Dubai’s restaurant scene continues to turn it up, with two big international brands opening their doors this week.

Remember the days when More Cafe was one of the only places in the city to get a well-dressed salad? Don’t get us wrong, More Cafe’s a total classic and their rye bread is one of our faves, but fact is, since 2002 (when More opened), Dubai’s food scene has ballooned and yet refined and improved.

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We now have chefs with Michelin stars to their name flying in and out, food festivals, more Pervuian restaurants than you could throw a stick at and ample food trucks (probably too many, to be honest).

And now? Well, this week two international heavy hitters have opened their doors in Dubai – Cipriani and Burger Lobster.

CIPRIANI

The Yas Island branch that overlooks the Formula One track is one of the swankiest and yet most reliable dinner options in Abu Dhabi, and as of this Tuesday Dubai has its very own Cipriani branch (pictured above).

The Italian restaurant’s legacy dates back to 1931 Venice, and there are now Ciprianis in New York, Monte Carlo, Hong Kong and Mexico City.

The Dubai branch is in DIFC and seats 296 diners, and spans across two levels, with the bar on the ground floor and the restaurant on the upper deck. There is also an outdoor terrace providing a touch of the al fresco to the whole affair. The look of the restaurant stays true to the Cipriani style – nautical touches, brown leather chairs and bold black and white portraits.

What should you try while there? Well Cipriani’s Baked tagliolini is iconic worldwide, so that would be a good start. We’ve also got our eyes set on the Lobster alla Catalana:

The bar and restaurant are open now, and next month they will launch a lounge area called Socialista.

Building GV10, Gate Village, Dubai. Tel: (04) 347 0003. More info on Facebook. 

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BURGER LOBSTER

This one does what it says on the tin – serving just three dishes, a beef burger, a whole lobster and a lobster roll (so yeah, vegetarians needn’t apply). Each dish is Dhs127 a piece. It opens its doors on Wednesday (but, just to note, it’s not licensed yet).

Now if you only serve three things you better do each one very, very well, and with branches in London, Bath, Manchester, Cardiff, New York, Stockholm and Kuwait, this chain has a reputation for having perfected their limited craft.

Here’s what top London food blogger CheesenBiscuits had to say about the Mayfair branch’s offerings:

“The burger is rich and bloody, the umami hit of the aged beef strengthened with (so it’s rumoured) a splash of Thai fish sauce, though not enough to be distracting. The lobster steamed or grilled (your choice) to perfection, presented in neat halves so you have all the joy of extracting the sweet claws and meaty tail section for yourselves.”

So, what’s the deal? Well with the burgers the beef comes from Nebraska, and the patties are made from three cuts of steak. We all know buns are a key element to burgers – so what’s their bread style? Brioche. Yum.

Whereas the lobster is flown in from Nova Scotia Canada (where they have a man on the ground to make sure they’re getting the best shellfish possible).

The restaurant in London doesn’t take reservations, but this being Dubai and all, Burger Lobster here will book a table in for you (probably due to the UAE’s aversion to a queue).

Burj Daman, DIFC. Tel: (04) 514 8838. More info on Facebook. 

So will the Dubai outlets live up to the top reputations of these two restaurants? We’ll find out and let you know ASAP.

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