There are two excellent options in Bur Dubai for an action-packed night out - Wafi City or the Grand Hyatt Dubai. If heading to Wafi, begin the evening with wine and cheese at Vintage , followed by tapas and sangria at Seville's , dinner at Asha's  or Medzo , cocktails at Ginseng  and dance the rest of the hours away at Planetarium . The Grand Hyatt offers an equally lively night, where you can enjoy dinner at Indochine  or Peppercrab . You could then have some sheesha upstairs at Awtar, while you watch a belly dancer or Lebanese singer, before joining the crowd at Dubai's biggest dance club, the Mix .

Split a night in Deira between the Intercontinental Dubai and Hilton Dubai Creek. Have a glass of champagne and watch the sun go down at Up on the Tenth  at the Intercontinental. Stroll up the road to the Hilton for a predin ner drink at the Carbon Lounge , before having the ultimate fine-dining experience at Gordon Ramsay's Verrr . Follow your meal with a cocktail at Issimo Cocktail Bar  or a dance at M-Level , depending on the night. If you feel like a quiet one take a stroll along the waterfront and watch the dhows being loaded in the cool of the evening. Still up for some more? Head back to the Intercontinental and Ku Bu  for a cocktail, or into La Moda to watch the band.

You can spend one night at the World Trade Centre end of Sheikh Zayed Rd. Start the evening off with a sunset drink at Vu's Bar , then a glass of vino or two at the Agency . If you're still keen on bar-hopping head over to Bar  at Spectrum on One at Fairmont hotel. For a casual meal, return to Emirates Towers and the buzzy Noodle House . If you want a more formal dinner you can head upstairs to Vu's  restaurant or to fine Vietnamese fusion cuisine at Hoi An  at the Shangri-La. After dinner, check out the Moroccan band at Marraked , or make your way back to the Fairmont for a dance at Tangerine .
The new hotels along the strip have breathed real life into the dining scene here. The phenomenal pace of growth in Dubai is amply demonstrated by our top five list – not much more than a couple of years ago there wouldn’t have been one.

Start your night at the far end of Jumeirah Beach Rd by enjoying a relaxed sunset drink on the veranda at Bahri Bar at the Mina A'Salam. If your views of the Burj Al Arab aren't close enough, head down to the bar by the beach. Still not satisfied? Take a taxi to the Burj and head up to the Skyview Bar . Don't eat too many of those delicious hors d'oeuvre - save room for a magnificent meal at one of the One&Only Royal Mirage's fabulous restaurants, such as Eauzone (p83), Nina's  or Tagine. Chill out to some Arabic fusion with a postdinner drink on the Rooftop Bar .