The Review
Shanghai Me is the closest thing Dubai has to a movie set. Step out of the DIFC Gate Village 11 lift and you are, suddenly, in a hand-painted 1930s opium club reimagined by Florentine designer Michele Bonan — brass peacock lamps, bamboo panelling, velvet banquettes in deep jade, and a hand-painted Chinese mural that stretches the full length of the bar. The scale of the room is Vegas; the detailing is Milan. It takes about fifteen seconds to understand why it became DIFC's most photographed dining room the week it opened.
The kitchen, run by Fundamental Hospitality, leans unapologetically pan-Asian: Chinese heritage dishes filtered through Japanese knife technique, with the occasional Peruvian cevicheria nod for good measure. The dim sum library is the sort of thing you would expect in Hong Kong, not on the 11th floor of a DIFC tower: truffle siu mai, Wagyu beef xiao long bao, lobster har gow finished with sake pearls. Each basket is delicate, each filling assertive.
Larger plates push into pan-Asian showmanship: black cod marinated for 72 hours in yuzu miso, Shanghai-style soft-shell crab with chilli oil, and a whole Peking duck service that arrives on a lacquered trolley with hand-rolled pancakes and three dips. The cocktail programme is organised around the Chinese zodiac — twelve signature drinks, one per animal, served in bespoke glassware that gets its own Instagram traffic. Upstairs, a hidden speakeasy called Bund opens at midnight with house DJs and the city's best late-night Negronis.
Average dinner spend runs AED 400–600 per person for the full pan-Asian experience. MICHELIN hasn't awarded a star, but Gault & Millau UAE gave it two toques; the room alone justifies the booking. Reservations tighten during DIFC Thursday and Friday nights — business Dubai treats this like an extension of the boardroom.
Best for Close a Deal
Shanghai Me is DIFC's most theatrical power table. The private dining room seats twelve beneath a gilded Chinese ceiling and a dedicated speakeasy lounge; the main room is loud enough to cover negotiation and beautiful enough to signal status. The shared pan-Asian format — Peking duck, dim sum, yuzu miso black cod — disarms clients without ever feeling casual. Banking partners from the towers directly above routinely close quarters over an early seating. Ask specifically for the curved green banquette by the mural.
Signature Dishes
The truffle siu mai are the gateway: folded by hand, crowned with fresh black truffle shavings. The yuzu-miso black cod is 72 hours in marinade and arrives almost custard-like under a crisp citrus crust. Peking duck is carved tableside from a lacquered trolley and served with paper-thin pancakes, cucumber, spring onion and three sauces including a fermented hoisin that tastes darker and more complex than any other in the city. The Zodiac cocktails — twelve drinks, one per Chinese zodiac animal — are their own reason to stay past dessert.
What to Know Before You Go
Located on the 11th floor of Gate Village Building 11 in DIFC — the same complex as La Petite Maison and Zuma. Valet parking available at Gate 2. Dress code is DIFC-elegant: blazers preferred for men, cocktail attire for women. The rooftop terrace opens in cooler months (November–April) and has the best views of Dubai Marina from any DIFC rooftop. Reservations through SevenRooms or phone. Bund, the upstairs speakeasy, opens Thursday–Saturday from midnight until 4am — expect to queue unless you arrive as a dinner guest with reservation.
Also in Dubai, see Hakkasan Dubai for Cantonese fine dining, Hutong for Northern Chinese at DIFC, and Mott 32 for the Hong Kong heavyweight. For all Close a Deal tables across Dubai, see our dedicated guide.