Welcome to The Negronist

If you're looking for the best view in Dubai, then Cloud 22 at Atlantis The Royal Hotel is the place to be. As soon as you enter the pool area, you feel like you're in a magical place. We had booked a spot at the bar for the afternoon and enjoyed Rosé and the great atmosphere. The Negroni was supposed to round off the afternoon with a dreamlike sunset, although I naturally had my doubts about the quality of a “pool” bar. However, the bartender Liam accepted the challenge I presented him with and conjured up an absolute highlight in the glass. In addition to Tanqueray Ten, he used Yzaguirre 1884 as vermouth and managed to create exactly the perfect blend I always look for. Yes, the orange didn't belong there, but Liam had done a wonderful job with the zest and removed the orange immediately after my comment, saying that he agreed with me and that it was in line with the bar's guidelines. The combination was definitely one of my all-time highlights!

After a wonderful dinner at an Uzbek restaurant, we looked for a bar with a view of the Burj Al Arab and ended up at the Cala Vista bar, which offered the wonderful view we had hoped for. In keeping with Dubai standards, the bar manager of the Italian restaurant was, of course, Italian, and he personally took care of mixing our drinks. After I told him about my previous “problems” with the roughness of the drinks, he mixed me a wonderful Mezcal Negroni, which was perfectly balanced and more in line with Western standards. He also said that the current trend for the international crowd in Dubai is to mix drinks on the milder side. Only the ice cube was a little melted and I have drunk more exciting mixtures, so it just about merits a 4.5.

Anyone who has ever been to Dubai will be familiar with the lavish brunches. After enjoying a Peruvian brunch with bottomless champagne, the sun was already setting as we left the venue. So we headed to the Bulgari Resort next door to enjoy a sundowner. Although we could no longer see the sun from our bar, we found a hotel where we were greeted in Italian and served an aperitivo. Accordingly, my expectations for the Negroni were high, and once again I was not disappointed visually. Again, the drink lacked that special something, although this time it was simply that the Campari overpowered the drink, giving it a slightly too sweet note. Nevertheless, it was a nice spot to enjoy a drink.

After the encouraging start to the Negronication at the previous restaurant, I wanted to test my luck right away and ordered a Mezcal Negroni at our next stop, ATTIKO at the W Hotel. Once again, the presentation was more than impressive, and many bars around the world could learn a thing or two from the visual standards set in Dubai. The Mezcal Negroni also tasted great, although it too lacked a little roughness. I had the feeling again that the drink had been deliberately stripped of some of its special flavor. Nevertheless, this allowed us to enjoy the view from the 31st floor of Bluewaters with its Ferris wheel and a magnificent drone show all the more.

On my first evening in Dubai, I was immediately treated to a visual highlight. Rarely had I experienced such a beautifully prepared Negroni. Even though the waiter praised the drink, the taste didn't quite live up to expectations. Otherwise, I often complain that a Negroni tastes too “alcoholic.” In this case, I had the exact opposite problem and the drink was clearly too “mild.” The Negroni clearly lacked that special something and was too boring overall. My guess is that either too little Gin was used or a significantly milder variety was used.

What better way to start Christmas Eve than with a Negroni? Unfortunately, that only happened on the second round. The first attempt had far too much Gin, so I had them mix it again with a little more Campari and Vermouth. The second attempt was drinkable, and Christmas could begin. There aren't many restaurants that are still open at lunchtime on Christmas Eve, but apart from the Negroni, Saint Germain was once again the perfect place for a very relaxed start to Christmas. Excellent food, champagne, and good wine—it was a real celebration!