Was it the coldest martini I ever had? No. Was it served in nice, conical glassware? Also no. Was it one of the most enjoyable martinis I’ve ever had? Yes – I’d go back in a flash.

The Venue

Cove beach is a well maintained seafront, pool, lounge and bar area by Caesar’s Palace, not far from the Dubai Marina in the United Arab Emirates. You have to pay to get in, which might be an unusual experience for many beach lovers, but when in Dubai, I would say it was worth the price for a quintessentially luxurious experience.

Your entry fee goes towards some of your food and drink bill and you are provided with deck chairs and umbrellas on the sand. Booking is recommended as it’s popular.

The beach is clean and the water is netted off to keep jellyfish at bay. The lifeguards also keep a very close eye on things so it feels very secure.

The Food

You are well attended by members of staff. The food menu is Dubai-style international decadence. We were somewhat self-indulgent and ordered platters of sushi, because honestly how often does one get to experience sashimi delivered expressly to your sun-spot on the sands?

We weren’t disappointed. The sashimi was excellent quality, served on plates of crushed ice, accompanied by salmon maki and mixed uramaki rolls. I would recommend eating it quickly so that it doesn’t spoil in the sun, but honestly it didn’t stand much of a chance with us as we were pretty hungry from swimming in the turquoise Arabian waters.

The Drinks

The drinks menu is impressive, with some very tasty cocktails. I highly recommend the Spicy Fox with its delightful sweet, sour and fiery flavour that perfectly complemented the hot weather and salty sea.

Martinis weren’t on the menu but the staff were more than happy to mix some up, offering all the reassuring options of gin or vodka, olive or twist.

It wasn’t the coldest martini I ever had, and it was served in a coupe glass made of strong plastic. It was good quality, weighty plastic but still not quite the same experience as proper glassware but considering this is a beachside location I completely understand and would not recommend that they change.

Note that you can take your drink into the sea for photographic purposes, but you are not allowed to drink in the sea.

The Vibes

The crowd was predominantly beautiful people, with a mix of friendly locals and more boisterous foreigners. Dubai does seem to attract its fair share of narcissists, but the atmosphere was mostly polite and laid back.

The venue has good music and regular DJs. The pool and lounge area was much more of a hub of activity than the beach and it can get a little more ‘loose’ as the night goes on, so I stayed firmly by the sea and away from the more hedonistic poolside area.

There’s also a good shisha menu but it seems that Dubai has firmly moved on from tradition and settled on vaping as the new vice. Nonetheless I will have to return to try martinis and shisha as a concept.

If you’re in Dubai and fancy a day of pleasant self-indulgence, I thoroughly recommend Cove Beach. It’s not an Old World, dimly lit cocktail lounge where you might otherwise enjoy a martini, especially after a day of hot sun, but it’s a gloriously relaxing setting for some self-care, especially during the winter months when the sun isn’t quite as strong as normal. And if you’re more party-inclined than beach-reclined you’re in good company too, especially around the pool and lounge after the sun goes down.

Enjoy!