The 5 Best Bowling Alleys in Dubai
Whether it’s a date, a day out with friends, or you’re just looking to sharpen your bowling skills for the next competition, a bowling alley is a great destination.
So we scoured the whole city to give you our favorite bowling alleys in Dubai. We included our criteria in choosing them and also answered some FAQs about bowling alleys in Dubai.
How much does going to a bowling alley in Dubai cost?
The rates for going to a bowling alley vary depending on the day of the week, time of the day, and the number of lanes you plan on getting.
To give you a starting point, we’ve made a table of the different rates of each of our entries for this list below.
The Best Bowling Alleys in Dubai
Before we get right into our list of the best bowling alleys in Dubai, here are the criteria we considered in choosing them:
1. Wavehouse
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Entertainment | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Events | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Atlantis’ funhouse offers an indoor and outdoor entertainment experience that is held together by its state-of-the-art bowling alley.
The entertainment hub has 4 bowling lanes, each having its own large wooden tables and leather-clad couch.
The lanes are lined by these tropical-urban wall designs giving off street festival vibes that are only enhanced by the kaleidoscopic lighting design that dances around the space.
The only problem we have with it is that it only has 4 lanes, which is drastically fewer compared to your usual 12 lanes — so getting a reservation here is a must.
But if that isn’t possible, then you can spend the time at the Barcade where you can enjoy drinks and 50+ arcade games.
And if drinks are more of your thing, then make sure to go to the happy hour that happens every day.
Another thing we love about this bowling alley, which we also find to be unusual, is the industrial aesthetic style of the hub.
The bare cement flooring, giant fans on the wall, leather upholstery, and wooden accents give the space rough energy that is offset by the fun neon lights that say, “Fun is my middle name”.
As for its events, besides the happy hours, you can also rent the space for a birthday party. It hosts action-packed activities for the event including riding the wave, arcade games, and bowling.
However, there aren’t any other events besides the two, which is unfortunate. We would have liked brunches or ladies’ nights because they would pull in more people on a regular basis.
All in all, Wavehouse makes for a jam-packed day out because of the sheer amount of activities you can do.
And while the lack of events and bowling lanes can make it hard to keep coming back, whenever you do, you’ll always find something to have fun with.
Pros
- State-of-the-art bowling lanes
- 50+ arcade games
- Daily Happy Hour
- Unique festive industrial atmosphere
Cons
- Only has 4 bowling lanes
- Lacks weekly events
Customer Reviews
Loving their adult-only spaces
“Wavehouse, is a perfect entertainment destination. The venue is split between indoor and outdoor activities and comes with a restaurant, terrace, adult-only bar, as well as endless family-friendly fun to keep little ones (and grown-ups) busy. They have got a bowling alley, retro gaming zone, and even a wave machine which makes the whole dining quite the experience. It’s a must-visit place with friends and family.” —WaSalicious Food & Travel, Google Reviews
Great food!
“Best cheeseburger 🍔 I’ve had in a while. Try their wavehouse cheeseburger for a cheat day out. Totally worth it. Love how family-friendly this place is. A casual bar and restaurant with the whole family in mind. A perfect spot for your games night too. Great service and polite staff. Highly impressed with how cute and clean their washroom is. Would love to try other things on the menu if I ever go back there.” —Sera Phina, Google Reviews
2. Yalla! Bowling
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Entertainment | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Events | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Found in one of the most popular entertainment centers, Magic Planet, Yalla! Bowling has twelve state-of-the-art ten-pin bowling lanes that are directed for fun family time.
Equipped with the most high-tech bowling technology, its bowling alley isn’t the only part of the hub to offer the best of the best in the 21st century.
From much-loved classics to high-definition new releases, Yalla! Bowling is also right next to an arcade area.
It also has something more physical, such as the Sky Trail and Climbing Wall, as well as more exhilarating rides like Magic Bolt, Gravity trampoline park, and the Magic Circuit go-kart track.
We love how we never had a moment where we stopped and wondered what else was there to try out because everywhere we looked, there was something that caught our attention.
As for the atmosphere, we’re not sure what it intended to juxtapose graffiti street art with clean bright wood flooring and bright white overhead lighting.
The interior styling felt like the conceptualizing stopped halfway through because the whole space felt undecided.
However, the touch screen pads that served as our scoreboards really played into the “high tech” vibe the alley was going for.
The rest of Magic Planet also felt like it was going for arcade gaming in the 21st-century kind of energy, but that wasn’t apparent in every area.
Sadly, it doesn’t hold weekly events for its regulars. But it does accommodate birthday parties, school visits, and corporate parties, which are great on-demand events.
All in all, if what you’re looking for is the sheer number of entertainment attractions and the high-tech bowling experience, then Yalla! Bowling has your back.
Pros
- Offers a wide range of entertainment attractions
- 12 high-tech state-of-the-art bowling lanes
- Offers classic and newly released video games
Cons
- Atmosphere is muddled and undecided
- No weekly events
Customer Reviews
Best place for a friendly competition in bowling
“Best place for bowling. Good for bringing kids.Yalla! Bowling is one of the top family fun activities in Dubai, a great place to hang out and put your bowling skills to the test. With twelve state-of-the-art bowling alleys and ten pin bowling lanes, you can challenge your friends and family to round after round of fun and see who will be crowned king or queen of the lanes!“—Takwir Adam, Google Reviews
Best bowling alley there is
“Yalla! Bowling!! One of the Best Bowling places I have been to!!! The ambiance is very good and the staff was very helpful and polite who gave us the early slot which was available. Even there is #Liv Debit Card offer where we can get buy 1 get 1 free which allows us to buy 3 tickets and get 3 free each day. It was a day well spent. Will be visiting back soon!!!” —Peter Colaco, Google Reviews
3. Dubai Bowling Center
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Entertainment | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Events | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
With a whopping 16 lanes, 3 projector lanes, and the latest scoring system, Dubai Bowling Center is a paradise for bowling enthusiasts and more.
