Galaxy Bar

Galaxy Bar is a small, discreet cocktail lounge tucked into a corner of Gate Village in the Dubai International Financial Centre, next to the Greek restaurant Avli. It is run by the Tashas Group, the hospitality company founded by Natasha Sideris, and it has built an international reputation out of all proportion to its size: it appeared on The World's 50 Best Bars list from 2020 to 2023, has won a Tatler bar award for innovation and holds a pin from The Pinnacle Guide.

The design takes its cue from the night sky. Midnight-blue tones, mirrored surfaces, marble, gilded details and a ceiling made to look like a starlit sky surround a central marble counter, and with only around 60 seats the room feels intimate rather than showy. The bar describes itself as inspired by the Athenian night sky, a nod to the group's Greek roots.

The drinks are the reason to come. The menu celebrates the disco era, with cocktails named after songs such as Daddy Cool, Disco Inferno, Funky Town and Ring My Bell, which combines gin with peach, apricot, lime and white chocolate over a single large ice block. Other drinks have included Constellation, made with Japanese whisky, fig leaf and black tea, and Nebula, brightened with yuzu and sage. The team uses techniques such as carbonation and infusions, and only cocktails and wine are served, with no beer. Recipes from the bar have been collected in a book, Galaxy Bar: Cocktails.

The atmosphere is more sophisticated lounge than club, though a DJ lifts the energy as midnight approaches. Book through the website, which links to SevenRooms, or by email, especially at weekends, as the small room fills quickly. Cocktails are priced at the top end of the market, and guests must be 21 or over.

Gate Village is a short walk from Emirates Towers and Financial Centre Metro stations on the Red Line through the DIFC walkways, and there is parking in the district. Zuma, a few buildings away in Gate Village, is a natural choice for dinner before or after, and DIFC's art galleries make for an evening stroll.