The hospitality sector in general, and the bar scene in particular, is thriving at last across Africa and the Middle East – resulting in a growing number of excellent cocktail venues, from the sublime to the ‘cor blimey’, writes James Lawrence.

Gold on 27 is among our top bars to watch in Africa and the Middle East

The revolution that has swept through the Middle Eastern and African bar scenes over the past five years is nothing short of remarkable. Once derided as a nightlife graveyard, destinations such as Beirut, Tel Aviv and Dubai are today held in great esteem by international artists and DJs, with the region’s leading bartenders giving their western counterparts a serious run for their money when it comes to unrestrained creativity.

Moreover, the number of world- class operations continues to grow – Dubai in particular has witnessed a stratospheric rise in bar launches over the past few months, and Middle Eastern nightspots are increasingly not all obligatory appendages to the region’s sizeable firmament of luxury hotels.

Hand-in-hand with this explosion in Middle Eastern nightlife has come a unprecedented level of growth and development across the African continent; it is now the second fastest-growing economic region behind Asia and is rapidly becoming an attractive magnet for international capital and investment.

With this newfound wealth has come an explosion of western-style bar and club venues in urban Africa, as anyone who has visited dynamic Lagos in Nigeria will testify. For as Lagosians are fond of saying, what happens in Gidi [Lagos] stays in Gidi.

Indeed, if there is one sector that has really prospered despite the challenges of doing business in Africa, it is the hospitality segment. This is reflected across the continent’s top destinations’ drinks lists, which now contain expensive international brands hitherto unheard of in Africa.

Nightlife was once dominated by domestic brands and local curiosities such as palm wine (made from the sap of palm trees), but today you are just as likely to encounter Grey Goose, Cîroc Vodka and Dom Pérignon in Nairobi, Accra and Cape Town.

Click through the following pages to discover Africa and the Middle East’s top bars to watch in 2017.

Imperial Craft – Tel Aviv, Israel

Imperial Craft is far more than just another cocktail bar attempting to earn a living. According to its owners, Imperial is “trying to challenge the local drinking culture and elevate the bar scene in Tel Aviv to a higher level of drinking, hospitality and knowledge”.

In the meantime, though, Imperial is well on its way to international acclaim. It boasts a chic décor that pays reference to the colonial era, a seasonally changing menu and the most talented team of bartenders to be found anywhere in the Middle East.

Some of the more tantalising combinations include the Gold Fashioned , a heady mix of Bols Genever, Glengoyne, Vida Mezcal, Angostura Bitters, Falernum and gold dust. Imperial Craft ranked in 2016’s Bars to Watch list, and 2017 looks also likely to be big for this Tel Aviv treasure.

The Hide Meatery & Bar – Dubai, UAE

It was The Hide that brought the concept of craft cocktails to Dubai, offering a very contemporary yet retro experience where visitors can enjoy the pre-Prohibition classics in elegant surroundings.

The drinks offering is heavy on house-made infusions and barrel ageing. The bar even makes its own bitters, tinctures and syrups, aggressively eschewing the fad of “adding everything but the kitchen sink to the cocktail”.

Instead, expect Prohibition-inspired creations such as Suit and Tie – Bourbon, Aperol, apricot liquor, and Lillet. The Hide is an essential part of any tourist’s itinerary.

The Bohemian – Beirut, Lebanon

The Bohemian is a very welcome addition to Beirut’s uber-trendy Mar Mikhael neighbourhood, a lavishly chic, stylish destination that would not be out of place in Manhattan. Its raison d’être is to prove to the world that Beirut really is the Middle East’s most liberal and Westernised city.

Indeed, despite the theoretical confines of Islam, drinking is very much tolerated and encouraged at The Bohemian, a magnet for an eclectic mix of clientele looking for the perfect cocktail and lounge music combination.

But the biggest attraction is not the space itself, it’s the astronomically varied menu. Your best bet is to name your spirit of choice and let the bartender put in the leg work.

Gold on 27 – Dubai, UAE

There can be no greater symbol of the decadence and glorified excess of 21st century Dubai than Gold on 27, the glittering creation of the luxury Jumeirah hotel group. Located on the 27th floor of the majestic Burj Al Arab, it is truly in a class of its own: textured walls shimmer with 24- carat gold with sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf and Dubai skyline.

Gold on 27 does not simply trade on its kitsch and eye-catching décor: its owners have brought together a team of mixologists who continue to craft some of the finest cocktails in Dubai, using only premium brands, of course. Indeed, Gold is hardly in the market for a casual post-office libation – Scent of the Souk (featuring oud oil, rosemary and spices) sets the tone – but if you are looking for a night of decadence, there is no finer destination in Dubai.

Firefly – Accra, Ghana

The darling of both Accra’s well-heeled elite and discerning visitors, Firefly is undoubtedly Ghana’s most luxurious venue. It stands for everything that has gone right in one of Africa’s most stable, prosperous and promising democracies.

The décor is unashamedly modern (think whitewashed brickwork, soft lighting and a back-lit bar) and designed to attract a wealthy yet fun-loving crowd who come for the scene but stay for the excellent cocktails and amiable bartenders who clearly love their craft.

To find such an upmarket destination in a country that was once living on the poverty line is nothing short of remarkable, a fitting symbol for a nation on the up.

Tjing Tjing – Cape Town, South Africa

Based in an ancient heritage building in Cape Town’s trendy Longmarket street, Tjing Tjing is a fitting poster child for the modern face of Cape Town: confident, dynamic and constantly evolving.

Although the original rooftop bar opened its doors in 2011, the newer Tjing Tjing Torii bar and restaurant arrived in 2015, a chic juxtaposition to the upstairs alfresco destination which focuses on classic cocktail creations such as the Old Fashioned, Dawa and Russian Samurai. Moreover, the owners plan to make additional improvements over the coming months.

Yet the style and feel of Ting Tjing is unlike anything else seen before in Africa: a 200-year old building with its wooden mansards and attic feel is overlaid with Japanese accents, including a shrine-red bar, Gothic Lolita designs and Japanese-inspired wallpaper.

Indeed, far more glamorous than your typical African bolt hole, Tjing Tjing cultivates an intimate, sophisticated ambience of another era and manages to be all things to all people – restaurant, cocktail bar and an alfresco post-work destination. It is a haunt for just about everyone: creatives, urban professionals, students, artists – everyone loves Tjing Tjing.

But despite Tjing Tjing’s growing international reputation, it is the superbly crafted cocktails, sublime Japanese cuisine and innovative service that will ensure that this excellent bar is around for decades to come.