What kind of evening: cocktails and good bites with the girls, yachts in the background.
Some places deserve a full review. Bar du Port deserves a postcard, the kind you send to a friend who should have been there.
On the front of the card
A terrace at Dubai Harbour Pier Club at golden hour. Rows of superyachts bobbing in the marina, the Dubai Marina skyline catching the last light, and a table of four women in summer dresses with a cocktail each and far too many plates between them. Inside, a warmly lit bar with a French Riviera soul and Beirut roots: the original Bar du Port opened in Beirut’s port in 2016.
On the back
Darling, you would have loved it. We started with the croquettes (chicken with truffle velouté, crisp outside and molten inside), and I would go back for those alone. Then the mini burgers, which nobody admitted to fighting over, and a round of small plates to share.
The cocktails are the real reason to come: the girls tried the Sailor’s Tears, gin with jasmine and chamomile. The view of the marina does the rest.
Service was friendly but a little slow on a busy night, so order your next round before you need it. Still, the setting is so good that by the second drink nobody minded.
P.S. Come between 4pm and 8pm, Sunday to Friday, for BDP Sunsets, their happy hour on the terrace. And next time, we are staying for Saturday’s Brunch du Port, one of the Saturday brunches on our list to try.
The verdict
The prettiest marina view for a girls’ night of croquettes and cocktails.
Dubai Edited Score: 7.5/10
Food 7, Drinks 8, Service 6.5, Atmosphere 8. Price: $$$. Best for: cocktails and bites with friends.
Natalie paid the bill herself. This was not a hosted visit.
How we score: out of 10, in half points, across food, drinks, service and atmosphere. Price is shown separately, from $ to $$$$, so that an expensive place is never marked down simply for being expensive.
Bar du Port: Details
- Where: Dubai Harbour Pier Club, Dubai Harbour
- Cuisine: French Riviera brasserie with Mediterranean and Lebanese touches
- Open: Sunday to Wednesday 4pm to 2am, Thursday and Friday 4pm to 3am, Saturday 1pm to 3am
- Order: Chicken croquettes, chef’s mini burgers, sharing plates
- Drinks: Sailor’s Tears
- Tip: Book a terrace table for sunset, and order your drinks early on busy nights
- Price: Chicken croquettes AED 80 and chef’s mini burgers AED 130 on the à la carte menu; BDP Sunsets (Sunday to Friday, 4pm to 8pm) from AED 35 a drink; Brunch du Port (Saturdays, 1pm to 5pm) from AED 350. Prices from the venue’s own menus, VAT inclusive
- Book: barduportdubai.com, +971 4 328 7158 or reservations@bdpdubai.com
See also: Dubai Marina, JBR and Palm Jumeirah: where to eat, drink and swim, Bars and nightlife in Dubai.
Image: courtesy of Bar du Port.