Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has come a long way in the last 50 years. From a single tall building poking out of the desert sand (the original World Trade Centre) to a skyline packed with some of the world’s most interesting architecture.
Today, it’s a millionaire’s playground thanks to its tax-free lifestyle, and if you can afford it, there’s something for everyone somewhere in Dubai. And that includes beach clubs.
Dubai’s beach club scene is now home to almost 70 beach clubs, and our team wanted to find the very best beach clubs for you to enjoy. So, now without any further ado, we present our top 20 beach clubs in Dubai.
Our Top 20 Beach Clubs In Dubai In Order
1. Summersault Beach Club
Summersault has just been completely revamped, and it was definitely worth the effort. One of the best stops on the Dubai beach club scene became even better.
If you’re looking for a relaxed vibe with DJs laying down the tunes all day long, then you just can’t go wrong. That is, if you can get past the awful booking system for this place, but then you’re stuck with SevenRooms for nearly every beach club in the emirate.
We found that a visit to Summesault makes you feel special and like you’ve arrived in a place where star treatment is available to everyone.
And there’s no doubt that the food here is very good too, so don’t miss out on a trip to Summersault in Dubai.
Where Is Summersault Beach Club Dubai? Jumeirah Al Naseem, Madinat Jumeirah – Jumeira St – Umm Suqeim 3 – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Jumeirah
Our Review: A Fresh Look For An Old Favourite
Score: 81/100
2. African Queen Dubai
Named after the classic 1951 movie, “The African Queen” this beach club offers a genuinely unique look and feel, and it’s going to look amazing in your Instagram feed.
We felt that African Queen offered the best food of any beach club in Dubai and deserves to tie for the top slot just on that basis alone.
It’s also about the only beach club on our list to use a semi-decent booking system rather than SevenRooms, and deserves some kudos for that too.
Our only reservation with SevenRooms is the odd way they’ve split this place into three sections, each of which requires separate reservations and fees to be paid.
Where Is African Queen Dubai? J1 Beach – Jumeirah – Jumeirah 1 – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: African Queen
Our Review: Africa Meets The Mediterranean In Dubai
Score: 81/100
3. Playa Pacha Dubai
This huge name beach club brand from Ibiza at the Five Luxe in JBR certainly lives up to its party-hard reputation, or at least as much as anyone really can in Dubai.
We felt that Playa Pacha had an exceptional atmosphere that made you feel at home and alive immediately, whatever part of the day you arrive in.
Our team was also impressed by the aesthetic here, which is attractive and eye-catching and looks nice in Instagram snaps.
However, the best part of a day at Playa Pacha Dubai is definitely the entertainment. This is a place where the DJs really pop, and you’re going to have a great day out.
Where Is Playa Pacha Dubai @ Five Luxe JBR? FIVE Luxe – Ground floor – The Walk – Marsa Dubai – Jumeirah Beach Residence – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Playa Pacha
Our Review: Ibiza In The UAE?
Score: 80/100
4. Ayla Beach
Ayla Beach is a very sophisticated spot with a 1950s/1960s luxury vibe of Mediterranean towns of bygone eras. It’s a great way to distinguish this beach club from the huge number of beach clubs in the emirate, now.
The absence of any kind of booking system beyond WhatsApp didn’t impress our review team, though. We don’t understand why Dubai beach clubs care so little about the initial engagement with their customers.
The team loved the daybeds at Ayla Beach, though and thought they were some of the most comfortable furniture items they’ve ever been lucky enough to try.
There were only tiny niggles separating Ayla Beach from the very top picks in our round-up and we suspect that over time, it will be vying for the top slot.
Where Is Ayla Beach Dubai? The Club at Palm West Beach – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Palm West
Our Review: A Taste Of The Levant In Dubai
Score: 78/100
5. Sirene By GAIA Dubai
Sirene by GAIA is officially the world’s largest beach club, and it covers over 9,000 square meters of the emirate’s beachfront, which is absolutely huge.
And that’s odd because our team found that the layout inside this beach club didn’t feel spacious; in fact, it felt oddly cramped due to some strange design choices.
We loved the look and feel of this place, though, and it certainly calls to mind Mykonos, which is the intention, and if you love Mediterranean-styling, you’re going to love it too.
The staff at Sirene by GAIA are also excellent, and you can be sure they’ll work extremely hard to ensure you have an amazing experience here.
Where Is Sirene By GAIA Dubai? J1 Beach – Jumeirah – Jumeirah 1 – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Sirene
Our Review: The World’s Biggest Beach Club, Does It Measure Up?
Score: 77/100
6. O Beach Dubai
The Habtoor Grand has teamed up with the O Beach brand to offer a very Ibizan-style experience on the sands of Dubai Marina.
The central pool feature is stunning, and it’s going to ensure that you have a genuinely social time at this beach club, which we think is one of the primary reasons that people like these venues in the first place.
While one of our reviewers did find that they’d given away their reservation when they arrived at this venue, overall, we felt that the service was excellent at this beach club.
You might want to consider joining their “Inner Circle” program if you intend to visit O Beach Dubai regularly, as it offers points and cash back to spend on future visits.
Where Is O Beach Dubai? Habtoor Grand Hotel Beach Front – Al Seyahi St – Marsa Dubai – Dubai Marina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: O Beach
Our Review: Partying Hard At The Habtoor Grand
Score: 77/100
7. Azure Beach Club
Azure Beach has its own booking engine, but it’s not very good, and as with all beach clubs in Dubai, it makes the initial engagement with the beach club less pleasant and appealing than it should be.
It’s a shame, really, because once you arrive, this is a beach club that absolutely oozes class and celebrity lifestyle, a place that positions itself like this ought to be bending over backwards to make the reservation process painless.
The beach club feels huge inside, and when it’s packed and full of people, it has a really wild, energetic vibe, but it can feel a little empty early in the day when it’s not so busy.
However, we did feel that the size of this place had an impact on service speed, and that’s what held Azure Beach Club back in the final rankings.
Where Is Azure Beach Dubai? Rixos Premium Dubai – Jumeirah Beach Residence – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Azure Beach
Our Review: Golden Sand And Clear Blue Waters
Score: 76/100
8. Cove Beach
Cove Beach had the worst booking experience of any beach club in Dubai, with a broken WhatsApp as the main reservation contact.
This is a real shame, as we had a nice day at Cove Beach once we’d finally managed to get through to someone who could hook us up with a booking. We wonder how many other potential guests just give up and move on to another beach club, though?
If you can afford one of the private jacuzzi pools, then they have an amazing view over to Ain Dubai, though they are screened off from the rest of the club.
You’ll also find that no matter where you sit in Cove Beach that the seating is incredibly comfortable and luxurious.
Where Is Cove Beach, Dubai? La Vie – Marsa Dubai – Jumeirah Beach Residence – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Cove Beach
Our Review: Living La Vie Da Loca?
Score: 76/100
9. Nikki Beach Dubai
Nikki Beach Miami was the first modern beach club, a place where entertainment, relaxation and dining come together for an exceptional luxury experience by the sea.
Today, they’ve built Nikki Beach clubs all over the world, and one of the first we’ve tried is the one in Dubai. And we couldn’t wait to see if it lived up to the hype.
And mostly, it did, though the booking experience wasn’t great and the atmosphere was a little muted. We’d also have liked a more distinctive “Nikki Beach” look for our socials.
But this is niggling really, overall we had a nice time at Nikki Beach Dubai, and we like that they’ve made a strong start on becoming more sustainable, too.
Where Is Nikki Beach Dubai? Nikki Beach Dubai, Pearl – Jumeirah – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Nikki Beach
Our Review: A Big Brand, But Does It Live Up To The Hype?
Score: 76/100
10. La Cantine Beach
The location of La Cantine Beach on Bluewaters Island makes this something of a hidden gem of a beach club, and it’s certainly a location that you’re unlikely to stumble upon while just driving past.
