Gold on 27, Dubai, UAE

Never ones to shy away from grandiose design, the self-titled ‘seven-star’ Burj Al Arab by Jumeirah Group has gone and decked out an entire bar on its 27th floor in gold leaf. 

The ‘hotel that taste forgot’, as our City Guides team labelled it in 2014, had already assumed ownership of the world’s first – and totally bonkers – floor-to-ceiling aquarium wrapped around its ground floor restaurant Al Mahara, which come October will be helmed by British chef Nathan Outlaw. 

The fit out of Gold on 27 is by Keane Brands, who have gone to great lengths to ensure that every inch of the space glistens, installing a molten sculpture overhead and upholstering sunken lounge chairs in gold velour. Cocktails are festooned with ingredients that evoke life in the UAE – Light Sweet Crude contains Islay whisky, foie gras, and charcoal infused truffle oil and marks the discovery of oil in Dubai, while Scent Of The Souk uses Cardamom spiced Gin, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Rosemary, Mastiha, Barrel-aged Maple Syrup, Raspberry, Lime and the murky promise of three wishes. Only in Dubai, as they say.