Helipad drinks at St Regis Abu Dhabi: A pop-up bar with a difference

Rooftop bars are a common sight in cities these days, but the St Regis Abu Dhabi's pop-up experience is a rooftop bar with a difference.

The hotel's exclusive Helipad Sunset Supper happens just once a month on the hotel's helipad, offering incredible views over the emirate as the sun goes down.

Guests are taken to a secret elevator off the lobby before a second elevator near the top of the 49-storey hotel whisks them up to the rooftop, 255 metres above the ground. A short flight of stairs leads to the helipad, where waiters, champagne, caviar, oysters and canapes await.

There's even live entertainment with saxophonists or violin players creating atmosphere (if further was needed).

Being a helipad, there are no railings or fences to obscure your view. As a result, the only thing stopping you getting too close to the edge is a velvet rope (and a burly hotel security guard). So it's best to go easy on those drinks.

Launched last year, the supper lasts about 90 minutes until the sun sinks into the Persian Gulf, before guests are escorted back down. With a maximum of 20 guests allowed, the experience is booked out well in advance and has a waiting list. On the plus side, it's open to visitors even if they're not staying at the hotel.