Dubai has more high-class restaurants and bars than most residents know what to do with. Cigar bars however, while there isn’t a lack of them, can be few and far between in terms of their quality.
Save these locations in your phone’s satnav for when a gentleman’s evening of your favourite sticks and whiskies is the call of the day.
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The Cigar Lounge, The Address Downtown Dubai
Retro glamour meets contemporary style at this chic yet relaxed rendezvous; a combination The Address Downtown pulls off in pretty much all of its dining venues.
With stunning views of Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain from the terrace, relaxing here with a nightcap and fine cigar will give you the feeling you’ve ‘made it’.
With 40 cigar brands on offer, from the medium-bodied Cohiba Siglo VI to the Davidoff Limited Edition Toro 2009, enlist the advice of the sommelier to make your selection. Classic cocktails to blend with your stick are complemented by a hand-selected collection of global vintages.
The Cigar Room, Fairmont The Palm
While many cigar lounges in Dubai are merely bars with a selection of cigars in one corner, The Cigar Room keeps what matters front-and-centre with a walk-in humidor holding 18 different brands, from trophy cigars and limited edition pieces such as Punch Robusto UAE and Montecristo Grand Edmundo, to more mainstream brands such as Churchills.
Reclining on dark leather chairs on polished wooden flooring and a flame-lit back wall, The Cigar Room gives you the feeling of sitting with history and presence - probably something to do with the liberal inspiration taken from the American Bar at The Savoy hotel in London.
Specialising in malt whiskies and with a large collection of bourbons, one of The Cigar Room’s pairing evenings of cigars, malts, wines and even chocolates are not be missed for the refined connoisseur. If you’re closer to the Fairmont on Sheikh Zayed Road, The Cigar Bar there is equally as good.
Library Bar, Ritz-Carlton Dubai
Long before the JBR walk became a spot for Dubai’s young and bored to grind down their car’s lower gears by sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the Ritz-Carlton Dubai took prime place on the beachfront attracting those looking to add a touch of class to their evenings. Tucked away inside the hotel is one of its biggest secrets, the Library Bar.
Naming misgivings aside – there’s not a single bookcase in sight – it is the cigars where the Library Bar really comes into it own. A gamut of mainstay Cuban cigars are on offer and are best consumed on the outdoor terrace that overlooks the hotel’s grounds and out towards The Palm.
Coupled with an enviable selection of premium malts and cognacs while slipping into one of the several winged leather sofas gives an immediate sense of familiarity, and with the lights low and atmosphere quietly simmering, there is that all too rare resource in Dubai of genuine intimacy.
Vault, JW Marriot Marquis
Located at the top of the tallest hotel in the world, Vault is possibly the highest cigar lounge on the planet and is every bit as impressive as you would expect. Everything is at right angles and the whole two-level club is in fact a massive box, with subtly different atmospheres on the first and second levels.
With just 29 cigar choices it isn’t the most exclusive menu - the most expensive cigar is the Cohiba Behike for AED 250 - but Vault remains a solid choice of after dinner smoking lounges where your partner can enjoy one of the eight cocktails available while you kick back with your favourite Double Corona or Churchill. There’s also 25 separate types of vodka and 27 different infused vodkas alone, in case you’re feeling thirsty.
With its breath-taking views, which give the night an out-of-the-ordinary feeling, the Vault is a fantastic option for a first date; it’s glamorous without being over-bearing and that view will help both of you break the ice.
One on One Bar, The H Dubai
One on One Bar - formerly Diademas - is what a real cigar lounge should be. A break from the pressures of work and a place to relax in a forgivingly comfortable leather sofa with a single malt in hand. It’s also dark. Reassuringly dark. A place for conspiratorial whispers - it’s in clubs such as Diademas that important boardroom decisions are made.
There’s a distinctly 1920s atmosphere. Two leather seats face a chessboard, book shelves have a random selection of classics whilst a traditional silver hostess trolley stands in the corner with a selection of drinks, wines, and cheeses.
The enjoyable thing about the cigar selection here is the mix. You’ve got the newer sticks such as Cuaba – a Cuban cigar created in 1996 but which is extremely difficult to make and has a rich aroma. Our pick would be to go for the Cohibas however, a brand created at the request of Fidel Castro. It’s a decision that probably won’t come as much surprise, but it exudes quality and the medium bodied flavour means it’s really not an overpowering smoke either.
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