Belgian Beer Cafe

The fact the arrival of yet another faux drinking den in a Dubai hotel has been greeted with something other than utter crushing boredom is testament to the Belgian Beer Café. If there’s anything the Belgians do well, it’s beer, and this surprisingly well executed haven makes for a mighty convivial place in which to savour the low country’s high points. The sense of separation from five-star frippery kicks in as soon as you enter; shut off from the Crowne Plaza’s sleek but soulless lobby by a heavy wooden door, the buzzy interior offers a warm embrace.

Sure, the scattershot array of flotsam and jetsam that bedeck the walls are sourced from the “how to do Gallic” section in an interior design magazine, but the venue’s other attributes more than compensate. The long bar houses over 20 types of beer, including cherry and peach beer and a particularly brutal brew titled Kwak alongside better-known brands such as Stella Artois, Leffe and Hoegarden. If you can tear yourself away from the sauce there are some Belgian staples such as moules mariniere and steak frites to be had. Recommended.

Crowne Plaza
(+971 4 701 2222)