Cosy in and catch up over a glass – or bottle…

We’re going to level with you here: Dubai doesn’t have many wine bars. Not in the traditional sense: dim lighting, cave-like walls, lots of wooden furniture and a food menu where almost every item includes some kind of cheese. But what it does have is some brilliant bars – and restaurants – with a cosy vibe and extensive wine selection.

So if your ideal date night is catching up over a glass of vino, look no further than these great wine bars in Dubai.

The Agency

A treasured Dubai bar from the noughties, The Agency is a cosy wine bar now located in Jumeirah Emirates Towers. On the hotel’s ground floor, the wine bar has a traditional, relaxed feel with dark woods, dim lighting and crushed velvets in jewel-hued crimson and sapphires. Vintage lamps and mirrored walls add to the old-world feel, as does a hidden cigar lounge, found discreetly tucked behind the bar at the back. At the front, a stage welcomes a regular roster of live jazz acts, covering a whole array of jazz genres for music lovers. It provides the backdrop to one of Dubai’s most extensive selections of wines by the glass, with a team of knowledgable sommeliers on-hand to give expert recommendations.

The Agency, Lobby Level, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, daily 11am to 1am. Tel: (0)4 330 0000. jumeirah.com

Boca

While Boca isn’t technically a bar, it’s a restaurant that takes its beverages seriously, and you’ll go far in DIFC to find a mixology team as talented as the ones behind the Boca bar. But we’re here to talk about wine, and downstairs at Boca is where you’ll find the cellar, complete with 200 of the finest sommelier selection of varieties. There’s both old and new world wines covered, and in keeping with Boca’s sustainability-focused ethos, the list also highlights vineyards that are sustainable and biodynamic and produce organic and vegan wines.

Boca, Gate Village 6, DIFC, daily 12pm to 2am. Tel: (0)4 323 1833, boca.ae

Cave

A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it wine bar housed inside the Conrad Dubai, Cave has been designed to mirror a dimly lit wine bar in some of Europe’s best foodie cities. If you’re taking things seriously, book the tasting room for a flight through wines from around the world, or for a more laid back evening, cosy up at one of the fireside lounges. There’s a wine cellar housed within Cave packed with an eclectic range of grapes and vintages, and it even comes with a ‘straight from the barrel’ option, for a more interactive tasting session.

Cave, Conrad Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, daily 5pm to 2am. Tel: (0)4 444 7444, hilton.com

Couqley

Couqley is another brilliant restaurant that’s home to a lovely wine bar. Designed to feel like a cosy French bistro with its cute corners, dim lighting and exposed brickwork, you can sip your way through a wine flight, or tuck into a cheese and wine pairing, and it almost feels like you’re in a quaint backstreet bar in Paris.

Couqley, Mövenpick Hotel, Cluster A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, daily 12pm to 12am. Tel: (0)4 514 9339. couqley.ae

Grapeskin

One of the closest iterations to a traditional wine bar in Dubai is Grapeskin, an industrial, inviting spot found in La Ville hotel, City Walk. The wine list is packed with pages of wines to transport you across vineyards around the world, with glasses priced from a reasonable Dhs35 in their ‘by the glass’ section. They also have a dedicated ‘wines of the week’ list to encourage you to try something new, plus a section of premium bottles from the cellar which will set you back anywhere between Dhs820 and Dhs5,350.

Grapeskin, Al Multaqa Street, La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, 4pm to 1am weekdays, 4pm to 2am weekends. Tel: (0)4 403 3111, livelaville.com

Soiree

A stylish spot that oozes New York cool, this intimate wine bar at ME Dubai is a lovely spot to snap up a booth or bar stool, drink in the art deco interiors and make your way through the extensive wine list. The list extends far beyond the basics, focusing on biodynamic, natural, and ecological friendly wines, which can be ordered by glass. Designed as a sleek spot for after work drinks that turn into late nights, the extensive wine list is paired with an elevated array of bites created by chef Alena Solodovichenko, like baked potato with lobster, waffle fries with truffle oil, and chicken liver pate with a wine glaze.

Soirée Wine Bar, ME Dubai, Opus Tower by Zaha Hadid, Business Bay, daily 5pm to 1am. Tel: (0)55 413 6648. soireedxb.com