Brace yourself, Qbara gives instant ‘wow’. An east-meets-west sexy ‘Arabesque’ fusion, this restaurant-lounge-bar gets us going like Arabic viagra. And so should it; they say this baby cost 14-million dollars to fit out. An intense patchwork of projections on the back wall of the bar give illusions of 3D movements while the sultry lounge tunes get you in a naughty mood, along with the rest of the Emiratis & expat crowd.

Bringing the WAFI centre back, Qbara is worth the drive. The cocktail list is a masterpiece, Middle East style. BarChick got stuck into the Q75 to start, their signature version of the classic French 75 (zaater-infused gin, homemade thyme & lime syrup and lemon juice topped with sparkling wine). The Bedouin did us nicely too - a 12yo bourbon slow cooked with butter, lemon & apple juice and homemade date syrup. No counting calories on that one.

The bartenders are as easy on the eyes as the flying carpets & wall carvings that surround you. After a few too many the choice is yours; to the fine dining restaurant to get civilised (the chef is ex Zuma) or dance it out in the high-end lounge. Tricky.