Dubai’s nightlife has come of age in recent times. Beer guts have given way to glamour,

And where boozebounds were once torn between a smattering of British-style pubs, the city is now overflowing with up-market wine bars, DJ pints and packed-out pleasure dens. Whether you’re in the market for buckets of lager and cheesy disco or wallet busting cocktails and roomfuls of water-thin Russians, there’s a scene for every reveller.

The main reason for these upturn in fortunes is the hijacking of the mainstream scene by Dubai’s forceful and fun-loving Lebanese population. Tired of slumming it in pedestrian taverns and nostalgic for the ostentatious revelry of Beirut, a number of promoters have set about bringing Dubai’s club scene bang up to date. Cue glitter palaces with stunning light and sound sytems, over dressed, over-coiffed clientele, and more house music than you can shake a glow stick at. Most clubs are open till extreme – meaning places don’t get going until 1 am, leaving two hours of hardcore mayhem before bedtime.

Dubai’s clubbers are a notoriously fickle crowd and a one month’s “ in ” place is passé almost before the paints dry. The result is a cynical club scene where nighspots desperately try to out-hip each other with big name DJs, outrageously expensive drinks and escalating levels of exclusivity – often culminating in bars so elitist they have no customers. However, this one up-manship has led to some truly stunning locations, from lavish clubs such as Sho Cho’s and Kasbar to the trendy Sanctuary, Trilogoy, 360 Degrees, Quantum, Zinc, Left Bank and a lot more. Most of these up-market joints will enforce a strict dress code, so you can’t get away with trainer or scruffy garb, although jeans are usually permitted. In a blow of equality this applies to both men and women.

Perhaps as a backlash against this cooler than-thou ethos, a new generation of down-to-earth pubs are opening up their doors to hordes of pint hungry punters. Places like, The Irish Village, Waxy O’Connors, Biggles, Double Decker and Alamo pull in the punters with such delights as karaoke competitions, yards of ale and light weight dance music.