Admiral’s Club
Where: The Ritz-Carlton (4484 8000)
Best night to go: Thursday. You’re more likely to have a crowd then.
Most people know this spot for their patio and their awesome wasabi rice nibbles. But venture upstairs and you’ll find a dance floor and DJ area, as well as a second bar and balcony area. It tends not to be crowded: which, if you come baring a group of friends, can mean you’ve essentially lucked into your own private club with DJ at your beck and call. We have got him to play Britney Spears—it can be done!

Cigar Lounge
Where: Sharq Village & Spa (4425 6666)
Best night to go: Fridays for the salsa dancing.
Normally a laid-back, leather-scented haven for titan-of-industry-style guffaws and captain-of-the-universe smugness, on Friday nights this place turns into a salsa haven, with Salsa & Candela taking over for their weekly open dance classes and practice parties! Learn some new steps then show off your twirls from 9pm-midnight. They cover all the basics of salsa, with different variations depending on the crowd. Come as a pair or find a partner there: couples and singles are both welcome. QR85 per person gets you in, including a welcome drink.

Crystal Lounge
Where: W Doha (4453 5353)
Best night to go: Wednesday is ladies night, with free welcome cocktails for ladies, but this place is packed every weekend as well
If you want high class moving and shaking, this is the spot. With a variety of resident DJs cycling through every few months, plus special guest appearances by some of the hottest DJs, often straight from the UK or Ibiza, there’s always something new. Dress to impress, as this is not the spot to roll up to in raggedy jeans! With a slant more towards the electronic and trance scenes, this is where some of the newest dance music comes out to play.

Lava
Where: InterContinental Doha (4484 4444)
Best night to go: Wednesday, when they open the doors and share their ladies night with Paloma
With tasty beverages on the menu, this spot also boasts DJ Paul Mendez spinning his brand of dance hits, sprinkled with commercial classics and old school hip hop, for flavour. It’s not as packed as some of the other venues in town, although you still get a nice turnout on weekends: this is a spot for people who actually want to dance without smacking those nearby as they do so.

Paloma
Where: InterContinental Doha (4484 4444)
Best night to go: Wednesday, when they share their ladies night with Lava
With Big Mouth Band crooning out their mix of classic rock, plus DJ Shadi waiting in the wings, this place is always a good time. Although the dance area is small, and you may find yourself pushed up against the bar and your neighbours (not to mention dodging plates of nachos on their way to the restaurant portion), it’s worth it for the chance to dance to a live band that’s actually good! Ladies night has free drinks for girls from 10pm onwards, with free entrance (guys pay QR80). We also love their karaoke contests where amateurs take the stage with Big Mouth: fun to watch, fun to dance to!

Pearl Lounge
Where: Doha Marriott (4429 8888)
Best night to go: Theme nights: pick a theme and head in! We like Arabesque night for a taste of the best Arabic music. Belly-dance-licious.
They’re tried to add new twists over the years, from an expanded food menu (sushi in a nightclub? Who knew?) to weekly promotions and theme nights, but whatever they do, people still stream in week after week. Why? Because their musical choices tend to be mainstream and delightful, and it’s always a good time! If you’re looking for hip hop and radio-friendly tunes, you’ll find them here, as well as regular DJ who are amicable to song requests.

Qube
Where: Radisson Blu Hotel Doha (4428 1428)
Best night to go: Weekends are when this Doha standby really heats up. Head out on a Thursday or Friday for the biggest crowds.
A Doha classic, this is the place to go if you want to dance in what your teen self imagined a nightclub looked like. Literally a cube, this is one of those Doha institutions that has been here forever and will probably be packing them in on a Thursday night for the rest of time. With a mix of nationalities it’s a fun place to see communities come together: united in urban music classics and the need to bob our heads in unison.

Rocca
Where: Grand Hyatt Doha (4448 1234)
Best night to go: Their special party nights—there are usually at least two each month, with special themes, from Disco to Wig parties!
Newly redesigned, this pool side restaurant turns into cocktail lounge with dance floor at the weekends. Their regular DJ, DJ Mark Bambach, hits the floor on Thursday and Friday nights, spinning his mix of dance and r&b classics, but what really gets us moving are their special theme nights. With guest DJs and fun themes (we like anything that forces us to dress up in costumes), these are packed so show up early to get in!

Seven
Where: La Cigale (4428 8888)
Swathed in white and boasting some local DJ talent since they opened, Seven is a hidden gem in Qatar, enough so that we forgive them going all artist-formerly-known-as with their name. If you want to dance in a spot that manages to be both classy and just a good time, here’s where you head: even if all that white and smoke does make us a bit nervous for spills and whatnot. Also like we’ve travelled back in time to the mid 90’s. They also regularly host big name DJs, often from the Arab world.