This does mean, however, that it’s not always as busy as it could be at this beach club, and it’s certainly not the place to go for a loud, boisterous day out with friends.
In fact, it’s very much a place for families where you can spend some quality time enjoying good food, pleasant views and an attractive pool area together.
They have some of the best sporting facilities of any beach club in the emirate, and you’ll have a lot of fun here if you come with working out rather than heavy drinking in mind.
Where Is La Cantine Beach? Delano – Bluewaters Island – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Delano
Our Review: A Hidden Gem In The Emirate?
Score: 76/100
11. DRIFT Dubai
The location in Dubai Marina is very handy to get to, and DRIFT’s parent hotel, the One&Only Royal Mirage, is excellent, so we had high hopes for a great day out at DRIFT.
And overall, we weren’t disappointed, sure, there’s a touch of the corporate about the vibe here, but there always is at hotel beach clubs. And that’s not all downside it ensures excellent service like the kind you get at this beach club, too.
We loved the food, but we were a little disappointed that there weren’t more options on the menu, and we thought the cocktail list was a touch limited.
Overall, we felt that DRIFT Dubai would be an excellent addition to the beach club scene in most places, but in Dubai, it’s simply above average.
Where Is DRIFT Dubai? One&Only Royal Mirage – Al Safouh Second – Dubai Marina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: DRIFT
Our Review: The One & Only Beach Club For You?
Score: 74/100
12. Barasti Beach Bar
The experience you have at Barasti is definitely more dependent on the time of day that you’re there than it is at most beach clubs. Days are relaxed, chilling by the pool sort of affairs, and nights can be quite wild.
One thing our team really loved about this beach club was how much choice there was for the humble beer drinker, a group that is usually an afterthought on the menu of most Dubai beach clubs.
Overall, there’s an emphasis on partying at this beach club, and that makes it slightly unusual for Dubai, where most beach clubs are either about chilling out in style with friends or catering to family groups.
So, if you’re heading here, we’d strongly recommend that you leave your kids with a babysitter and then let your hair down.
Where Is Barasti Beach, Dubai? Le Meridien Mina Syahi Beach Resort & Marina – Dubai Marina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Barasti
Our Review: A Bit More Than A Beach Bar
Score: 73/100
13. Bla Bla Dubai
Yes, Bla Bla Dubai lays claim to an incredible 21 on-site bars, and each of them has its own unique identity.
You have to hand it to Dubai, when they go all out to create something that’s the biggest in the world, they don’t hold back, and we don’t know of any other beach club with this many bars.
Unfortunately, you need a reservation at each bar you visit, which prevents a fun day of bar crawling at Bla Bla, and it seems like a bizarre thing to do, though we can see how it might help to make revenue forecasting easier.
And our team felt that this led to a fractured experience that ought to be much more joined up than it is. It was fun, but it could be so much better.
Where Is Bla Bla Dubai? The Beach, JBR – 5101 Messer Street – Marsa Dubai – Jumeirah Beach Residence – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Bla Bla
Our Review: 21 Bar Madness In The UAE
Score: 73/100
14. Bohemia Beach Club
The FIVE Palm Jumeriah is one of the coolest places to stay in Dubai, and the hotel is a massive attention-grabbing attraction in its own right. However, the beach club is not to be overlooked.
While it’s not very Bohemian, Dubai’s conservatism, married with the corporate culture of the hotel, made that extremely unlikely to be fair; it is a very nice beach club.
While we were very impressed with the friendly, professional staff, we did feel that they were a little slower to get things delivered to your table when compared to other beach clubs at times.
Overall, we felt that this was a polished operation that really knows what it’s trying to do for its guests, and it does it well, without really trying to push the envelope to deliver a next-level experience.
