By evening the heat has lifted and the citadel mound glows under floodlights above the bazaar. Families drift through the parks, restaurant terraces fill along the main roads, and in the Christian suburb of Ainkawa the liquor stores and bars begin their trade.
Erbil's nightlife is quiet by the standards of a large Western city and shaped by the fact that this is a predominantly Muslim city: drinking in public is unacceptable and public drunkenness is frowned upon. Nights here suit visitors who want a long dinner with Kurdish, Arab or Persian music, a stroll in a park or around the old citadel, and a drink afterwards in a hotel bar or in Ainkawa rather than a club crawl.
Where to go out in Erbil
1. The Citadel and the surrounding bazaar
The citadel at the centre of the city is the obvious place to start an evening, and the source describes walking around the deserted town inside it: hundreds of houses that appear to have been abandoned in a hurry, with courtyards, sleeping rooms, bedrooms and rooftop terraces that give a panorama over Erbil. It suits an early-evening wander before dinner rather than a late night, and the same source notes that the site has never been properly excavated, so expect an atmosphere of decay rather than restoration.
2. Ainkawa
Ainkawa is the Christian suburb of Erbil, and it is where the source points anyone looking to buy beer, wine and liquor at fairly reasonable prices, simply by walking into one of the local liquor stores. It is the most straightforward area for a drink-led evening, whether you are stocking up or heading to a bar; the source gives no list of specific addresses beyond the venues named below.
3. Hotel bars
The bars at the major luxury hotels, such as the Divan and the Rotana, are described as popular gathering spots. This is the easiest option if you want a drink in the centre of the city without going out to Ainkawa, and the setting is comfortable and mixed. The source does not give opening hours or prices for these bars.
4. Deutscher Hof, Ainkawa
Named in the source as a place in Ainkawa for German draught beer and food, with dancing and Western music on weekend evenings. It suits a group wanting a longer, louder night than a hotel bar, and the source lists a contact number but no opening hours or prices.
5. Mamounia Sky Bar
Listed at the Noble Hotel, with cocktails, wine and beer and dancing at the top of the hotel. The draw is the setting rather than the crowd, and it suits a drink with a view; the source gives no hours or prices.
6. T Bar Sports Lounge and Grill
On the Ainkawa exit road, across from the RRT compound, this is described as an American-style sports bar and lounge with plasma televisions showing international sports. The source gives its hours as 17:00 to late, which makes it a reasonable first stop of the evening, and it suits anyone who wants a game on in the background rather than music.
7. Restaurants and show venues
Beyond bars, the source recommends taking in Kurdish, Arab and Persian music at one of the many restaurants and show venues in the city. This is the most local-feeling option and works well for a dinner that runs late; the source does not name individual restaurants.
8. Parks and the art scene
For an evening without alcohol, the source suggests exploring Erbil's nascent local art scene at the Shanadar Gallery, in Shandar Park. Pair it with a walk in the park and you have a full evening that does not depend on bars at all.
How a night out unfolds
The source does not set out a timetable for dinner or for how late venues run, beyond noting that T Bar opens at 17:00 and stays open late, that Deutscher Hof features dancing and Western music on weekend evenings, and that the citadel is best visited as a stroll. Plan on eating in the evening and treating the hours after that as open-ended rather than fixed.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Erbil Marathon — an annual event organised since 2011, starting and finishing in Sami Abdulrahman Park, with full marathon, 10 km and 5 km tracks. The source gives no month.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink alcohol in Erbil?
Yes, but not everywhere and not openly. Erbil is a predominantly Muslim city, and the source states that drinking in public is unacceptable and public drunkenness is frowned upon. Ainkawa, the Christian suburb, has liquor stores, and the bars at major luxury hotels are popular gathering spots.
Where can you buy alcohol?
In Ainkawa, where the source says you can buy a wide variety of beer, wine and liquor at fairly reasonable prices by looking for any of the local liquor stores.
What is there to do in the evening if you do not drink?
Walk around the deserted city inside the citadel at the centre of Erbil, or explore the local art scene at the Shanadar Gallery in Shandar Park. In season, you can also see the Erbil SC football team play at Franso Hariri Stadium, south of the city centre.
Is there live music in the evening?
Yes. The source points to Kurdish, Arab and Persian music at one of the many restaurants and show venues in the city, and notes dancing and Western music on weekend evenings at Deutscher Hof in Ainkawa.
Decide before you go out whether your evening is a citadel stroll and a long dinner or a drink in Ainkawa, and the rest of the night will arrange itself.