Not so long ago the food available in many of our pubs and bars was limited to a choice of salt’n’vinegar or cheese’n’onion crisps – if you were lucky. Then came wine bars, the bistro revolution, gastro-pubs and restaurants-with-rooms. Inevitably, a good idea got stretched to extremes, and soon we were being served such exotic fare as ‘Flame-charred Chilean sea bass with a strawberry sauce and wild rocket salad garnished with pomelo and fig emulsion'. Hardly the kind of food you crave when you’re settling in to watch the big match with the guys. So which pubs in Dubai serve up the best combination of unpretentious grub, decent portions and low prices? Here, in no particular order, are some of our favourite contenders.
Longs Bar, Towers Rotana Hotel, 04-312-2202
Speedy and attentive staff are your first signal that Longs is special. The crowd is predominantly western expats and it’s popular with airline staff. The bar is huge, a great, long U-shaped island, surrounded by high stools, and reputed to be the longest in Dubai. Check out its famous steak and ale pie with its light puff pastry lid. For something with a more local flavour, the mezze is worth investigating. And with a nod to modernity, it’s not all fried stuff on a stick – the menu has plenty of salads and veggie options. One of the city’s most popular happy hours, and stays open right through to 2.30am.
The Locker Room, Golden Tulip, Al Barsha, 04-341-7750
Another of those hidden gems, a lively and friendly sports bar that’s always buzzing. If only you could find it. In fact, it’s in the Golden Tulip Hotel in Al Barsha, but one block in from Shaikh Zayed Road, and facing away from it. The building sites are being finished, which makes the approach easier, but once inside and upstairs on the first floor, you’re in good and thirsty company. Sports are the major attraction, all the big matches and games showing on the 11 LCD televisions. Food is British pub fare with a bit of international stuff added, but generous and cheap. For value it’s hard to beat – there’s a famous Friday Brunch buffet for just Dh139, but that includes five beverages!
Double Decker, Al Marooj Rotana, 04-321-1111
Despite the flamboyance of the Al Murooj Rotana’s architecture above, the origins and inspiration for Double Decker are obvious from the moment you enter the doors. Suits of armour and an old fashioned red telephone box tell you precisely where you’re supposed to be. The theme is carried throughout the large space (on two floors – one bar, one restaurant – see what they did with the name?), but the noise is carried throughout. This is not a quiet pub. Food, though, is decent, and not overly expensive. A Double Decker Burger with all the trimmings will set you back Dh70. You can go for a half rack of ribs at just Dh8 more, or splash out on the full thing for Dh109.
Fibber Magee’s near Crowne Plaza, SZR, 04-332-2400
Though closed for a period, it re-opened almost completely unchanged and still offers the most authentic pub atmosphere you could ever wish for. It is dark, crowded, noisy, buzzing with Irish bonhomie and your feet will stick to the carpet just like they did back in your university’s Student Union bar. In other words, one of the best nights out in Dubai. You’ll find genuinely affordable pub grub and reassuringly generous portions. This is one of those places you can enter a stranger and leave with life-long friends, if only you could remember in the morning. Signature food includes a famous All-day Breakfast for just Dh48, while a decent cheeseburger can be yours for Dh40. You’ll find Fibbers just off Shaikh Zayed Road, behind White Star Tower around the back from the Crowne Plaza. Just follow
your nose.
The Underground, Habtoor Grand Resort, Dubai Marina, 04-408-4221
Subject to a recent makeover, the lively and often crowded Underground does a roaring trade in British pub grub. The cavernous interior is designed and built to resemble a Metropolitan Line station from London’s Underground, hence the name. In fact, the bar has been made even more like the carriage of an Underground train, with openings where the windows would be. It can make the service a bit of a scrum at times. There are a multitude of TVs and projection screens showing big games and favourite sporting events, and a couple of pool tables if you feel like having a bit of a game yourself. Foodwise it’s not particularly expensive, and features all the British staples of burgers, fish and chips, pies and more. A really good steak and kidney pie will cost you just Dh65.
Loca (formerly El Paso) Dubai Marine Resort & Spa, 04-304-8173
A Tex Mex restaurant and bar at the Dubai Marine Resort and Spa, Loca has a nicely low-key and alternative feel that stands out amongst the more mainstream hangouts. For those so inclined, individual dispensing taps are mounted on solid wood tables so you can pour your own refreshments.There’s a fairly traditional Mexican menu with the usual fajitas and burritos galore, but also more interesting and lesser known traditional dishes such as corn husk tamales and banana leaf wrapped roasted lamb. For a change of pace and a bite of something different, going Loca occasionally can be highly recommended.
McGettigan’s Irish Pub Bonnington Hotel,04-356-0560
Located in the basement of the Bonnington Hotel, this is a shining beacon of warmth and hospitality in the dust and desolation of the JLT construction site. It’s actually the latest chapter in a fine tradition of hospitality, which began in 1964 with the first McGettigan’s Pub on Queen Street in Dublin. The Dubai outpost of McGettigan’s offers a beautifully designed and finished Irish pub and delivers the best of traditional Irish food and beverage in a modern, yet warm homely environment. It opened its doors in November 2010 and without any major fanfare, but has quickly become busy nearly every night of the week. McGettigan’s is different to most Irish pubs in that it reflects modern Ireland and modern Irish culture, food, music and sport. Food, too, is a mixture of traditional Irish and modern international – you can tuck into a lavish ‘Full Irish’ all-day breakfast for just Dh90, or a classic cheeseburger for Dh60.
Bidi Bondi, Shoreline Apartments 1-5, The Palm Jumeirah, 04 427-0515
Bidi Bondi brings a touch of surfer dude chillout to the Palm Jumeirah. Located at beach level below the Shoreline Apartments 1-5 on Palm Jumeirah, it offers a very laid-back, relaxed atmosphere and superb views of The Palm and the coast beyond. The outdoor deck is a particularly good spot for some slow, refreshing sundowners and a bite to eat. In terms of food, all the usual suspects are present and correct, and there are a few Aussie originals too such as the Parmagianas, generously stuffed sandwiches served with a side salad and salt’n’pepper fries for Dh56.
The Huddle, Citymax Hotel, Bur Dubai,04-409-8000
This is the new name for the Sports Bar and Grill found in the Al Barsha and Bur Dubai branches of Citymax hotel. Dark wood panelling, a showcase of memorabilia and multiple large-screen TVs showing the big games tell you all you need to know about the reason for the Huddle. But the food is good, big chunks of piping hot battered fish and a raft of equally substantial hand-cut chips to accompany it. It’s the same with burgers – no stinting on quantity there. Best of all is the prices, which are somewhat easier to digest than the mainstream venues
Nezesaussi, Al Manzil Hotel, 04-428-5888
This is something of an upstart, an in-your-face sports bar and grill with an upbeat atmosphere. The name itself is an awkward amalgam of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, but it works great as a venue. All of the major sports events are televised, and the bar attracts a good crowd of sports-lovers eager for a bite or a drink. The grill takes its inspiration from the southern hemisphere too, offering meals typical of each of the three nations: boerewors, ostrich meatballs, tender steaks and grilled New Zealand lamb. The food is a cut above your average sports bar. If you stray away from the staple burgers, it can get pretty pricey, but there is no denying the quality.