Where Is Bohemia Beach Club, Dubai? Palm Jumeirah – No 1 – Nakhlat Jumeira – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Bohemia
Our Review: The FIVE Palm Jumeirah’s Bohemian Spirit
Score: 73/100
15. Eva Beach Club
We didn’t dislike Eva Beach Club at all; we just found that overall, there was very little that made it stick out when compared to the wealth of other beach clubs in the emirate.
The cocktail list was a bit short (4 signature cocktails, really?), but that’s minor stuff; our issue is simply that while everything is more than good enough, you can’t find any individual reason to recommend this beach club over any other.
And while some people talk about this place as though it’s not really a beach club, we felt that it was, and it had all the amenities that we’d expect from a beach club.
You won’t have a bad day out at Eva Beach Club, you just might struggle to remember it in a few years’ time.
Where Is Eva Beach Club, Dubai? The Club Palm Jumeirah – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: EVA
Our Review: A House, A Club, A Restaurant?
Score: 73/100
16. Zero Gravity
If there’s a giant name brand from the Dubai beach club scene, it’s Zero Gravity, and our team couldn’t wait to get out to this place and do a review.
And overall, there’s no doubt that this is a place that is pretty impressive, but it also has some flaws, not least the fact that it’s a pretty pricey venue even for Dubai.
We didn’t like that Zero Gravity charges an admission fee; we’re big proponents of minimum spend to secure a daybed, but charging people to sit down seems excessive. They don’t do that in the pub; they shouldn’t do it here or anywhere else.
Our team was also a little surprised to find that the DJ sounds and entertainment aren’t available throughout the venue.
Where Is Zero Gravity Dubai? Dubai Marina, Skydive Dubai Drop Zone – King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud St – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Zero Gravity
Our Review: The Big Name On The Dubai Scene
Score: 71/100
17. Be Beach DXB
There’s something a bit “naff” about places that use the word “lifestyle” too often; it’s a beach club and not some sort of transformative experience that will have you chanting and fondling your prayer beads.
It’s also fairly optimistic when you have one of the more ordinary-looking beach clubs in Dubai; it’s not unpleasant (we got some nice snaps for our Instagram), but it’s not jaw-dropping either.
We also felt that this venue suffered a little when it came to service speed and efficiency, it wasn’t enough to complain to the management about, but it was slower than at most other beach clubs.
Overall, our team still had a great day out at Be Beach DXB, but it wouldn’t be their first choice of venue even in Dubai Marina.
Where Is Be Beach DXB, Dubai? Marsa Dubai – Dubai Marina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Be Beach
Our Review: A Lifestyle Or A Beach Club?
Score: 70/100
18. Surf Club Dubai
When you bill yourself as the “best beach club in Dubai”, you really need to try a lot harder than Surf Club Dubai does.
It’s far from being a bad experience, but the lack of a pool and the lines of daybeds on the sand deprive this place of a central feature, and that makes it harder to socialise than it needs to be.
The view out over the water from the beach here is very nice, though, and gives you an excellent opportunity to appreciate the Dubai skyline.
However, the biggest failure for us at Surf Club Dubai was the professionalism (or lack thereof) of their door staff; we’re not used to that kind of behaviour in the emirate.
Where Is Surf Club Dubai? West Palm Beach Palm – Jumeirah – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Surf Club
Our Review: The Best Beach Club In Dubai?
Score: 67/100
19. Sands Beach Club
Sands Beach Club is a great example of why ranking systems aren’t perfect. It’s really a restaurant rather than a beach club, so its low rating is due to the fact that it’s missing some of the features that you expect in a beach club.
In fact, this spot on the Dubai Islands is a very nice restaurant, and we’d be happy to go back and eat here again if we were passing through.
You can also get access to the pool and beach at this hotel, but you need separate bookings for other parts of the hotel; they’re not part of Sands Beach Club.
It’s confusing, but you can certainly have a nice day out at this place; it just requires a bit more effort than at most other beach clubs.
