirah. The Balearic-inspired beachfront restaurant features a fully Spanish menu, several bars and stunning interiors. We prefer to sit at the bar right at the back overlooking the Arabian Sea and Burj Al Arab at a distance.
Order a Spanish pitcher and a small bowl of blood orange-stuffed Spanish olives as a snack and you definitely won't regret it.
Daily 10am-1am. Azure Residence, The Palm Jumeirah (04 832 6620).
Uchi
After work drinks in Dubai. Credit: Uchi.
A DIFC dweller? Grab your friends and head to this little Japanese eatery and take advantage of Uchi's 'power hour' between 5pm and 7pm. Here, you can choose from a premium selection of Japanese beverages as well as fine grape and hops.
Take advantage of a 15 percent discount between 5pm and 7pm every weekday. Or take the experience up a notch by pairing your drink with a selection of small bites.
Mon-Fri 5pm-7pm. Gate Village, DIFC (04 298 5044).
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