Where to eat in Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall

The best way to prepare yourself for a shopping spree is to eat, of course…

Classy mall dining. Before the enormous Fashion Avenue extension, the concept was largely unheard of. Who’d want to eat fancy food in a mall? As it turns out, Dubai visitors, citizens and residents did. From classy Greek food and perfect pizzas to chic sushi, here’s a guide to the restaurants in Fashion Avenue, inside Dubai Mall…

Cipriani Dolci

A power player in the Italian fine-dining world, Cipriani has created a café in Dubai worthy of its fine reputation. Cipriani Dolci is a luxurious take on the Italian Pasticceria, located smack bang in the middle of the fashion avenue thoroughfare in Dubai Mall. The interior designers have done what they can with the oval space to create an ode to Harry’s Bar, the famous Venetian restaurant opened by Giuseppe Cipriani Senior in 1931. The food is just wonderful: simple yet elegant. There are a handful of breakfast options: scrambled eggs or sunny side up, eggs Benedict, omelette, and croissants. Mains include cheese and ham toasties (one of the best in the city), plus pizzas, pasta and salads. Don’t leave without trying something sweet from the counter. The pistachio bombolini in particular is a gloriously oversized doughnut stuffed with a decadent pistachio cream.

Cipriani Dolci, Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall, daily 10am to 1am. Tel: (050) 9497371. @ciprianidolci

Gia

Gia in Fashion Avenue marries the atmosphere of a Milan power-lunch venue and the elegant menu of a fine-dining restaurant in Tuscany. It’s a lovely combination, where the focus lies on traditional Italian recipes and fresh ingredients and features an array of added flavours to cater to local tastes. The dining area is light and airy, while the terrace overlooks the fountain. Gia is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Gia, Ground Floor, Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall, Mon to Thu, 10am to 11.30pm, Fri and Sat 10am to 12.30am Sun 8am to 12.30am. Tel:(0)4 234 9986. @gia.dubai

Home Bakery

Home Bakery has a legion of devoted fans – including H.H. Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan. It’s with good reason, too as their desserts are pretty irresistible. The range of baked goodies available includes cookies, sponge cakes, pancakes and waffle croissants, and at peak times you’ll be hard-pressed to find a seat. Founded by local restaurateur Hind Habib Al Mulla in 2011, Home Bakery now has several outposts across the city, including this one on the first floor of Fashion Avenue.

Home Bakery, first floor, Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall, daily 10am to 12am. Tel: (0)4 388 8558. @home_bakery

Huqqa The Market

If you like a bit of drama with your meal, you might want to pay a visit to Huqqa The Market. It was one of the first restaurants to open inside the Fashion Avenue expansion back in 2018 and managed to bag a premium spot on the top floor overlooking the fountains. Huqqa predominantly serves Turkish cuisine but with a modern – and theatrical – interpretation. Its huge eight-page breakfast menu is particularly popular here. Try the big Turkish breakfast for two, which comes with mixed olives, a selection of breads, strained honey, Turkey cream, sour cherry jam, Nutella, braised beef toast, French fries, tomatoes, chillies, egg options, fresh orange juice and free-flowing tea. Guests can choose between the indoor non-smoking section, or the shisha terrace.

Huqqa, third floor, Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall. Tel: (800) 487 72. huqqa.com

La Maison Ani 

Dubai’s superstar chef Izu Ani’s homegrown restaurant La Maison Ani in Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue is a must visit. Serving relaxed French-Mediterranean cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner with an effortlessly elegant ambiance, La Maison Ani is home to an exquisite boulangerie and patisserie. Expect freshly baked artisan breads, viennoiseries and pastries alongside organic-roast coffee, followed by Mediterranean-inspired meals throughout the day. The views of the Dubai Fountain from the La Maison Ani Garden aren’t too shabby either.

La Maison Ani, ground floor, Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall. @lamaisonanibychefizu

OFK (Open Flame Kitchen)

OFK is Dubai Mall’s answer to Zuma: interior design that looks sophisticated and expensive, beautifully presented – and delicious – food, and impeccable service. The menu skips around Indian curry and tandoori, sushi, pizza and pasta, plus meat and fish cooked on a robata grill and a parrilla grill that have been custom-made to fit inside the open kitchen. The pomelo and duck salad, spicy tuna wonton tacos, and spicy salmon crispy rice are right on the money, but the standout main dish are the wagyu ribs. Cooked sous vide for 48 hours (what other mall restaurant is doing that?), they are absurdly tender and topped with a sweet chilli glaze. Finish with the homemade tiramisu served tableside, and you’ll leave OFK happy.

Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall, daily 12pm to 11.30pm, Tel: (0)4 386 3599, @ofk.me

Opso

Londoners may have heard of Opso before. Its dinky flagship restaurant sits in a very classy part of town close to Marylebone High Street. Opso Dubai in contrast is anything but dinky. For one, it’s huge with three distinct concepts: a café, an intimate dining area, and the large dining hall. There’s also a huge wraparound terrace where diners can smoke shisha and get a front-row view of the Dubai Fountains. The food sways between Mediterranean and Middle Eastern. There’s hummus, fried feta with sesame seeds and thyme honey, moussaka and kunafa.

Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall, Sun to Thu 10am to 1am, . Tel: (054) 4244999. opso.ae

Origami

A new entry in Fashion Avenue – with its original outpost located in Umm Sequim – Origami offers an intimate, yet elegant and minimalist Japanese and Arab dining experience, with space for only 40 guests. Taking on time-honoured traditions, groups can choose sit on a carpeted floor to eat sushi and other chic Japanese delicacies, including a selection of grilled items and Japanese fusion cuisine.

Origami, level two, Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall. Tel: (0)4 330 0865. @eatorigamisushi

Somewhere

Always hustling and bustling, sometimes it’s hard to find a table, and for good reason. Somewhere Cafe, located in the new extension of Dubai Mall is inspired by the owners’ travels. The cafe offers pristine views of the Burj Khalifa, along with some incredibly plated dishes that will make your entire Instagram following jealous. This airy cafe provides guests with a calm and stunning experience.

Somewhere, Level 1, new extension, Dubai Mall, Tel: (0)4 329 5182 @somewhere

The Trove

Art and dining collide at Trove. Inside, there’s a literal treasure trove of artworks to explore, from a floral throne centrepiece crafted by New York florist Mr Flower Fantastic, unique sculptures and paintings by urban mythology artist duo Pichiavo, and signature glow-in-the-dark graffiti, which shifts shape according to the time of day. The menu, meanwhile, is as eclectic as the art: diners will have a near-endless selection of North and South American, pan- Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.

The Trove, Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall, daily 10am to 12am. Tel: (050) 881 3415. troverestaurant.com

Tulum

Rotisserie platters, raw seafood bar and iconic Dubai Fountain views – Tulum at Dubai Mall promises Mexican flavours and preparation techniques from the southwestern regions of Mexico. Signature dishes appear mostly in the rotisserie selection, which features family-sized platters of roasted goat, lamb and chicken. There is a centrally-placed raw seafood bar featuring a fresh selection of seafood, as well as a dedicated fruit and pastry bar offering a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, blends and smoothies.

Tulum, third floor, Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall, daily 10am to 12am.  tulum.ae