Where Is Sands Beach Club, Dubai @ Centara Mirage? Dubai Islands – Front – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Centara
Our Review: The Beach Club On The Islands
Score: 64/100
20. Riva Beach Club
Riva is very much a family-friendly place with an emphasis on wholesome fun rather than hardcore partying, and it’s not somewhere to go for a big drinking session with friends.
One thing that stood out to us was that you have to pay for beach access at Riva Beach Club, which seems to rather defeat the object of a beach club. You can use the pool without a problem, but if you want to touch the sand, it’s pony up time.
It’s also a little dated and faded. We don’t think Riva Beach Club would be out of place in many other parts of the world, but in Dubai, it’s surrounded by the best money can buy, and it feels like it’s failing to keep up.
However, our team still felt that this is a nice venue for a family day out and they wouldn’t hesitate to return with their young ones if they were passing by this part of Dubai again.
Where Is Riva Beach Club, Dubai? The Shoreline Palm – Building 8 – Nakhlat Jumeira – Jumeirah – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: Riva
Our Review: A Proper Family Beach Club
Score: 64/100
Note: The scoring system is not a perfect indicator of whether a beach club is right for you. It is the combined opinion of our reviewers in numerical form of how good a beach club was during their visit(s) to that beach club. You may find that a beach club has particular features that make it a better fit for your needs than a higher-scoring beach club.
FAQs
Best Beach Clubs In Dubai With Kids?
In addition to the family-friendly beach clubs in our list above, there are plenty of other places in Dubai that welcome children, where you can have an awesome family day out.
Try – Jungle Bay at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, Twiggy Family at the Park Hyatt Dubai, Bask Beach at the Fairmont Palm, Peaches & Cream at Clubhouse Al Nufra, February 30 at Palm West Beach, Club Mina at the Westin, and Sinbad’s Kids Club at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.
Best Beach Clubs In Dubai For Couples?
We would suggest that the best beach clubs in Dubai for couples are those at the top 5 slots on our list above: Summersault Beach Club, African Queen, Playa Pacha Dubai, Ayla Beach and Sirene by GAIA.
Best Affordable Beach Clubs In Dubai?
We need to stress that “affordable” is a relative thing, and there’s no such thing as a “cheap” day out in a Dubai beach club. However, our picks for the most affordable beach clubs in Dubai include: La Cantine, DRIFT Dubai, White Beach at Atlantis The Palm, Bask at Fairmont The Palm, Peaches and Cream at Clubhouse Al Nufra, 305 at The Club, and Wet Deck at W Dubai.
Best Fully Redeemable Beach Clubs In Dubai?
Many of the beach clubs in Dubai charge an entrance fee and/or a seating fee (which may be given various names depending on the beach club you choose). While some people don’t mind paying this premium, others (as we do, if we’re honest) feel that it’s best when the deposit is fully redeemable for food and drinks in the venue.
Our best fully redeemable beach clubs in Dubai are: Playa Pacha, Bohemia, Kaimana Beach at J1 Beach, Wet Deck at W Dubai, BCH:CLB at W Dubai, Beach by Five at Five Palm Jumeirah, The 305 at The Club, Galllery 7/40 at The Club, and Mare by Bussola at The Westin.
Final Thoughts On The Best Beach Clubs In Dubai
Dubai’s beach club scene is one of the world’s largest, and there’s no doubt that you can have a very good time at beach clubs in the emirate as long as you have the money to pay for them.
And really, there are two big sticking points with Dubai for us when comparing the beach clubs here to the rest of the world.
The first is the absolutely terrible booking systems; you’d think that with all the money on hand here, they’d want to make an amazing first impression, and none of them do.
The second is simply the cost of things; for the same cost as a weekend in Dubai’s beach clubs, you could easily spend a week at the beach clubs in Bali, and Bali’s beach clubs are excellent too. FINNS Beach Club in Bali is our pick for the world’s best beach club, in fact.
Overall, though we’d like to offer our congratulations to Summersault Beach Club and African Queen Dubai as deserved winners in this tough competition for the best Dubai beach clubs.
