Sips, Soundtracks & Summer Bites: Dubai’s Summer Hotspots You Need to Visit
From rooftop feasts to pool party beats, here’s where the city comes alive after sunset this summer.
Dubai doesn’t do ‘casual’, and even when the weather is rising rapidly, the energy doesn’t dip. This summer, the city’s nightlife scene is diving headfirst into open-air fun, late-night dining, and all-out entertainment. Whether you’re into floating DJ sets, skyline suppers, or beachside bites, these spots prove that summer in Dubai is anything but sleepy.
Read on for our Inside scoop on where to head over the next few months…
Island Beats + Budapest Heat: Fridays at voco Monaco
Set adrift on The World Islands, the Budapest Pool Party at voco Monaco is serving pure summer fantasy, complete with boat transfers, beachwear, and beats that don’t quit. Happening every Friday from 4pm ‘til late, this is not your average pool party. For AED 150, guests hop aboard a boat from Al Wasl Marine Transport Station and arrive to a welcome drink and island vibes. Want to turn it up a notch? The AED 299 package includes boat ride, entry, and unlimited house drinks and food from 6pm to 9:30pm – an absolute steal for those who prefer their Fridays a little extra.
Expect an epic soundtrack courtesy of resident DJs Dalia, Zeer, and Danny T, plus a weekly drop of international and local talent. Water guns? Check. Floaties? Everywhere. And if you’re the type to party in style (who isn’t?), voco Monaco’s Party Suites are available to book for an all-in, day-to-night island escape.
Where: voco Monaco, The Heart of Europe, The World Islands
When: Fridays, 4:00 PM – late
Price: AED 150 (includes boat transfer + 1 welcome drink) | AED 299 (includes boat transfer, entry, unlimited house drinks + food from 6pm–9:30pm)
Bookings: +971 52 126 5893
Email: reservations.voco@thoe-hotels.com
La Dolce Lunch: Midday Magic at Bussola Jumeirah Golf Estates
Stuck at work during the hot months? Bussola has a delightful business lunch perfect for your mid-week work munchies. Forget limp salads and desk-side dining, Bussola at Jumeirah Golf Estates is turning the midday pause into an art form with its new Summer Business Lunch. Available Monday to Friday from 12pm to 2pm, this two-course offering is pure Italian elegance for AED 125, complete with a bottle of mineral water and sweeping views of the estate’s lush greens.
Start with something light yet luxurious: perhaps the Vitello Tonnato, featuring delicately sliced veal with a silky tuna sauce; the classic Insalata Caprese bursting with basil and heritage tomatoes; or the Tartar di Tonno, a refined yellowfin tuna tartare with a Mediterranean twist. For mains, it’s a tough (but delicious) choice: the comfort of Gnocchi Sorrentino in its warm basil-tomato embrace, the robust Tagliata di Manzo (grilled beef striploin served with Rocca and shaved parmesan), or the golden Polletto alla Griglia, a grilled baby chicken crowned with creamy polenta and earthy morels. Seafood aficionados will swoon for the Tagliolini ai Gamberi, with prawns and a delicate saffron emulsion. Dessert finishers include Tiramisu, Profiterole, or berry sorbets.
Where: Bussola, Jumeirah Golf Estates
When: Monday to Friday, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Offer: AED 125 per person for two courses, including mineral water
Bookings: +971 4 586 7760
More Info & Reservations
Hanwoo Dreams: A Flame-Fired Feast at HANU, St. Regis Gardens
Tucked into the ever-glamorous St. Regis Gardens on Palm Jumeirah, HANU is rewriting the rules of Korean cuisine with fire, finesse, and a reverence for one of the world’s rarest ingredients: Hanwoo 1++ beef. Known for its velvety marbling and deep umami notes, Hanwoo is the crown jewel of Korean beef, often only served on the most special occasions in Seoul. But this summer, Dubai gets a taste of the extraordinary with HANU’s latest tasting experience, where seasonal storytelling meets smoky seduction. Yum yum.
Start with the Beef Tartare, elevated with Korean pear, quail egg and a nutty whisper of pine nuts. Then indulge in Hanwoo Beef Gyoza, stuffed with shiitake, kimchi hummus, and laced with chimichurri, before diving into Crispy Truffle Kimbap, a golden, caramelised rice roll wrapped in nori and spiked with mushroom magic. The centrepiece is a chef’s selection of four flame-grilled Hanwoo cuts, each perfectly seared and served with a chorus of Korean staples: scallion salad, green leaf basket, ban chan, and a soul-soothing Hanwoo brisket soybean stew. And for dessert, they don’t dial it down. The Golden Pear Delight is a masterstroke in balance; soft Korean pear, golden caramel, tonka bean ice cream and a satisfying walnut crumble that leaves you floating somewhere between Seoul and St. Regis.
Where: HANU, St. Regis Gardens, Palm Jumeirah
When: Available for dinner — reservations essential
Experience: Hanwoo Tasting Menu featuring multiple curated courses
Bookings: +971 4 278 4844
Email: reservations@hanu-restaurant.com
www.hanu-restaurant.com
GUSTO DIFC: Milanese Charm Arrives in Dubai
There’s a new kind of Gusto in DIFC and we’re not just talking about the food. The newly opened GUSTO, tucked into the sleek surrounds of Burj Daman Tower, is a refined Italian restaurant and café that effortlessly shifts from a stylish espresso stop to a candlelit dinner setting, all with that signature Milanese flair. It’s the kind of place where you might start your morning with a standing espresso and a warm pastry at the bronze-accented bar, pop back for a pitch-perfect Cacio e Pepe at lunch, and return once more for a slow, late dinner over Veal Cotoletta Milanese and candlelight.
The interiors are intimate and quietly indulgent, think polished marble, 42 seats, soft lighting, and walls lined with art that nod to both modern Milan and old-world elegance. GUSTO is built to evolve with the day, starting off as a buzzing café, morphing into a calm power-lunch setting, and winding down into an evening haunt for the in-the-know. Menu highlights include Bruschetta with cherry tomato and olive oil, Spaghettone “Pastificio Mancini” with creamy cacio e pepe sauce and omelettes and Eggs Benedict in the AM, and beautifully baked pastries made fresh each morning on-site. Every dish is rooted in quality and crafted with just the right amount of Italian restraint.
Where: GUSTO, Ground Floor, Burj Daman Tower, DIFC
When: Daily, 7:30am – 10:30pm
Bookings: +971 4 552 4063
Email: info@gustodxb.com
www.gustodxb.com
Instagram: @GUSTO_dxb
And that’s a wrap on this summer’s most delicious distractions…
From island parties with skyline views to midday escapes laced with saffron and truffle, this city never stops serving up ways to savour the season. Whether you’re sipping espresso Milan-style, diving fork-first into flame-grilled Hanwoo, or signing the kids up for sugar-dusted adventures while you sip rosé in peace, Dubai’s dining and entertainment scene is delivering the goods (and the glamour).
See you at the next course.
