Ling Ling's menu is built for sharing and rhythm, not for formal courses. It runs across Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea and Cantonese China under Tao Group Hospitality's Chief Culinary Officer Ralph Scamardella, with Chef de Cuisine Steven Nguyen running the pass twenty-three floors above the Palm. The room at Atlantis The Royal is theatrical by design, so order it in the right sequence and let the kitchen carry the evening.
The Dishes That Define the Kitchen
The Australian lobster pad Thai is the dish people order first and argue about later: lobster tail butterflied over wok-blistered rice noodles, the sauce balanced between sweet and sour without tipping to either. The tea-smoked duck kueh pie tee delivers a more refined bite than it looks — a crisp pastry cup, shredded smoked duck, hoisin, micro-coriander. Then the two showpieces: the 24-karat gold A5 wagyu and lobster maki, and the wagyu beef sando between toasted milk bread with tonkatsu sauce. Expect AED 800 to 1,400 (about USD 220 to 380) per person with cocktails and shared plates.
How to Build the Table
Order for the middle of the table and pace it against the room. Open with dim sum and the kueh pie tee while the soundtrack is still conversational, bring the lobster pad Thai and the wagyu maki as the plates the group came for, and hold the sando for a savoury finish. A round table of eight to ten near the terrace windows is the seat to book, which is why the room anchors our lists for occasions built to impress clients over dinner and to mark a standout birthday in Dubai.
What to Drink
The sommelier team is sharper than a lounge-forward room suggests, with a smart by-the-glass programme and a deep sake selection for anyone who commits. Ask for a dry junmai to sit under the maki and the pad Thai, or lean into the cocktail list, which is engineered for the terrace at sunset. It is the theatrical end of the Japanese restaurants worldwide and Thai kitchens we track across the city.
What It Costs and How to Sit
Budget AED 800 to 1,400 per person once cocktails and the signatures are on the table. It is not the cheapest Palm address, but it is the most theatrical, and the only one that folds dinner, drinks and a dance floor into a single elevator ride via the Ultra Lounge. For a different Dubai order, Akira Back's Korean-inflected room and the counter at 99 Sushi Bar are the sharper, quieter alternatives.
Not For
Not for a quiet conversation or a value dinner. The soundtrack climbs from conversational at seven to full tempo by midnight, and the bill runs high, so book it for a night that wants to be loud and photographed, not a working dinner that needs to stay calm.
Before You Go
Ling Ling is high-demand and books about ten days out, with the best terrace tables gone first, so read our how to book Ling Ling Dubai guide and reserve early. The full Ling Ling review and scores and the wider best restaurants in Dubai index set the room in context.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should you order at Ling Ling Dubai?
Order the Australian lobster pad Thai and the 24-karat gold A5 wagyu and lobster maki, the two dishes the room is built around. Open with dim sum and the tea-smoked duck kueh pie tee, then finish on the wagyu beef sando. Build the order for the middle of the table and share, since the menu is designed for rhythm rather than formal courses. Book a terrace-window table for a group of eight to ten.
How much does dinner at Ling Ling cost?
Budget roughly AED 800 to 1,400 per person, about USD 220 to 380, once cocktails and the signature plates are on the table. It is not the cheapest address on the Palm, but it collapses dinner, drinks and the Ultra Lounge into a single evening. The by-the-glass wine and sake programme lets you scale the drinks bill up or down; the food alone lands lower if you skip the cocktails.
Who is the chef at Ling Ling Dubai?
Ling Ling is run under Tao Group Hospitality, with Chief Culinary Officer Ralph Scamardella overseeing the food and Chef de Cuisine Steven Nguyen leading the kitchen on the 23rd floor of Atlantis The Royal. The menu is the next evolution of the Hakkasan-lineage contemporary Asian style, running across Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea and Cantonese China. Nguyen's recent additions include the wagyu beef sando.
What is Ling Ling Dubai known for?
Ling Ling is known as the theatrical crown of Atlantis The Royal, a contemporary Asian room and ultra-lounge on the 22nd and 23rd floors with 180-degree views across the Palm and the Gulf. It is known for the Australian lobster pad Thai, the gold-leaf wagyu maki, and a soundtrack that climbs from dinner to dance floor across the night. It anchors our impress-clients and birthday lists for Dubai.
Do you need to book Ling Ling in advance?
Yes, book about ten days ahead, and earlier for a weekend or a terrace table. Demand is high and the best seats near the terrace windows are taken first, especially at sunset. Two private elevators carry guests from the resort lobby, so arrive with time to reach the 23rd floor. Our how to book Ling Ling Dubai guide covers timing, the terrace request and the Ultra Lounge.