Dubai does height differently. The city's drinking and dining scene now stretches from a couple of floors above the marina all the way to 442 metres up the Burj Khalifa — and a new roundup from What's On has pulled together 13 of the best sky-high spots for a night out.
The record-holder needs little introduction: At.mosphere on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa holds the Guinness World Record for the highest restaurant from ground level. It serves modern French food with the whole city spread out below. Not far off in altitude is Privilege at SLS Dubai, 325 metres up on the 75th floor, which claims the world's highest overflow pool alongside two infinity pools and skyline cocktails — a rare rooftop that works for daytime lounging as well as evening drinks.
SLS Dubai is something of a vertical hub. On its 71st floor, S Bar keeps things relaxed with cocktails and light bites over Business Bay, best at sunset. One floor below, Fi'lia brings something different: it's Dubai's first fully female-led Italian Mediterranean restaurant, with 25-year-old chef de cuisine Sara Aqel running the kitchen.
Downtown has its own heavyweight line-up. CÉ LA VI on level 54 of Address Sky View has a terrace aimed squarely at the Burj Khalifa, a private glass elevator ride up from street level, and the Dubai Fountains performing below. High Society at The Lana pairs Michelin-starred chef Jean Imbert's light bites with front-row Burj Khalifa views from the 30th floor. Over in DIFC, Luna Dubai on the eighth floor of the Four Seasons trades altitude for atmosphere — open daily 5pm to 3am, with a smoked whisky Negroni on the list.
Further out, the food gets more adventurous. Nobu has landed at One Za'abeel with its Japanese-Peruvian menu and DJ nights behind floor-to-ceiling glass. Yù & Mì channels 1960s Hong Kong from the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, serving dim sum through to Peking duck. Attiko on the 31st floor of W Dubai Mina Seyahi frames Palm Jumeirah through its windows with a pan-Asian menu and live music. SUSHISAMBA climbs 230 metres up The Palm Tower to a 51st-floor dining room of Japanese-Brazilian design, a robata grill and views taking in Ain Dubai. The Penthouse at FIVE Palm Jumeirah remains the party option — deep house, Japanese fusion and a crowd that stays late. And Above Eleven, a Bangkok import on the 14th-floor rooftop of the Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah, fills a gap in a mostly low-rise part of the city.
Why it matters: rooftop-hopping is one of the best ways to see Dubai at golden hour, and the spread here means you can match a venue to a budget and a mood — from a pool day at Privilege to a splurge in the clouds at At.mosphere. Book ahead for Downtown spots with fountain views, aim for 30-60 minutes before sunset, and remember most venues have smart-casual dress codes.