First off, we love how it takes bowling seriously with how big its alley is. But at the same time, it knows how to keep it fun.
It lets players do backward and blindfold bowling, which is definitely a thing. And the best part is nobody judged us when we did this — we even got cheers from the next lane when we manage to get a strike.
It has also expanded into different entertainment features to diversify its space.
It has The Zone for e-gamers looking to have a competitive good time with online video games, the Arcade, which is known to have the largest collection of arcade games in the world, and its in-house arcade-themed restaurant, Yamu.
We love how all of these spaces come together to create a contemporary retro arcade style that fills the whole space.
The atmosphere felt festive and fun without relying on nostalgia or retro-style themes. We love that it takes this arcade aesthetic style and twists it for the 21st-century.
The bowling alley hosts events like birthday parties and corporate events that involve themed costumes, but other than that, it lacks gimmicks.
Despite that, Dubai Bowling Center makes up for it with great entertainment experiences that are dedicated to equipping you with the best technology it can offer and encouraging you to make weird and fun choices at the bowling alley.
Pros
- Has 16 lanes and 3 projector lanes
- Allows backward and blindfold bowling
- Well-decorated and great ambiance
Cons
- No weekly events
Customer Reviews
Very accommodating staff
“Cool spot that’s open late. Didn’t realize we were bowling in the VIP section. Very accommodating. Provided me with shoes & socks (I was wearing heels). There’s also billiards & ping pong available. On weekends it’s a little packed, so call ahead of time. The staff is friendly. They sanitize each table before the guests come. Liked this place, came back here twice in two days!” —Daria Zlobinskaya, Google Reviews
Love the dedicated spaces
“I had an amazing experience at Dubai Bowling Center. It is not very crowded and has much more than just bowling. There is a dedicated arcade zone for those who don’t enjoy bowling. They got great deals if going as a group. Very friendly and cooperative staff.” —Arjun, Google Reviews
4. Brass Monkey
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Entertainment | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Events | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
From 12 bowling lanes and VR racing car simulators to the best games in the arcade and delectable cocktails, Brass Monkey is the perfect destination for adults to feel young again.
Playing at its bowling alley, draped in purple neon lighting and vintage-style banners above the lanes, feels like what Brass Monkey is all about — letting your inner child out as an adult.
The atmosphere really channels that feeling of being an adult but still with the essence of childhood because the space successfully marries all these entertainment spaces with a sense of maturity.
From the retro-futuristic motorcycle arcade games outlined in pink neon lights to the classic arcade games like Donkey Kong and air hockey to the amazing food menu, Brass Monkey successfully captures the spirit of retro arcade style with a contemporary twist.
It also has numerous weekly events, from half-price bowling on Saturday and Sunday, to Brunch and Thirsty Thursdays.
We had so much fun that it was almost possible to ignore the expensive bill that we got afterward. But truth be told, all of the amenities were quite pricey.
All in all, Brass Monkey aims to be an adults-only paradise designed to let their inner child go all out and it perfectly does just that.
Pros
- 12 bowling lanes
- Arcade games and VR car driving simulations
- Amazing ambiance and great lighting
- Numerous weekly events
Cons
- Expensive rates for everything
Customer Reviews
The vibes are immaculate
“Great atmosphere, lovely arcade and immaculate vibes. The food here is superb, highly recommend the baby calamari and the churros.
The service we received was so amazing, Dale was very attentive and took care of our table and recommended some nice choices. He made us feel welcomed and gave us an amazing experience.
Definitely visiting again!”—Marah Shatarah, Google Reviews
So much to do here!
“Had so much fun here! Great place to hang out after a full week’s work. There are several things you can do from arcades to billiard to bowling or just sit down and chill with friends. They also have very attentive staff and foods were served fast and hot. Their drinks are also highly recommended! 😁” —Kristine Nalam, Google Reviews
5. Player’s Den
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Entertainment | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Atmosphere | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Events | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
If you’re looking to channel your inner athlete and live through those amazing sports films like Million Dollar Baby and Chariots of Fire, then Player’s Den is the bowling alley for you.
With 8 bowling lanes, 4 billiard pools, and tables for table tennis, it is easy to start feeling like an elite figure when you enter here. Couple that with its vintage-style bowling shoes and you’ll start feeling like you’re about to play for an actual bowling competition in a movie.
And while it may not have many entertainment options in the alley, it does have the atmosphere correct.
The subtle neon lighting found throughout the space is enough to give it fun energy and balance out the mature and classy ambiance.
The food and specialty coffee taste amazing and looked like they were part of the space. They were not just food for the sake of having something to eat at the bowling alley.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold any weekly events. The space would have been a great setting for themed nights.
Despite the lacking features that make a bowling alley fun, Player’s Den goes above and beyond to curate a space that conjures a specific atmosphere of sportsmanship and competitiveness.
Pros
- Amazing atmosphere and beautifully curated space
- Has 8 bowling lanes, 4 billiard pools, and tables for table tennis
- Delicious and beautiful food and beverages
Cons
- Few entertainment options
- No weekly events
FAQs about Bowling Alleys in Dubai
We hope this helped you in finding a bowling alley for your next hangout with friends. If you’re looking for other ways to have fun, then check out these articles: